Fuel Up Friday: Homemade Ice Cream From Steelhead Coaching

I scream! You scream! We ALL scream for ice cream!!

Can you hear the jingle from the ice cream truck? Summertime is coming and that means its time for sweet and delicious frozen treats! But, of course, we athletes do like to keep things healthy - for the most part :-)  So, here are three easy-peasy and totally delicious "ice-cream" recipes. All you need is a blender and a freezer! 

Hazelnut Dark Chocolate 
(approx. 12 ½-cup servings)

• ½ cup blanched hazelnuts
• ½ cup pitted dates
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt*
• 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
• 2 cups 1% chocolate milk*
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks

1. In a blender or food processor, puree hazelnuts, dates, salt, and cocoa powder until a chunky paste forms.
2. With blender running, slowly add yogurt, protein powder, and chocolate milk until everything is combined; stop blender.
3. Add dark chocolate chunks and pulse.

Peanut Butter and Honey
(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

• 1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot starch
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup lowfat plain Greek yogurt*
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• ½ frozen banana
• 1 ½ tablespoons peanut butter
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup chopped peanuts
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

1. In a sauce pot over medium heat, whisk arrowroot starch and unsweetened almond milk for 2 minutes or until thick; set aside.
2. In blender or food processor, puree yogurt and protein powder until smooth; blend in banana, peanut butter, honey, and unsweetened almond milk mixture.
3. Stir in peanuts and sea salt.

Avocado Toasted Coconut
(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

• 1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot starch
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 ½ teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ can full-fat coconut milk**
• 1 avocado, peeled and seeded
• ¼ cup toasted coconut
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

1. In a sauce pot over medium heat, whisk the arrowroot starch with the unsweetened almond milk, coconut oil and the honey. Once the honey has been incorporated and the mixture is thickened, transfer the liquid into the blender.
2. Add the coconut milk and blend on high until frothy.  Add the avocado and continue blending until smooth and thick.
3. Stir in the toasted coconut and sea salt.

Couple of notes: 
You'll put ice cream mixture in small bread pans or muffin tins to freeze. Scoop out like regular ice cream -- or heck, dig your spoon right in!
If you can't do dairy: You can replace chocolate milk with chocolate unsweetened almond milk. And replace yogurt with regular unsweetened almond milk.
​If you want to cut fat and calories: You can replace regular coconut milk with the same amount of low fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk. Lower fat options will end up less creamy and more icy.