I’ve gone to great lengths to get my hands on fresh blackberries for a recipe.
Or… more accurately, great heights.
My house is perched on a hill with a steep driveway. Right at the edge of the steepest part is a great big blackberry bush, just out of reach.
Year after year I’ve watched every type of creature get its paws or beaks on the berries. Then one day, motivated by my son, who at that time was just shy of two years old, I decided to harvest some blackberries myself.
Between maneuvering the uneven pavement and height to get to the actual blackberries, it was hardly worth the effort. But seeing his big saucer eyes staring up at me waiting with anticipation, I faced my fear of heights and worked hard for those few berries.
Was it worth it? One hundred percent.
Would I do it again? Of course… but honestly, I don’t stand a chance when it comes to competing with the creatures in my yard!
Now I do what any reasonable person would do: purchase organic blackberries from the farmers market.
If it’s not blackberry season, no problem! An organic frozen bag will do. If you’re the pick your own type, that’s even better but certainly not necessary.
And that was the roundabout way of getting to today’s recipe: Dairy-Free No-Churn Blackberry Ice Cream!
It’s one of my children’s all-time (and um, mine too) favorites. They’re the ones who tell me if a recipe flops or succeeds.
Do they actually use words to convey this? Of course not, but the way they devour this ice cream, licking the bowls, generally does the job. And begging for seconds too…
So what do you need to make this tasty no-churn blackberry ice cream?
A food processor, a bag of organic frozen blackberries, lemon zest, coconut milk, honey, and vanilla extract. Simple enough right?
And if you don’t have a food processor yet, I recommend you run, bike or drive to quickly get your hands on one!
Better yet, just order one online! It will change your life.
The longest part of this recipe will be patiently waiting for the freezer to do its magic, but it’s most definitely worth the wait!
Dairy-Free No-Churn Blackberry Ice Cream (Paleo, GAPS)
My children are my recipe testers... and they devoured this dairy-free blackberry ice cream, licking their bowls and begging for seconds! It's hard to go wrong with homemade ice cream, but this one is a real gem: made in a food processor (no machine!) with creamy coconut milk, vanilla extract, and sweet, juicy blackberries, it's the super easy no-churn ice cream recipe of your dessert dreams!
Ingredients
- 1 pound blackberries frozen
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup raw honey should be runny
Instructions
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Add all ingredients to a food processor.
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Puree until ingredients are incorporated and you get a smooth mixture.
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Transfer mixture to a stainless steel 9x5" loaf pan.
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Cover with plastic wrap or reusable wrap.
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Freeze for at least 4 hours.
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Take ice cream out of freezer and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Want more delicious dairy-free desserts? Check these out!
- Dairy-Free Almond Joy Ice Coconut Ice Cream
- No-Churn Mango Turmeric Ice Cream (Dairy-Free & Paleo)
- Real Food Gingerbread Chunk Ice Cream (w/Dairy-Free Option!)
- Dark Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream (Can Be Dairy-Free!)
- Dairy Free Fudge Pops
- Probiotic Mint Chocolate Chip Popsicles
- Probiotic Watermelon Strawberry Fruit Sorbet
- 40 Deliciously Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes
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Would this work with other frozen fruit? strawberries, cherries, peaches….
Absolutely would! As long as the honey, coconut milk and frozen fruit compliment each other, you’re good to go! It would be up to you if you wanted to use the zest. That’s specific to this recipe as it compliments the blackberries.
I can’t have honey. Could you use monk fruit sweetner or zylitol in this recipe?
Monk fruit should work perfectly fine with this. Even maple syrup if you can have that. It shouldn’t change the consistency at all! Feel free to reach out should you have any questions!
I made this yesterday with frozen cherries. Only used a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of maple syrup, as the cherries provided lots of sweetness. It turned out very nice and everyone enjoyed it. Those that wanted it sweeter added chocolate sauce to the finished dish. This is not as creamy as real ice cream, but we liked it. Will make again. Thanks!
That sounds like a wonderful alternative! You can play around with the sweetness as you see fit and that works perfectly! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Enjoyed making this. I used agave instead of honey. Worked just fine.
Hi N!
That’s so good to hear! Yes a perfect substitution! Wishing you a great summer!
Would oat milk work with this?
Hello! I personally haven’t tried it and prefer coconut because of the thick cream like consistency. The worst thing that could happen is it doesn’t turn out 🙂 but if you don’t dislike coconut or are not allergic to it, go for coconut! Take care!!
Why does the fruit need to be frozen? I’d love to make this with some fresh blackberries! If it’s all getting blended up and put in the freezer, I can’t see why it needs to be frozen?
Hi Veronica,
You can use fresh fruit but just freeze it. The transition from room temp fruit to freezer creates liquid and ice crystals so your ice cream will have too much condensation which freezes. Because we’re not using an ice cream machine this is a good system to try and minimize water. Now if you have an ice cream maker, that changes things 🙂
If I don’t have a stainless steel pan cause I use freezer Tupperware instead?