Sugar Free 3-Ingredient Strawberry Ice Cream (Vegan)
“Nice cream” is one of my favourite sugar and sweetener free desserts to pull out in the hot weather. I replace one of our portions of fruit in the day (usually we eat 2 in a day, occasionally 3) with the blitzed frozen fruit “ice cream” instead, and it makes everyone feel like they are having a real treat, while still giving them a sugar free healthy dessert!
Although I love a good banana “nice cream”, especially when blended with cacao powder, my personal favourite (and, I think, my whole family’s favourite) is strawberry. Strawberries are so light and fresh and naturally super-sweet that they work amazingly well in this frozen dessert.
The bonuses include that it is vegan (no yogurt, milk, cream or eggs in this one), almost-instant (just a bit of blending involved), very cheap and high in nutrients (fruit destined to be frozen often requires less pesticides, so non-organic is not such a big worry, and it is frozen at the peak of its freshness, retaining the vitamins and goodness of a freshly picked berry).
I hope you love this simple ice cream as much as we do. If it’s not sweet enough for you, you can always add a few drops of liquid stevia and use less each time you make it. If you want an extra bit of depth to the flavour, I love to use the black pepper (but this might not be to everyone’s taste). If you want to change it up, swap the strawberries for a different berry or frozen fruit. If you aren’t vegan or dairy free, then some dairy milk or yogurt or cream works just as well as the coconut milk here.
It doesn’t get much simpler than this, so don’t hesitate to give it a go while the heatwave lasts! 🙂
This vegan, sugar & sweetener free strawberry ice cream uses only 3 ingredients and is cheap, nutrient-rich, healthy and delicious! Have fun playing with flavours or keep it simple. Ready in mins, this is a treat the whole family will enjoy.
- 300 g (2 cups) frozen strawberries
- 2 teaspoons sugar free vanilla extract
- 8-10 tablespoons (about 125ml/1/2 cup) coconut milk (full-fat tinned)
- a few good grinds of coarse ground black pepper, optional
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Blitz the ingredients together in a good food processor or powerful blender until smooth (you may need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides a few times), adding a little more coconut milk if needed to help it come together. Serve straightaway as a soft scoop ice cream, or freeze in ice cube trays until needed and blitz again before serving.
Is just regualr vanilla extract OK to use or does the sugar free have artificial sweetner to add sweetness to this ice cream?
Sugar free vanilla extract will only have two ingredients: vanilla pods and alcohol (usually vodka). Many vanilla extracts often have added sugars and preservatives. You can use whichever you like, I only added it to make sure it was “sugar free”, but it adds very little! 🙂
Sounds delicious! Does the coconut milk need to be separated before use (eg put in fridge so clear liquid settles at bottom of can)?
I don’t bother, as I never think of it ahead of time enough! 🙂 But if you want it to be extra creamy, then that would probably improve the creaminess of the ice cream. You could alternatively use coconut cream, which is less watered down coconut and so thicker without needing to chill (not creamed coconut, which is a block of coconut you rehydrate with boiling water).
Do you have to blitz again before serving ?
My mom’s in a nursing home and was going to make her some. Thanks.
Hi Teresa, you shouldn’t need to, but you may need to leave it on the counter for 10 mins to soften slightly. If a lot of ice crystals have formed, then blitzing again certainly wouldn’t hurt!