Description
This creamy and tangy Kefir Ice Cream is a refreshing frozen treat made with probiotic-rich kefir, naturally sweetened and easily customized with your favorite add-ins like berries, banana, or cocoa powder. Perfect for a healthy dessert or snack, it can be made both with an ice cream maker or using a no-churn blender method for convenience.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 1 cup plain kefir OR coconut milk kefir
- 1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, or sugar (adjust sweetness as desired)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Add-Ins
- 1 cup frozen or fresh berries
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter powder (see notes for regular peanut butter alternative)
- 1 banana (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa or cacao powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare the Base: Blend together plain kefir, your choice of sweetener, vanilla extract if using, and desired add-ins such as berries, peanut butter powder, banana, cocoa powder, or chocolate chips in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Ice Cream Maker Method: Pour the blended mixture into your ice cream maker, following your machine’s specific instructions. Once finished, the ice cream will be soft-serve texture; serve immediately or transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer up to one week. To soften frozen ice cream, let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- No-Churn Method: Blend the kefir, sweetener, and add-ins as above until the mixture is frothy with visible air bubbles. If your blender doesn’t aerate well, transfer the mixture to a bowl and whip on high with an electric hand mixer until frothy.
- Freeze the Mixture: Pour the frothy mixture into a shallow container about 3 inches deep. Freeze for approximately 3 hours, stirring once 1-2 hours into freezing to break up ice crystals and ensure a creamy texture.
- Serving and Storage: Once hardened, serve with an ice cream scoop. Keep leftovers in an airtight container and consume within one week. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before scooping if it has frozen solid.
Notes
- To substitute regular peanut butter for peanut butter powder, reduce or omit added oils and consider adding less sweetener.
- The mixture should be slightly sweeter than your preferred taste before freezing, as freezing dulls sweetness.
- For faster freezing, use a wide, shallow container rather than a deep one.
- If no ice cream maker is available, the no-churn method still produces creamy results with proper aeration and stirring during freezing.
