Desserts

This vibrant ice cream has a deep black color and a tangy and sweet lime flavor! Not only does this gloriously and naturally colored ice cream make the perfect Halloween ice cream, but it also offers benefits as well. Upset tummy? This is what I turn too. This paleo version is dairy-free and egg-free, so it is suitable for many diets.

Black Ice Cream and Activated Charcoal Craze

Have you heard about the black ice cream craze? I know of several high-end ice cream stores that have offered black ice cream as a novelty item, but it’s so easy to make at home. The secret to black ice cream is not black dye (no thank you!), but activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is popular in everything from face masks, toothpaste, supplements, drinks, and food items! (I got this finely ground, food grade activated charcoal powder for a great deal).

What Activated Charcoal Does

While the black color lends itself well to a gag treat for Halloween, it also makes the perfect dessert to serve after consuming food that has unhealthy ingredients in it, or perhaps foods that you mildly react to such as food dye, gluten, dairy, or other trigger foods. That’s because activated charcoal acts like a mop in your digestive track. (Please note, if you are constipated, don’t take activated charcoal! It can make you constipated, or your make your constipation worse because of how it works in the intestine.)

In scientific terms, activated charcoal “adsorbs” certain materials.

“The word adsorb is important here. When a material adsorbs something, it attaches to it by chemical attraction. The huge surface area of activated charcoal gives it countless bonding sites. When certain chemicals pass next to the carbon surface, they attach to the surface and are trapped.” Source: How Stuff Works

Practically speaking, activated charcoal is used as an important part of many water filters to remove impurities, and is even used in hospitals to treat specific poisonings (they use high amounts under supervised medical care, and it is not suitable for all cases of poisoning). You can read more about that use from Poison Control.

My doctor has me using activated charcoal as a supplement, but I’ve also become interested in reports of people finding it helpful in dealing with digestive complaints after exposure to problem foods. I’m not sure if that’s because it adsorbs gas in the digestive tract or the actual food, but it does seem to help with the after effects. When not dealing with an actual allergy, but with foods that cause gas, digestive discomfort, etc., activated charcoal does seem to be helpful for us. We also use it when we have stomach bugs as it helps settle the stomach.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It’s very important not to take medication or supplements with activated charcoal, because it can adsorb them. Time them a couple of hours away from taking activated charcoal or consuming drinks or foods that contain them.

Other Important Notes: A friend commented below that they experienced some “detox” symptoms when adding in activated charcoal, so serve small servings and be aware of any side effects if you have never taken it before. Also, don’t take or eat foods or drinks with activated charcoal if you are constipated or have any health condition that slows food through the intestine. Please read about any side effects of activated charcoal here, and talk to your health care provider about any concerns.

For KIDS: If you serve this to children, you need to keep servings very small! Our kids have had small amounts of activated charcoal before, so I knew they didn’t have any problems with it, but I still wouldn’t serve them a huge scoop of this. This is a lot of activated charcoal, so keep servings small. (I’m always surprised that the ice cream shops who serve this don’t have some sort of warning label on it, considering the fact that it can adsorb medication and make you constipated if you eat too much of it!)

Special Supplies:

• You can use coconut activated charcoal or hardwood. I recommend finely ground (the ice cream will have a little texture to it because of the charcoal, but you don’t want it to be overly gritty). As of right now, this 30 dollar’s worth of finely ground activated charcoal powder is only 10 dollars.
• My ice cream maker is one of my favorite kitchen tools! I have this ice cream maker.
• I love this guar gum-free coconut milk (you can also use the coconut cream).
• For zesting a lime, this is my favorite tool.

We had fun coming up with crazy names for this black ice cream: Dementor Ice Cream (Harry Potter inspired), Santa’s Black Coal Ice Cream, Black Dwarf Ice Cream (Narnia), Black Cat Ice Cream, Spooky Ice Cream. Do you have any to add? I’d love to hear!

Black Citrus Ice Cream

This dairy-free, egg-free and paleo version of black ice cream is delightfully limey. If you would like to make a simple vanilla version, leave out the lime juice and lime zest and add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead.

Other variations: Use lemons instead of limes for a lemonade ice cream. Or try an orange juice and orange zest for a creamy orange ice cream!

• 3 cups of coconut milk (I used this guar gum free milk)
• The zest of one lime
• ½-¾ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice (I used the full ¾ cup for extra lime flavor, yum! But if you want it a little more subtle, use the ½ cup).
• ⅔ cup of organic cane sugar, or ½ cup of honey
• ¼ cup finely ground activated charcoal

1: Add all ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.
2: Optional: Chill in the refrigerator until cold.
3: Pour into ice cream maker and make according to manufacturer’s directions. My ice cream maker takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
4: Serve right away as soft serve, or put into a container and place in the freezer.
5: Remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving.

Printable version:

Black Citrus Ice Cream

 

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This dairy-free, egg-free and paleo version of black ice cream is delightfully limey. If you would like to make a simple vanilla version, leave out the lime juice and lime zest and add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead. Other variations: Use lemons instead of limes for a lemonade ice cream. Or try an orange juice and orange zest for a creamy orange ice cream!

Ingredients

• 3 cups of coconut milk (I used this guar gum free milk)
• The zest of one lime
• ½-¾ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice (I used the full ¾ cup for extra lime flavor, yum! But if you want it a little more subtle, use the ½ cup).
• ⅔ cup of organic cane sugar, or ½ cup of honey
• ¼ cup finely ground activated charcoal

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.
2. Optional: Chill in the refrigerator until cold.
3. Pour into ice cream maker and make according to manufacturer's directions. My ice cream maker takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Serve right away as soft serve, or put into a container and place in the freezer.
5. Remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving.

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