Low Sugar Mini ‘Magnum’ Ice Creams
With a heatwave hitting the UK at the moment, I’ve been stocking our freezer with our favourite ice creams for indulgent (and not so indulgent) treats.
I have two types I rely on for different times in the heat: my sugar free vanilla ice cream (or variations on it) for more decadent, soft-scoop traditional ice cream, or frozen fruit blitzed in a food processor (sometimes with a little coconut milk and/or yogurt to help it along) for a lighter, weekday, more guilt-free ‘nice cream’ like my peaches ‘n’ cream one.
And this week, I decided to throw a third one into the mix (or rather, a mix of the two). I’ve been playing with the idea of using my ice creams to make mini-Magnum-style choc ices for a while now, and it’s finally gotten hot enough here for me to try it out. As soon as the sun re-appeared, I jumped onto Amazon to buy these mini ice cream moulds, and my son and I got scooping and dipping and freezing, and of course, eating.
It was good. Really good.
It will be happening again. Soon.
Because with less than half a teaspoon of added sugar in each ice cream (all from the chocolate), these beauties are the healthier (and cheaper) answer to a beloved ice cream favourite.
The vanilla ice cream gives these a classic flavour, but is a little more fiddly since it is soft scoop and doesn’t really ever harden. The fruit ice cream is lighter (and egg/dairy free) and hardens well in the freezer, making the process easier, but the flavour a little different (but no less good). Pick your favourite, give it a go (or make both). And top however you like!
Enjoy the sun everybody. 🙂
An easy, healthier, low sugar version of a favourite ice cream treat. Just as tasty, but cheaper and less guilt-inducing! The whole family will enjoy making and eating these. Gluten free and low carb with a vegan/dairy free option.
- my sugar free vanilla ice cream* (see notes for recipe - I like to use just 40-50g of xylitol in it), approx 1 heaped tablespoon per mini ice cream
- frozen fruit (banana or strawberry are our favourites), approx 1/4 medium banana or a handful of strawberries per ice cream
- a little coconut milk or yogurt (plain dairy/unsweetened non-dairy), if needed (to get the frozen fruit to soft-scoop consistency
- roughly chopped very dark chocolate (85-90%), approx 10-15g per ice cream
- coconut oil, just a drizzle (1/4 teaspoon or so) to help the chocolate melt and harden easily)
- optional extras like desiccated coconut or chopped nuts
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For the fruit ice cream, blitz the frozen fruit in a high-power blender or food processor until smooth (add a little coconut milk or yogurt if you are struggling to get it to soft-scoop consistency). Freeze for at least 30-60 minutes, or until hardened slightly but still scoopable.
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Scoop your chosen ice cream into mini popsicle/ice lolly moulds (we LOVE this one) until full. Add popsicle sticks and put back in freezer for 30-60 minutes, until hardened (please note, the sugar free vanilla ice cream doesn't harden fully, it will always be fairly scoopable. Gently remove from the moulds (the vanilla ice cream will be harder to remove - I find using a palette knife to help it along useful, and I return it to the freezer for longer if it feels too soft). Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in the microwave until just melted (I like to take it out when it still has a few small bits of chocolate and stir until melted so it's nice and shiny). Spoon over the ice cream lollies (I find I can dip the fruit ice cream but the vanilla is softer and needs gentler treatment so spooning it over is best). Quickly add coconut or nuts, if using, before the chocolate hardens (it sets very quickly). Return to the freezer for 5 minutes, then serve straight from the freezer.
*find my sugar free vanilla ice cream recipe here
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