Nothing represents the height of summer deliciousness like peaches. Their fresh, sweet flavor comes into season in the middle of the summer where I live in Massachusetts, and I like to celebrate peach season with many different types of recipes. They’re wonderful in salads, salsa, and muffins, but my favorite way to enjoy peaches is in ice cream. There’s just something about the creamy texture that brings out the pure peach goodness.
This peach vanilla swirl ice cream is so creamy, and the coconut milk base makes it a wonderful treat for vegans and those with dairy sensitivities. Even if you don’t fall into either of those categories, you’ll love this pretty, delicious dessert. I use homemade vanilla extract, which costs five times less than the store-bought version, and it’s so simple to make. Maple syrup contains nutrients, and it’s less processed than white sugar, so it’s my favorite sweetener to use.
Ingredients
1½ pounds ripe peaches, pitted and cut into quarters (approximately 4)
13.5 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
⅓ cup maple syrup
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
- Puree the peaches in a food processor. There’s no need to remove the skin.
- In a large bowl, mix together the coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn for about 7 minutes. I use the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment, which I love because it doesn’t take up a lot of space in my cabinet.
- After churning for 7 minutes, remove 1 cup of the vanilla ice cream and transfer it quickly to a shallow, freezer-safe dish. A glass 8 x 8 inch dish works well. Cover the dish and place it in the freezer.
- Add the peach puree to the remaining ice cream in your ice cream maker. Continue churning for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the peach ice cream is the consistency you want. You may want to taste this mixture to make sure it’s sweet enough. If your peaches aren’t as ripe as they could be, you can add a bit more maple syrup.
- Remove the vanilla ice cream from the freezer and add the peach ice cream to the glass dish. Swirl the two flavors together with a spoon or something pointy like a chopstick.
- Return the covered glass dish to the freezer and let the ice cream set for at least 2 hours. It tastes best the day it’s made. If it becomes too hard to scoop, soften it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before scooping. Enjoy!
Note: If you want to use dairy milk for this recipe, eliminate the coconut milk and use 1¼ cups heavy cream and ¾ cup whole milk.
Price Breakdown:
This recipe costs $5.51 to make, or $.92 per ¾ cup serving. Peach vanilla swirl ice cream is a healthy, delicious summer dessert that your family will love.
Eileen says
I love peach ice cream. This looks amazing! I might try it with honey…