Collagen Powder
Vanilla Bean Avocado Ice Cream (Dairy-Free + Sugar-Free)
Written by
If you’re like me, you enter the ice cream aisle in hopes of finding a pint that’s somewhat healthy. You scour for a good 10 minutes…picking up each ice cream pint by pint, meticulously scanning its ingredient label, checking the sugar content in each serving…
And alas, you settle on one that’s at least dairy-free, but still has 24 grams of sugar per serving…and a whole lot of vegetable oil and other weird filler ingredients.
I’ve re-lived this exact moment one-too-many times, so I decided to get to the kitchen and create my own ice cream. One that’s healthy. And most importantly, one that doesn’t sacrifice on flavor.
Enter: vanilla bean collagen ice cream…made with avocados.
Homemade Avocado Ice Cream vs. Store-Bought Ice Cream
Whereas most store-bought ice creams contain 20+ grams of sugar, stomach-upsetting milk and cream, and inflammatory vegetable oils, this avocado ice cream has none of those things. (Which is why it only takes four ingredients to make.)
To put the benefits of homemade “nice cream” in perspective, we compared three popular brands of store-bought ice cream (two of them even label themselves as “healthy”)...
Ben & Jerry's
Ben & Jerry's Nutrition Profile :330 calories per serving
28 grams of sugar
29 grams of carbs
21 grams of fat
0 grams of fiber
Ingredients: Cream, Skim Milk, Liquid Sugar (Sugar, Water), Water, Egg Yolks, Sugar, Guar Gum, Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Beans, Carrageenan.
So Delicious
So Delicious' Nutrition Profile :190 calories
19 grams of sugar
26 grams of carbs
9 grams of fat
<1 gram of fiber
Ingredients: Cashew Milk (Filtered Water, Cashews), Cane Sugar, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Pea Protein, Sea Salt, Guar Gum, Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavors, Locust Bean Gum.
Halo Top
Halo Top's Nutrition Profile :100 calories per serving
7 grams of sugar (8 grams of sugar alcohols)
21 grams of carbs
2 grams of fat
6 grams of fiber
Ingredients: Ultrafiltered Skim Milk, Skim Milk, Erythritol, Soluble Corn Fiber, Cream, Sugar, Vegetable Glycerine, Egg Yolks, Inulin, Contains 1% or less of Natural Flavors, Ground Vanilla Beans, Cellulose Gel, Cellulose Gum, Sea Salt, Stevia Leaf Extract (Reb M), Caramel Color, Vitamin A Palmitate.
Needless to say, store-bought ice creams aren’t the best for your health. It tastes delicious in the moment, but will most likely lead to an upset stomach and even a breakout on your skin. Luckily, the avocado ice cream we make in this recipe is super simple (the ice cream part only take four ingredients!) and has several health benefits.
Health Benefits of Avocado Ice Cream
Avocados are a nutritional powerhouse. They're a concentrated source of healthy fats and fiber, plus a number of vitamins and minerals including magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, and folate. Here are five incredible health benefits of avocados…
1. Heart Health
The high potassium and magnesium content of avocados keeps blood pressure at a healthy level is critical for heart disease prevention (1).
They also increase HDL cholesterol (the heart-protecting good cholesterol) and decrease LDL cholesterol (the cholesterol that’s associated with atherosclerosis, or the buildup of plaque along artery walls) (2, 3).
2. Brain Health
Avocados give you a good dose of vitamin E, which may help protect against Alzheimer's disease and slow decline in your memory and thinking skills (4).
3. Bone Health
Half an avocado gives you 15% of your daily vitamin K needs. This nutrient plays a pivotal role in improving your bone density and preventing osteoporosis.
4. Blood Sugar and Diabetes Regulation
Because they're low in carbs and sugar and high in healthy fat and fiber, avocados don’t cause a spike in your blood sugar.
5. Weight Loss
The notion that eating fat makes you gain weight is wrong. The truth is, eating healthy fats is crucial for weight loss.
A recent study found that participants who added an avocado to their diet daily lost visceral fat (the dangerous fat that surrounds your organs and is tied to type 2 diabetes). Those participants also had a reduction in the ratio of visceral fat to subcutaneous fat, found just under the skin. That shift indicated a fat redistribution away from the organs (5).
Here’s What You Need
- Avocados: to thicken the ice cream and provide healthy fats.
- Vanilla Bean Collagen Peptides: to provide a sweet vanilla bean flavor and 9 grams of protein.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: to add creaminess—without the dairy.
- Pistachios: to stabilize the ice cream, without yucky gums or filler ingredients.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: for a rich, creamy flavor with hints of caramel and toasted marshmallow—a much bolder flavor than vanilla extract.
- Hu Chocolate Chunks: to get the indulgence of chocolate chips–without added sugar or artificial ingredients.
- Cocoa Powder: to lightly coat the chocolate truffles in, giving them a delicious, rich chocolate flavor—plus added antioxidants.
Vanilla Bean Avocado Ice Cream
5.0 (1 votes)
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
Calories
311
Servings
8
Ingredients
Ice Cream
- 4 ripe avocados
- 2-3 scoops Vanilla Bean Collagen Peptides
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (from a can)
- 1 cup pistachios
- Optional: ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Chocolate Truffles (for the “faux” avocado pits)
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (from a can)
- 8 pieces Hu Chocolate Chunks
- ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
- Cocoa powder (for rolling)
Instructions
Ice Cream
- Carefully cut the avocados in half and scoop out the flesh. If you want to serve the ice cream in the avocado skins, keep the skins.
- In a blender or food processor, pulse the pistachios until you have a flour-like consistency.
- Add the avocado vanilla bean collagen, 1 cup coconut milk and vanilla bean paste to the blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Sample to see if you want it sweeter. If so, add in another scoop of vanilla bean collagen or you can add a sweetener of choice (like honey, maple syrup, monk fruit, stevia).
- You can either scoop the creamy mixture into a freezer safe container or scoop the creamy mixture back into the halved avocado shells.
- Freeze for at least 30-60 minutes so the “ice cream” can begin to properly set.
- Make the chocolate truffles and place one on each filled avocado skin.
- When you’re ready to enjoy the ice cream, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw for 1-2 minutes before eating.
Chocolate Truffles (for the “faux” avocado pits)
- Pour 1/2 cup coconut milk into a small saucepan and place it on the stove top over medium to high heat.
- Add the Hu Chocolate Chunks to a medium-size bowl. Pour the heated coconut milk over the chocolate and let sit for a minute or two until the chocolate starts melting.
- Stir the mixture until the chocolate has fully melted and you have a smooth chocolate mixture.
- Add in the vanilla bean paste.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then move the bowl to the fridge to help set chocolate.
- Check on the mixture every 15 minutes to make sure it doesn't firm up too much.
- Once the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls, roll into desired size and then roll each ball into cocoa powder to lightly coat.
- Place one chocolate truffle on each of the filled avocado ice cream skins.
More Collagen Recipes to Try
The Bottom Line
This super cute avocado ice cream is the perfect sweet (healthy) treat for a hot day. If you try this recipe (or any other of our incredible recipes) share it on our Private Facebook Community or tag us on Instagram @nativepath. We’d love to see your creations!
Medical Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Chad Walding nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program.
