Dairy Free No-Churn Dark Chocolate Ice Cream With Salted Pretzel Topping

There are few things as satisfying as sitting down with a pint of ice cream and not getting up till you hear the spoon hit the bottom of the pint. Let me just say, I have seen my share of empty pints. I feel like discovering how to make no-churn dark chocolate coconut milk ice cream is going to my doom and glory! Coconut milk ice cream doesn't bloat ( eat all the pints! ), and dark chocolate is proven to be good for the metabolism. . so that makes this weight loss ice cream, right?

I know what you're thinking, "holy calories that sounds amazing". Yes, yes it is. Is this too good to be true? NEVER. This frozen treat has all of the bold, rich flavor of artisan dark chocolate, and crispy, salty pretzels! Honestly, coconut milk ice cream is leaps and bounds better than dairy ice creams. As a longtime consumer of dairy ice cream I feel that I am an authority on the matter ;)

This coconut milk dark chocolate ice cream has the same creamy texture as dairy ice cream, perhaps even a little creamier and richer, and the luscious flavor is out of this world!

No-Churn Dark Chocolate Ice Cream With Salted Pretzel Topping
- Dairy Free -

Prep Time: 15 min  |  Freeze Time: 30-40 min  |  Serves: 4 ( or one very greedy person ) 

Ingredients:

For the ice cream
- 1 cup of coconut cream
- 8 ounces of Ghirardelli dark chocolate
- ½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract ( optional )
- 1 cup of thinned coconut milk

| You will need only one can of coconut milk. This recipe utilizes the coconut cream, and the thinned coconut milk from one can. Coconut cream is simply the fat in coconut milk. The fat will separate and rise to the top of the can. |

For the topping
- ½ cup of fudge covered pretzels chopped
- ½ cup of white chocolate yogurt covered pretzels
- large pinch of sea salt or flaking salt ( optional )


Equipment:
- hand mixer + whisk attachment
- chilled medium size bowl
- chilled loaf pan
- small mixing bowl
- small pot for double boiler
- spatula


Instructions.

The night before you make the ice cream, place the can of coconut milk in the fridge to chill, and allow the coconut cream to separate. Before you begin the ice cream base roughly chop or hand break the pretzels and set them aside ( or leave them whole if you prefer! ) The "toppings" for this recipe are fantastic fold-ins. You can top your dark chocolate ice cream with pretzels or fold them right into the ice cream. You get a crispy pretzel in every bite!


1. Take can of coconut milk out of fridge and pop the top off. Scoop the coconut cream out into the chilled mixing bowl. Pour out excess water/milk into a bowl and set aside. Beat coconut cream on high for 5-8 minutes, or just until soft peaks form. A trail in the cream from the whisk is a good sign it's whipped enough. Place whipped coconut cream in fridge.

2. Place the chocolate chips with the remaining coconut water/milk in the bowl and place bowl on top of a small pot with half an inch of water in it. This is your double boiler. Melt the dark chocolate into the coconut water/milk on low-medium heat. Stir the mixture as it melts so the dark chocolate melts evenly. The chocolate ganache should be thick enough to coat the back of a spatula. Remove from heat and pop in the freezer for five minutes to cool.

TIP: If the chocolate ganache is too runny, add 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch and stir in evenly.

3. Gently fold the whipped coconut cream into the dark chocolate ganache until evenly combined. Pour mixture into chilled loaf pan and place in freezer to set. About 30-40 minutes. Stir the mixture once or twice during this time.

| This ice cream works beautifully with an ice cream maker. If you are more comfortable with that method, and do not want to hand-stir the ice cream to help it set, go ahead and break out your ice cream maker! |

4. EAT THE ICE CREAM! Dish out a couple of hearty scoops of this luscious ice cream and top with the fudge and yogurt covered pretzels. Add a pinch of sea salt or flake salt on top.

This ice cream is super easy to make and absolutely decadent! Does this ice cream really deliver better flavor than regular dairy ice cream, Jen? You bet your bottom dollar it does!

Recipe Substitutions/Additions:

- Macadamia nuts are an incredible fold-in or topping for this ice cream!
- Cocoa roasted almonds make a fantastic fold-in.
- A teaspoon of instant espresso adds a hint of sophisticated dark mocha flavor.
- Glutino pretzels are a delicious gluten free pretzel topping option. I used them in this recipe.

Play with this recipe! Make it into anything your sweet-tooth desires. Add all of the crunchy toppings that you can imagine. Chocolate is an amazing canvas!


What is your favorite guilty pleasure ice cream flavor? Have you tried homemade coconut milk ice cream like this!? Let me know in the comments. Have a beautiful day!

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