It's now September, so almost everyone has moved on from cherries, watermelons, strawberries, and peaches to apples, pumpkins, cranberries, and pumpkin spice. I do love all of those fall flavours...but I'm not ready.
My warm-weather-loving-self is hanging onto summer with everything I have. Which is why my thinking (and taste buds) have not shifted over yet. It's going to take me a little longer than most. It's the same thing every year.
Right now, my mind is still on one of my top 3 favourite fruits. Peaches.
It puts a smile on my face each summer when the Ontario peaches show up in the grocery stores. I do like using them in recipes but I think my favourite way to eat them is just as they are. Slice one up into 4 pieces, remove the pit and enjoy. My mouth is watering as I think of how perfect they are. Do you love peaches as much as I do too? Or am I sounding crazy here?
I originally intended for this coconut peach ice cream recipe to go up during peach season but it took me a little while to get it to a place where I was happy with it. Luckily, I found this article and used the advice in the section about ice crystallization (which was my main issue). It truly is a science to put together the perfect ice cream!
Coconut milk based ice cream recipes are a whole other story. They are quite different from dairy-based ice creams, mostly because of the freezing part. Once it freezes solid, it's not going to be soft and scoopable right after taking it out of the freezer like dairy-based ice cream. You have to let it sit out for a while until it can be scooped and served properly. (See my tips below on making non-dairy ice cream.)
But it's so worth the wait.
This vegan coconut peach ice cream is sweet but tangy with tons of coconut flavour. And because it contains peaches, it just screams summer. To make it extra fancy, you can toast some shredded coconut and sprinkle on top before serving. Something I thought of after I took these pictures. Of course.
So even though it's September and summer is slowly fading away (*sadness*), I am still enjoying my coconut peach ice cream. Summer technically doesn't end until September 22nd this year, anyways 🙂
Tips for Success
- Before making your homemade ice cream, read this article. It will give you all the tips you need to make a delicious batch the first time.
- Freeze your ice cream maker's bowl for a few days (even though the instructions may say to freeze for only 24 hours).
- When adding the sweetener, it's OK if it tastes a little too sweet. Once it is churned and frozen, it loses some of the sweetness.
- Store your ice cream in an airtight container. Any air will contribute to crystallization and make the texture not-so-nice.
- Before serving, let it sit for a while before scooping, so it softens up.
- Eat all of it within a few days. This type of ice cream does not do well when kept in the freezer for a long time. (I don't think you will have a problem with this tip!)
If you love peaches, you will probably also like these other recipes:
Vegan Coconut Peach Ice Cream
Ingredients:
- 5 ripe peaches
- Cream from 1 can of full fat coconut milk (approximately 1 cup...I use Native Forest brand)
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions:
- Chill 1 can of coconut milk for a few days in the fridge. When it is chilled, turn upside down, open, discard liquid (or save for smoothies!) and scoop out coconut cream. Add to a blender.
- Slice peaches and remove pits. Add to blender along with coconut cream.
- Puree mixture until smooth.
- Pour mixture into a medium sized bowl.
- Add can of coconut milk, vanilla, salt and maple syrup. Stir well to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate bowl until mixture is fully chilled, overnight if possible.
- Churn according to your ice cream maker's instructions.
- Store in the freezer in an airtight container when ready.
Recipe Notes:
- Churning time will vary, depending on your ice cream maker.
- When adding the sweetener, it's OK if it tastes a little too sweet. Once it is churned and frozen, it loses some of the sweetness.
- Store your ice cream in an airtight container. Any air will contribute to crystallization and make the texture not-so-nice.
- Before serving, let it sit for a while before scooping, so it softens up.
- Eat all of it within a few days. This type of ice cream does not do well when kept in the freezer for a long time.
Kristi @ My SF Kitchen says
I have so many peaches (I always over-buy them!), so I am really excited to make this ice cream!!
Gwen says
You are so lucky, Kristi! Peach season is almost over here. I hope you enjoy the ice cream!!