Strawberry Ice Cream (vegan with V-Whey)
This vegan strawberry ice cream has only 5 ingredients, is high protein and low sugar, and uses the simplest method: blend, chill, churn. Plus, we have a new ingredient to explore!
[This is not a sponsored post. I tried V-Whey on my own because I was intrigued.]
I typically use protein powder in my ice cream recipes to increase the protein and reduce the sugar, while still creating a premium ice cream texture. (For more details on how that works, click here.) I also design dairy-free and vegan recipes whenever possible. So I was excited to learn about V-Whey from the California Performance Co. It’s whey, but it’s vegan, and it’s a key ingredient in this vegan strawberry ice cream.
What is V-Whey?
Whey is a protein found in cow’s milk. V-Whey has been created to be bioidentical to whey, but also vegan. Because it is bioidentical to whey, it is nutritionally the same as whey from cow’s milk and contains dairy proteins. Anyone allergic to cow’s milk shouldn’t use it! However, for those with no dairy allergies, who avoid dairy products for reasons of animal welfare, environment, etc., this whey protein is fair game. No animals are involved in the process of making the whey. It sounds confusing, but basically, this is whey protein made in a lab instead of by a cow. (See here and here for details and FAQs.)
V-Whey comes in chocolate, vanilla, and berry flavors. All contain some form of non-sugar sweetener, such as stevia or erythritol. This allows the ice cream to have a very low sugar content. For this recipe, I think any berry-flavored protein powder would work well, but I’ve only tested the V-Whey.
About those strawberries…
You may have noticed that the V-Whey is “mixed berry” flavored, but we’re making strawberry ice cream. Like most fruit-flavored whey proteins, V-Whey contains fruit flavors rather than actual fruit. I wanted real fruit in this ice cream, so I included freeze-dried strawberries. Fresh fruit contains a lot of water, and additional water makes for hard, icy ice cream. Freeze-dried fruits are an overlooked secret weapon in fruity ice cream. They contribute concentrated flavors, a little sweetness, and no extra water. Some grocery stores carry freeze-fried fruits in their snack sections, but Amazon also has good options for freeze-dried strawberries and strawberry powder.
Ingredients
Instructions
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CHOOSE THE TEXTURE OF YOUR STRAWBERRIES
If you want a smooth berry ice cream, use a food processor or blender to grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder.
If you want your base to have noticeable bits of strawberries, wait until the next step and add the strawberries to the blender along with the other ingredients. This will create small bits of strawberry that will rehydrate in the ice cream base.
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ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS AND BLEND
Place your strawberries plus the protein powder, salt, agave syrup, and 1 can of coconut milk into a blender or a large bowl, if you're using an immersion blender. I find everything blends better if I hold back the second can of coconut milk until the end. Blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the blender or bowl with a spatula a few times. If I'm using a bowl and an immersion blender, I usually start with a whisk then move to the immersion blender. Add the second can of coconut milk once everything is well incorporated.
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CHILL
Transfer to a container and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
For a quicker chilling time, place the bowl containing your mixture in an ice bath (a larger bowl containing ice water) for a few hours. Stir the mixture occasionally. As the water in the ice bath warms up, pour off some water and add ice to keep the mixture chilling as quickly as possible.
Ideally, the mixture will be about 40 degrees when you churn it.
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CHURN
Before you start churning, set up everything you'll need to quickly transfer the ice cream from the machine into a container for freezing. I use a knife to scrape down the dasher (or paddle) and a wooden spoon to scoop out the ice cream.
Set up your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour your mixture into the ice cream maker and churn. It's finished churning when it looks like soft-serve and is pulling away from the sides of the canister. In my machine the perfect churning time is 18 minutes, but your experience may vary.
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STORE
When the ice cream has finished churning, scoop it as quickly as possible into your storage container. Cover the ice cream with plastic wrap or parchment paper, if using. (Placing a sheet of parchment paper between the container and lid will help prevent frost, or you can press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream.) Put the container in the freezer. The ice cream will be fully firm in a few hours.
Note
Suggested toppings:
- Berries
- Chocolate sauce
- Caramel sauce
Recommended equipment (may contain affiliate links):
- My ice cream maker (2 qt)
- Newer version of my ice cream maker (2 qt)
- Well-reviewed less expensive ice cream maker (1.5 qt)
- Insulated ice cream container
- Ice cream scoop
- Measuring cups
Recommended ingredients (may contain affiliate links):