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Light, refreshing and packed with antioxidants, this Matcha Coconut Ice Cream will be your new favorite (and nutritious) ice cream this summer!
One night while out on vacation, my husband and I went out to dinner. There were tons of healthy options and although I was super full from dinner, they had a Vegan Matcha Ice Cream on the menu so I knew I had to try it!
I was intrigued. To be completely honest, I don’t love the taste of coconut. So I was hesitant at first to try it, but I am so glad I did.
The coconut taste wasn’t overwhelming at all, as a matter of fact it was barely noticeable. So as much as I wanted to try to make it myself, I realize most people love the taste of coconut. I think this is the best of both worlds.
I was hooked. Allow me to introduce you to my re-creation…
Isn’t that color gorgeous? It makes me feel warm, sunny and happy. And sometimes we just need a little sunshine.
Even though it’s been really cold and rainy here in New Jersey, I’ve got my favorite summer dessert covered. I can eat this delicious treat and dream about warm weather and sunshine, right? And let’s be honest I can eat ice cream any time of the year and no matter what the weather is outside.
The weather has been so awful that I forgot what the sun looks like! And is Memorial Day weekend really next week? It’s been so dreary here it hardly seems possible.
I don’t know about you but I am very affected by the weather. I’ve been feeling tired and grumpy (not to mention COLD). And I am sick of it.
My kids are dying to get outside and play and I am dying to have them be outside and play. It definitely doesn’t feel like spring these days. Their games are getting cancelled and we are all getting punchy.
You know what that means when you have three boys? More video games. I only let them play them on the weekends and when it rains all weekend… it’s a constant battle.
But now onto daydreams about sunshine…
I think most of you know that I do not drink coffee and frankly, I never will. It has nothing to do with whether or not coffee is healthy, I just despise it. When people hear that I don’t drink it they immediately assume it’s because it’s unhealthy. That’s not true, I hate the taste and the smell.
I am a HUGE tea drinker. I drink several cups of tea throughout the day, starting first thing in the morning. You know how many of you enjoy drinking that first cup of coffee in peace in the mornings? That’s how I feel about tea.
It is my sense of comfort and I really enjoy drinking it. My favorite types of tea are Oolong tea, which is a traditional Chinese tea that contains vitamins, minerals and some antioxidants. My other favorite tea is good old green tea, and matcha is simply finely ground powder of green tea leaves.
Besides being pretty and delicious, let’s talk about all of the incredible health benefits of matcha. There are a lot of them. We might be here for a while…
Matcha is powdered green tea. It has 10 times more antioxidants than regularly brewed green tea.
What’s so great about these antioxidants? They help prevent aging, diseases and a whole bunch of chronic diseases.
I am always talking about how my beloved blueberries are a powerhouse of antioxidants, and that’s true, but check this out (from Matcha Source)…
I told you there were a ton of antioxidants! This is no joke, green tea contains powerful antioxidants. And we can all use as many as we can get these days.
Besides that, matcha powder contains powerful vitamins and minerals, can lower cholesterol and even maintain blood sugar levels. This is the real deal. All of the benefits of matcha green tea are backed by science too.
Matcha Coconut Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 15 ounce cans full fat unsweetened coconut milk, refrigerated overnight, using only the cream, not the liquid
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- OPTIONAL:
- chocolate chips coconut chips, dried fruit, nuts, cacao nibs
Instructions
-
Mix ingredients together in a mediumbowl.
-
Mix together with an electric mixer or food processor until thoroughly combined.
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Line a freezer safe pan with parchment paper (I used a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan).
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Pour ice cream mixture into pan and cover with aluminum foil.
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Place in the freezer overnight to allow to fully freeze.
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Allow to sit on the counter for 10 minutes to soften before serving.
Besides being unbelievably healthy, this ice cream is simple to make and crazy delicious. No churning, no ice cream machine necessary! I made this with two of my kids, it was that easy!
