Creamy Ice Cream Made With Chia (and optional Chocolate Sauce)
Marcia Willsie
This is a template recipe from which endless variations can be made. It uses the thickening power of chia seeds, making heavy cream or extra eggs unnecessary for a luscious creamy ice cream.
- 3 cups milk almond, dairy, other
- 0.75 cup chia seeds
- 2 bananas OR 1 avocado
- sweetener of your choice
- flavor extract of your choice
- 1 tablespoon brandy or other liquor optional; this helps to prevent crystallization
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons Chocolate Sauce recipe below; or blended fruit
Pour the milk and chia seeds into a jar and refrigerate anywhere from 30 mins to overnight, allowing the chia seeds to absorb the liquid. Pour the mixture along with the remaining ingredients (except for chocolate sauce or blended fruit topping) into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste for flavor and sweetness and make adjustments as necessary.Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the machine’s directions. Serve as soon as possible.Chocolate Sauce:In a small saucepan, mix ½ cup unsweetened cocoa with ½ cup water. Whisk until smooth and mixture has the consistency of wet paint. (Add more water if necessary.)Place over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to form whispy white bubbles on top. Be careful not to let this burn.Remove from heat and add 1 oz of shaved unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate to the warm mixture, stirring to melt it completely. Add a pinch of salt, your choice of sweetener and 1 tsp of vanilla, almond or coconut flavoring. (Recipe♦332)
