Lemon Basil Ice Cream

It was 102 degrees yesterday.  It was a long week at work in a very hot kitchen.  Things didn’t all go as planned this week.  But I could have cared less yesterday, because I was in a sparkly mood!  Which is my way of saying I am in a really good mood.  It was Friday, and knew I would have the next ten days off to enjoy myself!  But, you know what put me in an even better mood yesterday, my Lemon Basil Ice Cream that I had made Thursday night!  It was in the freezer waiting for me when I got home and I was ready to dive in! 


For those of you that think basil in ice cream sounds a little unusual, you are not alone, my own Mother told me it sounded very odd.  But seriously, it was delicious!  It was cooling and herby, sweet and a little tart with the lemon.  So fragrant, and it reminded me of sherbert in a way. 


I had used my fresh basil from my herb pot and it could not have been a better match for the lemon coconut milk ice cream base.  It was the most lovely color of green, and I think it would be amazing in the center of a chilled summer soup but I enjoyed it unadorned yesterday, and it was perfect!  The perfect way to end my week that is!  I hope you all  have a wonderful weekend, are surviving the summer heat and staying cool! 


Vegan Lemon Basil Ice Cream
Makes 4 cups



3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
3 Tbsp organic lemon zest
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp sea salt


Combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.

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Comments

40 responses to “Lemon Basil Ice Cream”

  1. Ellen B Cookery Avatar

    Now this is my kind of ice cream. I am totally obsessed with basil. A recipe definitely worth bookmarking! YUM!

    1. Amy Avatar

      Thank you :)! I am obsessed with basil as well! Have a large pot of it growing on my patio!

  2. stang05 Avatar

    Love the darker green specks…looks delish<3
    Enjoy your time to yourself…:)

    1. Amy Avatar

      Thank you :)! I will certainly enjoy this vacation ;)!

  3. mjskit Avatar

    What a gorgeous bowl of ice cream! I’ve had basil ice cream but I do believe your lemon basil would far surpass the one I had. It looks heavenly and definitely the answer to the heat!

    1. Amy Avatar

      Thank you :)! It was super refreshing! The lemon gave is a sherbert like base!

  4. Emalee Avatar

    I made basil lemon martinis a few weeks back….SO GOOD, you should try it! Basil infused simple syrup.

    1. Amy Avatar

      I have a similar drink that I enjoy! Love basil and lemon in a martini! I was thinking a scoop of this ice cream would be good at the bottom of a drink on a hot day…

  5. Miss Messy Avatar

    Ooo looks super 🙂

  6. The Red Apron Avatar

    I will just have to try this! I’m loving my ice cream maker, so will be doing this with the kids.

    1. Amy Avatar

      Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! An ice cream maker is one of the best investments! I use mine every week :)!

  7. Suzi Avatar

    You totally knock me out with your creativity. Basil, lemon and coconut go so well together on pasta. Why not as a sweetened dessert. Beautiful.

    1. Amy Avatar

      Thanks Suzi :)! It was a wonderful combo! And why not serve after that pasta ;)!

  8. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Love your recipes, but need a better format for printing…

    1. Amy Avatar

      Sorry, I hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps, copy and paste to Word, then print the recipe.

  9. Grubarazzi Avatar

    Oh gosh, another great one.

  10. Tiffany Avatar

    I don’t think it sounds odd at all! I actually made basil simple syrup yesterday for the watermelon basil sorbetto I’m going to make this weekend! 😀 Enjoy your time off!!!

    1. Amy Avatar

      That watermelon basil sorbet sounds wonderful! I will have to check that out when you post it :)!

  11. Sunnie Avatar
    Sunnie

    I thought this ice cream looked so amazing that today, after I came home (late, according to my standards!) from the beach, I just HAD to make it. I blended it all together, and could not resist tasting the “batter.” I ended up using 1 can (1 2/3 cups) Thai kitchen coconut milk, and 1 1/3 cups of So Delicious coconut creamer (because I only had that one can of coconut milk!), so I’m hoping it still comes out! You’re a genius – I will be making more of your recipes soon!

    1. Amy Avatar

      Awesome! Hope you enjoy it :)! Let me know how it turns out with the creamer!

    2. Sunnie Avatar
      Sunnie

      Oh my goodness. I just tried it, and I think that a little part of me died and went to heaven! It’s perfect – so light and creamy. My mom thinks that it’s a dessert that should be served at a high-end restaurant. I applaud your creativity!!!

    3. Amy Avatar

      So glad you enjoyed it Sunnie :)! Thank you for the wonderful compliments!

  12. Javelin Warrior Avatar

    Another delicious creation, Amy – I can always count on you to come up with beautiful and creative ideas! I’m featuring this post in Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and it’s always a pleasure following you…

    1. Amy Avatar

      Thanks again for including me! Always an honor :)!

  13. Foodie Stuntman Avatar

    Herbed ice cream doesn’t faze me because I’ve had it as a dessert at some restaurants. Nice job here and it looks light and refreshing!

    1. Amy Avatar

      It was increadibly refreshing! Thank you :)!

  14. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Wonderful! Just made it tonight as my birthday treat to myself after a month of no sweets. This was amazing!

    1. Amy Avatar

      So glad you enjoyed it! Happy Birthday :)!

  15. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    This is in my ice cream maker right now. I’m so excited to try it. Thanks for the recipe!

  16. Angela Avatar
    Angela

    Hello, I would love to make this recipe unfortunately I’ve never made my own ice cream before. Am I supposed to use the whole can of coconut milk or just the cream that separates to the top? Thanks

    1. Amy Lyons Avatar

      The whole can, I always specify if you are just using the top part in my recipes :)!

  17. Pallavi Bansal Avatar
    Pallavi Bansal

    Can I make this with normal full fat milk instead of coconut milk since I’m allergic to coconut milk?

    1. Amy Lyons Avatar

      You really could use any kind of milk. A thick almond milk would work too. If you are going with dairy milk what you use makes the ice cream texture. So a cream would make a rich ice cream, but just milk would give it an icy more dense texture. So just depends on your preference.

      1. Pallavi Bansal Avatar
        Pallavi Bansal

        Also, I don’t have an ice cream maker, so is there any alternative for that??

        1. Amy Lyons Avatar

          You can pour the mix into a bowl, put it in the freezer and stir it every 30 minutes until it is thickened to the consistency of soft serve, then proceed with pouring it into a container.

  18. Suzanne Avatar

    This looks so good! What perfect, unique flavors to put into ice cream! Definitely worth making your own ice cream for!

    1. Amy Lyons Avatar

      Thank you so much :)! I completely agree!

  19. Vanessa Avatar

    Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?

    1. Amy Lyons Avatar

      Happy to share :)! I find it keeps for about 2 months in the freezer with a good texture. It is still edible after that, but it might be freezer burned.

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