I’d love to say that I spend a lot of time making homemade ice creams for my family, churning etc. but that would not be true at all. I am keeping it real here, I have no time for that. But I definitely have time for this beauty!
I thought I’d share some more healthy ice cream recipes that you might like:
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Vegan Nice Cream
Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Protein Vegan Ice Cream
Vegan Blueberry Ice Cream from Nosh and Nourish
Protein Strawberry Banana Nice Cream from Fit Foodie Finds
Homemade Cashew Coconut Milk Vegan Ice Cream from Beaming Baker
Four Ingredient Keto Cookie Dough Ice Cream from The Big Man’s World
Please let me know if you love matcha green tea as much as I do and if you make this ice cream. Also, come back and tell me if you made any of these other recipes I shared above. I’d love to know what you think. Thanks for stopping by!
Loving the flavors of this ice cream, how easy it is to make, and the health benefits of matcha! There is just SO much to love about this recipe!
Thanks Taylor! xo
Totally agree! So much to love about this matcha ice cream recipe. I just know my kids will think this is so much better than that other ‘green ice cream’ (mint choc chip) I know I will
I hope you like it Emily!!
Hi Lauren,
I tried Enzo Matcha with your recipe and it works perfectly. Thank you for the great recipe. ????
Regards,
Bianca B.
I am so glad to hear that Bianca! Thanks for stopping by!
Hi there – I don’t have access to maple syrup – can I use brown sugar instead?
I am sure you can although I haven’t tried it with that.
I am a huge fan of matcha!! I got some matcha powder for Christmas last year in my stocking 🙂 I made green tea lattes with it. I can’t wait to try this!
Aw that’s so cute you got some in my stocking!
What a great flavor of ice cream! Love that you don’t need an ice cream maker!
I have an ice ream maker too Jessica, I just assume that most people don’t! 🙂
Could you put in an ice cream maker if you have one?
I haven’t made it in the ice cream maker but I bet you can if you follow the instructions! Please come back and let me know how it comes out!
So in love with the vivid color. But even more so because of the coconut and the MAPLE! Great flavor combo, Lauren!!
Thanks Lora!
I am seriously in LOVE with this! I can’t wait to try it. Pinning immediately!
Thanks so much Allison!
Looks perfect, so nice and creamy!
Thanks Sylvie!
What a fun flavor for ice cream, and that color is amazing!
Can’t wait to make this! I am always looking for new matcha recipes, this looks great!
This is absolutely stellar Lauren. I love matcha, this is sheer perfection.
Matcha tea is amazing! This ice cream looks beautiful and sounds divine for a summer afternoon! YUM!
Do you use the entire can of coconut milk, liquid and all, or just the solid part that forms when refrigerated. Thank you. Can’t wait to make this recipe.
Hi Cathy! Yes, you use the cream from the coconut milk and you can use the liquid for a smoothie or something else. Thank you! I hope you like it!
Hi Lauren,
I’m a little confused by the recipe. If you only use the cream from the 15 oz can of coconut milk, that’s not very much at all.. It doesn’t seem like that would be enough to fill the bottom of your 9X5″ pan even with any depth since the other ingredients wouldn’t add much bulk to the recipe.. The recipe says it serves 6 to 8.. is this really accurate? How deep is your pan filled?
Thanks for the clarification!
Hi Joanne! Yes, that was a mistake, it should read 2 cans of coconut milk! Thank you so much!
I LOVE Matcha and would love to try this, but the recipe is confusing. At first I thought this required 215 ounce of coconut milk! If I use coconut cream, how much would I need?
Hi Tara. I apologize, it says 2 15 oz cans of coconut milk. There is a space in between but I can see why it’s confusing! I hope that helps. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Lauren,
My question is, how do we calculate the nutritional values when using just the cream part of the canned coconut milk? An answer you gave before stated that only the cream part is used and suggested the milk for smoothies. I guess Im just a little confused. I can’t wait to try this recipe, if you could clarify for me?
