Low-Carb Cucumber Ice Cream (coconut milk base)

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Cucumber Ice Cream with Low-Carb Icon

This is an updated, low-carb version of the original recipe. Cucumber ice cream is a historical flavor dating back over 100 years. (More history on the original post. And here’s a video from Max Miller of Tasting History.) Cucumber ice cream is surprisingly bright, refreshing, and delicious.

Low-carb cucumber ice cream (and all my low-carb ice cream recipes) uses allulose instead of sugar. Allulose does not raise blood sugar or contribute a significant amount of carbohydrates or calories. More info here.

The coconut milk base works great, but you can use any type of milk you want. Just make sure at least half the milk is something with a good amount of fat — coconut milk, cream, etc. The other half can be something lighter, like almond milk or 2% milk, for a lower fat ice cream. I had great results using half coconut milk and half lactose-free 2% milk. (The nutrition facts below are for all coconut milk, per the recipe.)

Low-Carb Cucumber Nutrition Facts
a bowl of cucumber ice cream pictured with a container of ice cream, fresh sliced cucumber, and a book called Plain and Fancy Ices

Low-Carb Cucumber Ice Cream (coconut milk base)

Makes ~1 quart

Recipe Category: Dairy Egg Free Lactose Free Lactose Free Low-Carb Low-Carb Soy Free Soy Free

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. PREP THE CUCUMBER AND LEMON

    Peel the cucumber and slice it lengthwise. Then remove the seeds by scraping them out with a spoon. Slice the cucumber. Juice a lemon. (It's 2 lemons in the picture, but you only need 1! And if you use bottled lemon juice, no judgement. I've done it, too.)

     

  2. COOK THE CUCUMBER

    Place the cucumber, allulose, salt, and 1 can of the coconut milk into a sauce pan. Set it over medium heat, bring it to a simmer, and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cucumber becomes very soft. Then turn off the heat. 

     

  3. LET COOL

    Let the cucumber mixture cool for at least 15 minutes.

     

  4. ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS

    Once the cucumber mixture has cooled almost to room temperature, add the remaining ingredients to the sauce pan. It helps to whisk them together first, before blending in the next step. 

     

  5. BLEND

    Blend in the sauce pan with an immersion blender or transfer to a standard blender and blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides with a spatula, until fully combined and smooth. 

     

  6. 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. 

     

  7. 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. In my machine the perfect churning time is 20 minutes, but your experience may vary. 

     

    The ice cream is finished churning when it looks like soft-serve and is pulling away from the sides of the canister. 

     

  8. 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

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 + 2 tablespoons
  • 65 g whey protein = 1 scant cup
  • 65 g egg white protein = 3/4 cup 
  • 65 g soy protein = 1 cup
  • 65 g pea protein = 3/4 cup

 

Optional additions:

  • Ginger liqueur (which was in the historical recipe)
  • Mint flavoring (try 1/4 to 1/2 tsp)

 

Suggested toppings:

  • Fresh berries

 

Recommended equipment: (may include affiliate links)

 

Recommended ingredients: (may include affiliate links)

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