Golden Milk Ice Cream (dairy free)
What is Golden Milk?
Golden Milk has become a popular health drink in recent years. It usually consists of non-dairy milk, flavored with turmeric, lightly sweetened, and served hot. Recipes often include other spices like ginger and cinnamon. Beyond being a delicious, warming, comforting beverage, the drink is valued for the health benefits of the turmeric. Curcumin, found in turmeric, acts as an antioxidant, fights inflammation, and may have other benefits as well. (This Healthline article has more information.)
I love drinking hot Golden Milk in cold weather. When I make it at home, I use this easy, vegan recipe. But as readers of this site will have observed, I firmly believe that any delicious beverage should also exist as ice cream. In Golden Milk Ice Cream the warming spices make a satisfying contrast with the cold dessert, so you feel chilled and warmed at the same time.
Spice Blends
The classic spice profile for Golden Milk relies primarily on turmeric, with ginger and cinnamon as supporting players. The spice should be strong enough that you get a little bite of heat in the back of your throat. At least, that’s my opinion. I like to add cardamom to the mix, too. I may be biased — I frequently put ridiculous amounts of cardamom in my morning matcha smoothie — but I think adding cardamom elevates the Golden Milk spice blend from good to outstanding. Cardamom’s floral-and-citrus notes complement the earthiness of the turmeric so well! Feel free to tweak the recipe to make your own ideal Golden Milk Ice Cream.
Pro tip: If you’re like me, you always taste the ice cream base before churning, to make sure you’re happy with the flavor. However, freezing can change the taste a bit — emphasizing some flavors and muting others. If you aren’t satisfied with the flavor of the end result, just melt the ice cream, adjust it, and churn it again. And remember, you can always add, but you can’t subtract.
Protein Powders
This recipe is dairy free. I’ve used collagen powder, which doesn’t affect the flavor, to add protein and let us reduce the sugar content without compromising on texture. (For more on how that works, click here.) You can customize the recipe for your nutrition/dietary needs by swapping out the collagen for whatever type of protein powder you prefer. (Whey is my other favorite.) Just make sure you choose something unsweetened and unflavored. Check the notes below for advice on making substitutions.
For other hot beverages turned into cool ice creams, you might want to check out my Masala Chai Ice Cream or Coffee Ice Cream recipes (both are dairy free).
Golden Milk Ice Cream (dairy free)
Makes ~1 quart
Ingredients
Instructions
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INFUSE THE COCONUT MILK WITH THE SPICES
In a large sauce pan on the stove, whisk together 1 can of the coconut milk, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Then turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes.
(Your coconut milk may look smooth or lumpy depending on whether it contains emulsifiers/stabilizers. Either way is fine.)
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ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS
Add all of the remaining ingredients (2nd can of coconut milk, collagen, honey, vanilla, and xanthan gum). Whisk everything together, but don't worry if you see a few lumps, because we're about to...
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BLEND
Blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a standard blender and blend thoroughly. We need to make sure the mixture is well emulsified.
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CHILL
Transfer to a container and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. I have no objection to putting the sauce pan straight into the fridge.
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. Scoop your mixture into the ice cream maker and churn. Because this mixture is thicker than many ice cream bases, it churns more quickly than most. In my machine the perfect churning time is 16 minutes, but your experience may vary.
It's finished churning when it looks like soft-serve and is pulling away from the sides of the canister.
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STORE
When the ice cream has finished churning, scoop it as quickly as possible into your storage container. Cover it 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
Protein powder substitutions:
You can use any unflavored, unsweetened protein powder you want. Whey, collagen, and egg white work the best. Vegan protein powders can work too, but sometimes create a chalky texture. Because different protein powders have different textures, the same volume of different powders may weigh different amounts. Weighing is the best method for ensuring you get the 65 grams the recipe calls for, but here are some estimates for using a cup measurement:
- 65 g collagen powder = 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoons
- 65 g whey protein = 1 cup (scant)
- 65 g egg white protein = 3/4 cup
- 65 g soy protein = 1 cup
Optional additions:
- 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol -- Adding alcohol improves the texture and scoopability of the final product and gives a little kick of extra flavor. Whiskey, rum, or vodka would be good choices here.
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
- Heat-proof spatula
- Immersion/hand blender
- Ice cream scoop
Recommended ingredients (may contain affiliate links):