Matcha Ice Cream (coconut milk base)
Nearly every morning for the last 10 years or so I’ve made myself a matcha smoothie for breakfast. (Matcha is a powder made from finely ground green tea leaves.) I never get tired of it. Sometimes I wake up pretty unenthusiastic about what I need to get done that day, and then I remind myself that I get to have my matcha smoothie for breakfast. It actually helps. The smoothie is made from frozen bananas and almond milk, with plain yogurt, matcha powder, protein powder, turmeric, and sometimes cardamom.
The ice cream version isn’t quite as healthy (obviously), but it’s still worth looking forward to. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on fancy matcha powder, but you want it to taste good, since it’s providing the primary flavor. Culinary grade matcha works fine, and my current favorite for smoothies and baking is this organic variety from MatchaDNA [affiliate link].
I’ve used protein powder (collagen in this case) to increase the protein and reduce the sugar, without sacrificing texture. For more details on how that works, click here.
Matcha Ice Cream (coconut milk base)
The recipe calls for collagen powder, but you can substitute any protein powder you like. Coconut milk powder also works and makes a great coconut-matcha flavor. Check the notes below for advice on making substitutions.
Makes ~1 quart
Ingredients
Instructions
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BLEND
Add all ingredients to a blender. (For me it works best to start with only 1 can of coconut, then blend everything else in, then add the second can of coconut milk.) Blend, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times as needed. Make sure you blend until the sugar has dissolved.
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CHILL
Pour the base mixture into a container and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or preferably 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.
This ice cream base is very thick when fully chilled, almost like pudding.
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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 (or scoop) your mixture into the ice cream maker and churn. This mixture is very thick when fully chilled, so it churns quickly. In my machine the perfect churning time is 10 minutes, but your experience may vary.
The ice cream is finished churning when it looks like the consistency of soft serve and has started 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
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, 1/2 cup of different powders may weigh different amounts. Weighing is the best method for ensuring you get the 50 grams the recipe calls for, but here are some estimates for using a cup measurement:
- 50 g collagen powder = 1/2 cup
- 50 g whey protein = 3/4 cup
- 50 g egg white protein = 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
- 50 g soy protein = 3/4 cup
- 50 g pea protein = 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
- 50 g coconut milk powder = 1/2 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. Gin, vodka, or ginger liqueur would all be good choices.
Suggested toppings/mix-ins:
- Black sesame seeds
- Crispy dried bananas
- Toasted coconut flakes
To create a mix-in, use about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of your mix-in of choice, and add it to the ice cream machine during the last 1-2 minutes of churning. Alternatively, you can spread the mix-in between layers of ice cream as you pack the ice cream into your storage container.