Actually Good Lactose-Free Ice Cream
It tastes delicious and doesn't wreck BC's digestion
I usually hate recipes with substitutions, but I got an ice cream maker for Christmas and my husband is lactose-intolerant.
The recipe
Yield: serves 1–2
Time: 20 minutes active, 3 hours chilling
Ingredients
2 egg yolks
⅓ c plus 2 tbsp lactose-free whole milk
⅓ c vegan whipping cream
3 tbsp sugar
⅛ tsp salt
1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Before you start, read your ice cream maker instructions and freeze it ahead of time if necessary.
2. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place the milk, cream, sugar, and salt in a small pot.
4. Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean lengthways down the middle, only cutting through the top layer. (See the picture below.) Gently pry the pod open and, using the blunt edge of the knife, scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and the empty pod in the cream mixture. (If you’re using vanilla extract instead, wait to add it.)
5. Heat the cream mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and it begins to simmer a little at the edges (about 5 minutes). Remove the pot from the heat.
6. Temper the egg yolks by adding the hot cream to the eggs a few tablespoons at a time, stirring well, before adding the next few tablespoons. Do this until ⅔ of the cream mixture is incorporated, then add the rest all at once and stir well to combine.
7. Return the mixture to the pot and heat on low, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken, gets glossy, and coats the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes).
8. Immediately take the cream off the heat and strain through a sieve into a small container with a pour spout. If you’re using vanilla extract, add it now and stir to combine. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold (about 3 hours).
9. When the custard is cold, pour it in your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions. When it’s done churning, eat it immediately for soft serve or freeze for a few hours for hard ice cream.
Notes and tips
Isn’t my ice cream maker the cutest thing? Here’s the link if you want to get your own. I was surprised by how inexpensive it was.
I used Country Crock’s brand of plant cream. I can’t guarantee every brand will heat without separating, but this one worked great!
This is an intensely vanilla-y ice cream. BC usually doesn’t prefer vanilla on its own, but when he tried this, he insisted that I not add anything extra to it. The vanilla beans make a difference here, so seek them out if you’ve ever wanted to bake with them. You can approximate the intensity of the vanilla flavor with a lot of extract, instead (I know, 1 tbsp is excessive, but you need it all). Make sure it’s good quality. I love Costco’s pure vanilla extract!
Save your vanilla bean pod! You can rinse it off in the sink, let it air dry, then keep it in an airtight container and reuse it. The flavor won’t be as strong. If you’re making a second batch of ice cream with a used pod, add 2 tsp vanilla extract as well.
A simmer means the cream mixture will have very small, slow bubbles rising on the sides. You’ll miss them unless you stop stirring occasionally to check.
Coating the back of a spoon means you can dip a spoon in the mixture, run your finger through the middle of the custard, and it won’t fill the space back in or completely slide off the spoon. It will be a thin layer, and it will slowly drip off.
The step where you add the warm cream mixture to the egg yolks is called tempering. Do this slowly so you don’t get chunks of scrambled egg in your ice cream.
Uh oh, you have two egg whites hanging out in your fridge? Make a double batch of marshmallows with them.
The story
I had BC try this ice cream, and the first thing he said was, “Is this lactose-free?”
“It sure is,” I replied.
He took two more bites. “Are you sure it’s lactose-free?”
“I didn’t put any heavy cream in it. It’s egg yolks, plant cream, lactose-free milk, vanilla, sugar, and salt.”
He ate another spoonful. “Don’t most ice cream recipes call for heavy cream? Like, a lot of it?”
“Yeah, but I substituted plant cream and added an extra egg yolk instead.”
A long pause. “It just tastes too good not to have any cream.”
I didn’t say anything.
“This is really lactose-free?”
I burst out laughing.
“Honey, this might be the best ice cream I’ve ever had.”
I kissed him.
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Love this!
The dialogue and BC’s incredulity 😂