7
Sep

Dairy-Free S’mores Ice Cream

I know summer is coming to an end and school is back in session, but we are still having super hot days here! My kids are still asking for s’ mores all the time, which take a little bit more thought and having to go up to our fire pit, so this new recipe for Dairy-Free S’mores Ice Cream has been a fun activity to do together with the kids and a nice treat for the hot days.

This ice cream reminds me of the days where my siblings and I would go to our neighborhood ice cream parlour after school or dinner. We would walk into the store and have a plethora of flavors to choose from. I always loved to choose the rocky road flavor, or basically anything that had marshmallows and chocolate. After going paleo, I thought I would be confined to just the basic ice creams like vanilla and chocolate. While I still sometimes crave a big bowl of plain vanilla or chocolate paleo ice-cream, I felt like it was time to recreate those cherished ice cream parlor days from my childhood!

This recipe for S’mores Ice Cream is completely gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free and tastes exactly like s’ mores in the form of ice cream! It is a nice treat to enjoy these last few weeks of summer or during the fall and winter months when you’re craving a taste of summer. 

Dairy-Free S'mores Ice Cream chilled in a pan, resting on a counter

The Marshmallows 

I think the most important ingredient in s’ mores are the perfectly roasted marshmallow. For this recipe, I tried to toast the marshmallows under the broiler, but sadly, they melted too quickly. They became a gooey mess that was impossible to fold into the ice cream. I also tried melting the marshmallows down into the ice cream custard mixture before churning, but it gave it a funny texture and you didn’t get that delicious surprise of gummy and chewy marshmallows throughout.

We also didn’t want to start a campfire, because who has time for that when you just want ice cream right now!? So to give this ice cream that same authentic perfectly toasted marshmallow flavor, Ryan had the idea of adding a dash of liquid smoke to the fudge swirl.

Ryan doesn’t usually have input on my recipes in the creation stage (but he’s an amazing taste-tester), so it was pretty fun to work on this one together. And let me tell you- his idea was a great one, because it gives it just the right hint of smokiness that you’d get from the campfire! I chose to mix the liquid smoke into the fudge swirl, rather than into the entire ice cream base, so you would only occasionally get a bite with the remnants of campfire smoke instead of it overwhelming every bite.

small white saucer containing chocolate fudge

The Graham Crackers 

If you haven’t made my gluten-free Crunchy Graham Cracker recipe yet, you’re seriously missing out! We made them all quarantine and summer long, along with my Gluten-Free Marshmallows. For this S’ more Ice Cream recipe, I crumbled up the graham crackers and chopped my marshmallows into mini bites, then I swirled them in the ice cream with the smoky chocolate fudge. It makes for the most delicious combo, that truly tastes like your favorite days of summer in one bite. We have used store-bought marshmallows and gluten-free graham crackers for this too, and both worked great if you want to skip a few homemade steps! One tip though – just like for s’ mores, “stale” marshmallows work best. Especially if they’re homemade. Let them sit out, uncovered, for 4 to 5 days, until they’re dry and stretchy, rather than gooey.

Dairy-Free S'mores Ice Cream in a glass cup, topped with bits of marshmallow and pieces of graham cracker The Ice Cream

For this recipe, I went with my classic Dairy-Free Vanilla base rather than chocolate because I wanted it to be distinguished from my Rocky Road ice cream recipe. Plus, I wanted the flavors of the s’mores to really shine. But, if you are a double chocolate lover, feel free to use chocolate ice cream! This recipe tastes amazing on its own, but if you can tolerate some grains, I suggest you put it in your favorite gluten-free cone. You can even drizzle some of the extra smoky chocolate fudge on top. view of inside of a small glass that contains dairy-free s'mores ice cream with bits of marshmallow and pieces of graham crackers

I hope that you enjoy making this recipe (and eating it) as much as our family did! If you are looking for more Ice Cream recipes I have plenty of options in all 4 of my cookbooks as well as here on the blog! 

ice cream scoop full of dairy-free s'mores ice cream resting on counter

 

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Dairy-Free S’mores Ice Cream



AUTHOR:

SERVES: 6-8

Cuisine: American

Category: Dessert

PREP TIME: 20 mins mins

COOK TIME: 15 mins mins TOTAL TIME: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Fudge Swirl (gently melt together) 

*I often purchase this brand of liquid smoke at my health food store if you’d prefer to pick it up in person

** For dairy-free, substitute coconut oil for the ghee in the fudge and graham crackers

Instructions:

  1. Fill a large bowl with ice and nestle a heat-proof bowl inside the ice so it surrounds the bowl.
  2. Place the coconut milk, honey, maple sugar, and egg yolks in a cold saucepan and whisk to combine the ingredients. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Be sure not to let it boil or the yolks will curdle.
  3. Transfer the mixture to the ice bath and stir frequently for 15 minutes until the mixture is chilled.
  4. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the mixture has reached a soft-serve consistency.
  5. Meanwhile, make the fudge swirl. Combine the coconut cream, dark chocolate, maple syrup, ghee, cocoa powder, and liquid smoke in a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir continuously until the mixture has gently melted. Remove from heat.
  6. Add the graham crackers and marshmallows to the ice cream maker once it has reached the soft-serve stage. Allow the mix-ins to churn into the ice cream for 30 seconds, then spoon the ice cream into an airtight container. Drizzle half the fudge sauce all over the top, then gently swirl the ice cream and fudge with the tip of a knife. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the ice cream to prevent freezer burn. Place the lid to the container on top and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
  7. To serve, let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes until it is soft enough to scoop. Serve with leftover fudge, rewarmed gently, on the side.

Did you enjoy this recipe? If you make this and love it, please post a photo on social media and use #daniellewalker and @daniellewalker so I can see it!



Keywords: paleo, gluten free, against all grain, danielle walker, ice cream, summer, frozen desserts, homemade, camping, s'mores