Cardamom-Scented Peach Ice Cream

The soft, delicate flavor of summer peaches swirls together with sweet vanilla and the subtle spicy warmth of cardamon, all combined in a base cold, creamy dairy-free ice cream! What’s not to absolutely adore about this recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 cup cubed/sliced peaches or nectarines (see note)
• 1/2 cup frozen banana, in chunks
• 1 can coconut milk (regular, not lite)
• 1/2 cup soaked cashews (or 1/3 cup raw, unsoaked, see note) 
• 3 – 4 tbsp coconut sugar (see note) 
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla nondairy milk
• 3 – 4 tbsp pure maple syrup (or agave nectar, see note)
• couple pinches powdered stevia (optional, can add more sweetener, see note)
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon (rounded) guar gum
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom (if you love the flavor of cardamom, you can use a little more, up to about 1/4 tsp)
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp pure almond extract (optional, but adds lovely light fruity essence)
• Add-in (optional) 1/2 – 2/3 cup chopped peaches or nectarines (to add in at end of churning)

Instructions

1) In a blender (I use a Blendtec), combine all the ingredients (EXCEPT reserved 1/2 – 2/3 cup peaches) and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of blender as needed (this may take a few minutes with a standard blender).

2) Transfer the mixture to an ice-cream maker (follow the directions of the specific model, see note below), and churn until the mixture is of soft-serve consistency.  Once ready, add reserved peaches (if using), and let churn through for another minute. Transfer to a container to store in the freezer.

Notes

Ice-Cream Maker Note: I am often asked which ice cream maker I use.  I have the KitchenAid ice cream bowl attachment that works with the KitchenAid mixer.  So, if you have a KitchenAid mixer, you can pick up this ice-cream bowl at a fairly reasonable price.  I love this unit.  It doesn’t take up much space (I store it in the freezer!), there are a couple of attachment paddles that are easy to use, and I’ve had my bowl for at least four years and it works beautifully.

Peach Note: Try to resist adding more peaches in the blended mixture.  As irresistible as they are, adding too many to the blended mix will make your ice cream a little icy rather than creamy.  That’s why I call for adding 1/2 – 2/3 cup of chopped peaches after – to add as chunks to the ice cream if you want that additional peachy flavor.  If you don’t have ripe peaches, mangoes are a fine substitute!

Cashew Note: I have given the option to use soaked cashews as they will blend more smoothly if you don’t have a high-speed blender.

Sweetener Note: I typically use about 3 tbsp each of coconut sugar and maple syrup to this blend.  Then, I add a pinch or two of stevia, as the ice cream is not excessively sweet with the amount of sweetener included.  I like keeping the ice cream a lighter creamy color, so I opt for a pinch of stevia to bump up the sweetness.  But, it’s up to you.  You can certainly add the extra maple syrup and coconut sugar – it will darken the ice cream just slightly, but if you aren’t taking photos – no biggie!  Also, the sweetness of your mix will depend on whether you are using vanilla non-dairy milk or plain (vanilla will be sweeter).  So, taste your mix and adjust after blending.  Note that the room-temperature mix will seem sweeter to the taste buds than when the mixture is actually frozen. So you may want to make your blended mixture just a touch sweeter so the final ice-cream product has just the right level of sweetness!