Thank you so much. I love your recipes!
Hi Fran! Yes, you only use the cream part. It’s difficult to estimate how much of the cream is being used for this to find out the nutritional information. This is the nutritional information for one 15 ounce can of coconut milk. Maybe estimate how much of the can you used? (Remember the recipe calls for two cans) I hope this helps!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 15 oz
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 678Calories 816
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 75.35g 116%
Saturated Fat 66.82g 334%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.825g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.206g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 213mg 9%
Potassium 430mg
Total Carbohydrate 35.51g 12%
Dietary Fiber 9.4g 38%
Sugars 26.15g
Protein 11.44g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 13%
Calcium 0% Iron 12%
Can’t wait to try! Is the maple syrup just for added sweetness because my husband hates maple syrup so wondering if I can maybe use raw honey?!
Absolutely Diane! I use maple syrup and raw honey interchangeably so I bet it would be great in this! Let me know how you like it!
Hi there . Just made this yesterday but I used my ninja .. The chocolate chips got chopped up and the color is a light beige lol . It is sooo good . I halted the recipient but added the same macha powder . It’s yummy good but next time I will put the chocolate chips in after the mix by hand .
Hi Shirley! I am so glad you liked it! Yes, if you add chocolate chips, add them at the end so they don’t get blended. Have a great day!
How long would this last in a freezer?
Hi Carol! I haven’t had mine last that long 😉 but I guess it would last a few weeks!
Hi Lauren,
I’m Diabetic and I was wondering if I could replace the maple syrup with Natural Erythritol. If so how much would you think? This would help reduce the carbohydrate level. I’d love to try it.
Thanks,
Bob
Hi Bob! I am not sure as I don’t regularly use erythritol? I found this over at Whole New Mom: When substituting a granulated for a liquid sweetener (e.g. using sucanat or coconut sugar when the recipe calls for maple syrup or honey), for every 1 cup of sweetener, add 1/4 cup of liquid to the recipe (that means also, for every 1/4 cup of honey, add 1 Tbsp of liquid). I hope that helps!
I use erythritol as my only sweetener. Everything I have made has turned out great. Not particularly clear on your replacement measurements. Difficult to break down with 3 Tbs. of maple syrup. What would the liquid be that you add? Doesn’t sound like this could apply to ice cream. I would gradually add the erythritol while mixing and taste accordingly. Don’t forget, when you add to cold, and it freezes, it is less sweet. Hope this helps.
Hi there,
Looking forward to making this for Chinese New Year!
First, I am super glad I read the comments, as I would have used the entire two cans of coconut milk, not just the solids…
That aside, could you let me know the purpose of the parchment paper in the pan? Curious if it will make a huge difference if I simply omit that step (for aesthetic purposes).
Thank you!
Hi Zoe! I really hope you like it! You don’t need parchment paper although it does make it easier to come out of the pan. Please let me know how you like it! Happy New Year!
You can purchase coconut cream from Trader Joes or on the internet.
You won’t have to use two cans of coconut milk as this is just the “cream” you need.
I have been on a hunt for a good, healthy matcha ice cream recipe that is simple to make and doesn’t require a machine… your recipe won me over! I am excited to try it out 🙂
Just a quick question- what brand of coconut milk do you use for your ice cream? And to clarify, you only use the solid/creamy part from the can right?
Thanks in advance!
WOW! I didn’t read the use only the cream part 🙃🙃🙃p
Oh I am sorry, that’s an important part!
Can you use box coconut milk
I have only used the canned kind. Please come back and let me know if you use dit with the box variety. Thanks!
Hello Lauren! I was wondering if you used canned coconut milk or canned coconut cream? I was able to find both at the grocery store, and was unsure which one to use.
Hi Kristian! You will want to use the coconut milk, using only the creamy part, not the liquid. I hope that helps! Enjoy!