Vegan Matcha Ice Cream
Introducing the best vegan matcha ice cream! Infused with an intense green tea flavor, this dairy-free ice cream is insanely creamy with a velvety mouthfeel. Plus, it is nut-free, gluten-free, and coconut-free!
Ingredients
- 670 ml unsweetened soy milk or other plant-based milk
- 2 and 1/2 tbsp matcha powder
- 88 g deodorized cacao butter or deodorized coconut oil
- 45 g sunflower oil or canola or grapeseed oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 122 g granulated sugar
- 55 g dextrose
- 2.5 g lecithin powder about 1 tsp
- 1 g locust bean gum about ½ tsp
- 0.5 g guar gum about ¼ tsp
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the ice cream base
- Blend the matcha. Add the matcha powder and 170ml of the milk to a blender. Blend until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.
- Melt the cacao butter. Add the rest of the milk (500ml), cacao butter, oil, and vanilla extract, if using, to a saucepan. Heat over low-medium heat until the cacao butter has melted.
- Mix the dry ingredients and add to the milk. Whisk together the sugar, dextrose, lecithin, gums, and salt in a small bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the warm milk as you whisk. Give it a good stir until fully combined.
- Heat. Next, to activate the locust bean gum, bring the ice cream base to about 170°F (75°C), constantly whisking. I recommend using a candy thermometer for this step. Once it has reached that temperature, remove it from heat.
- Stir in the matcha. Add the matcha milk to the saucepan and whisk to combine. To prevent any clumps, you can pour it through a fine-sieve mesh.
- Blend. Transfer to a blender and blend for about 30 seconds. This step will help emulsify everything.
- Chill. Transfer the ice cream base to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the top (to prevent a crust from forming). Chill overnight in the refrigerator.
Churn the ice cream
- Turn on your ice cream maker and slowly pour in the chilled ice cream base. Churn on low speed (If using the Kitchenaid attachment, use speed 1) for 20-25 minutes or until it looks like soft-serve ice cream.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours before enjoying!
Notes
- Use deodorized cacao butter or deodorized coconut oil. Matcha has a delicate aroma, so you do not want anything to alter or overpower it.
- Use high-quality matcha. I insist on this point as the quality of the matcha used greatly impacts the final taste. Do not use culinary-grade matcha, as you would end up with bitterness and a darker color.
- Do not make substitutions or changes. This recipe is not versatile, so I do not recommend making changes except for substituting coconut oil for cacao butter.
- Chill the ice cream base overnight. Your ice cream base must be completely cold before transferring it to your ice cream maker. Do not skip the chilling step.
- Use freezer-safe containers. I highly recommend getting these Ice Cream Containers. I own a few of these and love them. They are made of thick plastic and come with a silicon lid. Plus, they are effortless to clean.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 scoop (1.5 ounces) | Calories: 70 kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.4 g | Protein: 0.1 g | Fat: 4.3 g | Saturated Fat: 1.3 g | Sodium: 23 mg | Potassium: 22 mg | Fiber: 0.1 g | Sugar: 5.3 g | Calcium: 35 mg
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