Dairy-Free Coconut Caramel Ice Cream

This past Christmas, Chris gave me an ice cream maker. I wanted one for a while, so I was super excited! Since then, I've experimented a bit, making vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry cheesecake ice cream, as well as a strawberry lemon sorbet, but this was my first venture in making a dairy-free ice cream. Guys…this was the best ice cream that has come out of my ice cream maker!

Coconut milk has enough fat in it, making it a great substitute for heavy cream. Throw in some egg yolks, and you have a luxurious and rich ice cream. I'm all for regular ice cream (who isn't?), but sometimes all the cream can be too much for my tummy. I'm so happy to have found such a wonderful substitute! The coconut flavor shines and almost tastes toasted, and the caramel flavor reminds me of a rich dulce de leche. It's glorious. I think I'll try using this recipe as a base for future flavors. Chocolate coconut is an obvious choice, and I think coffee (swoon) would be another fabulous addition as well. I'll keep you posted on what flavors I try next!

Dairy-Free Coconut Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cans full fat coconut milk

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Combine one can of coconut milk, the brown sugar, and the salt in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally so that the sugar dissolves. Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly and continue to cook until the mixture has darkened and reduced, about 20-30 minutes. The mixture should have thickened, resembling caramel.

While the caramel is reducing, beat the egg yolks in a large, heatproof bowl and set aside.

Add the second can of coconut milk to the coconut caramel and heat, stirring to integrate the caramel. When the mixture is very hot, but not boiling, temper the egg yolks: slowly whisk 1 cup of the caramel mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks. You want to heat the eggs slowly, so they don't scramble. 

Turn the heat to low and pour the tempered yolks back into the pot. Cook, stirring constantly, just until the mixture has thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Pour the custard mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions. Freeze for 4-6 hours before scooping and serving.

Recipe source: adapted from Real Simple