Chocolate Mint Tea Ice Cream
This chocolate mint tea ice cream is filled with superfoods that will make you feel good! Vegan, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free.
This guest blog post and recipe was written by Shelley Alexander, holistic chef, certified healing foods specialist, blogger, and owner of A Harmony Healing a holistic food, nutrition, and wellness company in Los Angeles, California. To find out about Shelley and try more of her delicious healing food recipes go to A Harmony Healing.
I adore ice cream and I’m always coming up with new ways to make it with my favorite healing foods. When I was young mint chocolate chip ice cream was one of my favorites and I always asked for it when my family went to Baskin Robbins for a special treat. I really liked how the cool mint flavor complimented the bites of sweet chocolate and the bright green color was a plus.
My version of mint chocolate chip ice cream blends fresh mint leaves, raw cacao, Zhena’s mojito mint green tea, coconut milk, vanilla, and avocado into one delicious refreshing ice cream.
The avocado and coconut milk create a lush creamy texture that melts on your tongue and tastes divine. All of the ingredients in this ice cream are superfoods that taste great and have fantastic health benefits.
Once the ice cream finished churning,  I stirred in some chopped up dark mint chocolate from Theo to take this ice cream over the top but feel free to make the ice cream without it because it’s good either way.
Avocados are one of my favorite fruits because of their great taste and impressive health benefits! Avocados contain an amazing amount of carotenoids including beta-carotene, lutein, alpha-carotene, and zeaxanthin that function as antioxidants which all work together to fight inflammation, strengthen your immune system,  and protect your body against free radical damage.
Avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats including monounsaturated fat and alpha-linolenic acid an omega-3 fatty acid. Avocados are nutrient-rich with high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, folate, and fiber.
Coconut Palm Sugar is  an unrefined sugar that’s nutrient rich with a low glycemic index. This sweetener has a mild taste that is similar to light brown sugar and can be used in baked goods, coffee, tea and just about any dish that calls for sugar. Find it here.
Coconut milk is a great dairy-free milk to use in this ice cream. Coconut and its milk have so many health benefits that I could go on and on but I will say that one of the most important health benefits of coconut is that is contains lauric and capric acid which are important medium chain fatty acids. These medium chain fatty acids have potent anti-microbial and anti-viral properties which will protect and strengthen your immune system. Medium chain fatty acids are also used by our body for energy rather than being stored as fat.
Once you add the raw cacao, fresh mint, vanilla, and green tea you have a superfood treat that will fill your body with tons of healing nutrients guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
| Chocolate Mint Tea Ice Cream |
Ingredients
- Makes 2—2½ pints
- 4 cups organic regular coconut milk
- 2—Zhena’s Mojito Mint tea sachets
- 1 cup organic coconut palm sugar (I used Wholesome Sweeteners brand)
- Seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1 small avocado
- 8 large fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ELF raw cacao powder
- Optional: 1 —3 ounce Theo organic fair trade mint dark chocolate bar chopped into small pieces
Directions
Place the coconut milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot and simmering. Add tea sachets, turn heat to low and steep tea for 3 minutes.
Remove tea sachets and stir in coconut sugar, vanilla bean seeds or extract, and sea salt. Pour tea milk into a heat proof container and chill for several hours or overnight.
Once done chilling take tea milk from refrigerator, place in a blender and add avocado meat, mint leaves, and raw cacao powder blending until smooth.
Place ice cream in chilled ice cream container and freeze according to ice cream manufacturer’s directions. Once ice cream is done stir in chocolate pieces if using and enjoy immediately.
This ice cream will last for 2-3 weeks stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Once you freeze the ice cream in your freezer, you need to let it sit out for around 20 minutes to get soft before serving.
http://skinnyms.com/chocolate-mint-tea-ice-cream/
