Karina's Homemade Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream Triple Berry Parfaits

Easy elegance.Coconut ice cream. Berries. Boom. Parfait!

The Gluten-Free Goddess Time Machine dips back into the archives for a fabulous coconut ice cream recipe served parfait style with blueberries and strawberries.

We are slowly melting here in the usually friendlier, temperate wedge of Northwest Connecticut. This heat wave has not been fun. Yesterday we hit 87º degrees. Inside the barn. In the kitchen (if you can call it that), where I am not cooking. I am painting. Very slowly. And sweating. Profusely. The studio air smelled like a West Hollywood muffler shop (if I was a betting soul I'd wager greenbacks on the landlord lying when he assured us the barn was insulated). Yours truly may be suffering quasi-serious brain damage due to these cranium-baking temperatures. I cannot form a cohesive thought. Neither can my iMac which gets dangerously hot (I am writing this post early, while the room temperature is a balmy 78º).

Obviously I am unable to muster any enthusiasm for cooking.

I've been living on gluten-free peanut butter toast. And ice cream. Yes, I know. I am a poor, sad, sad role model. What kind of food blogger doesn't rise to the challenge and cheer-lead you to whip up kale salads and raw peach smoothies? What kind of food blogger would simply give in to her sticky, damp fatigue and general overall crankiness and not create some inspiring, nutritious, bunny food slaw for you?

This one.

She who is about to share a no-cook recipe she actually DID make last night, standing directly in front of her three-speed fan, silver streaked hair pinned wantonly (fashionably!) askew atop her itchy, sweaty head.

Sweet and cold and creamy. Coconut milk ice cream.

It's what's for dinner.

Karina's easy recipe for super creamy coconut ice cream.

Karina's Homemade Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream Triple Berry Parfaits

By Karina Allrich 

Nothing beats the simple elegance of a creamy coconut ice cream parfait. A triple play of fresh ripe berries not only looks gorgeous, it tastes divine and cool on a hot summer night. Add a fresh mint sprig and a squeeze of lime for a refreshing spike of palate cleansing flavor.

Ingredients:

Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, washed, patted dry, stemmed, sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries, washed, patted dry
1 cup fresh raspberries, washed, patted dry
1-2 teaspoons raw organic agave nectar
Squeeze of lime, optional 
Fresh mint sprigs

Instructions:

Chill six parfait glasses.

Toss the prepared berries in a bowl with a drizzle of agave and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if you like (lime is optional). Stir gently to coat.

Remove the coconut milk ice cream from the freezer and allow it to soften slightly, until it is easy to scoop.

Take out the parfait glasses.

Layer the coconut ice cream with the berries.

Top with a sprig of fresh mint.

Serves four.

Coconut Milk Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe - Vegan and Dairy-Free

When it comes to non-dairy ice cream, full fat coconut milk is a rock star. Keep a can or two in the fridge for spontaneous ice cream making. If you must avoid coconut, try using cold vanilla soy milk.

Ingredients:

1 14-oz can cold coconut milk (full fat is best)
3/4 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

Pour the cold coconut milk into a blender container. Add the confectioner's sugar, and vanilla. Cover tightly and blend on high until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth and frothy. Pour the liquid into a frozen ice cream canister, cover, and start your machine. Churn it, Baby.

Serve immediately for soft-serve texture. Or cover and freeze.

To store, spoon it into a freezer safe container and cover. Freeze. Soften slightly before serving for best flavor and texture.

Serves four.

GFG Notes:

I use this Cuisinart ice cream maker- it's not the most expensive ice cream maker on the market- but it does a fabulous job. (Disclaimer: This is not a paid-for product review, it's the model I own. If you make a purchase through my Amazon Affiliate link, my technical support staff- aka son- receives a small commission fee.)