Some foods make you healthier the more you eat them. This category includes things like kale and spinach, of course. But come on, spinach? Wouldn’t it be great if we could get the same effects from more indulgent foods like ice cream, for example? What if we could create a strawberry chocolate ice cream that was so full of nutrients and antioxidants that it increased our health with every bite?
Sure, let’s put some strawberries, dates, red wine, and cocoa (could you imagine a sexier list of ingredients?) into a blender to make the most decadent ‘ice cream’ that just happens to be vegan, almost fat free, low calorie, full of phytonutrients, and so easy to make… Are you starting to see the power of the One Ingredient Diet yet?
You can thank me later for this one. Actually, you can thank Dr. Greger from whom I got the inspiration. Dr. Greger is one of my nutritional idols (yes, I have nutritional idols) and he published a video with a similar idea for chocolate ice cream, which he highlighted as a treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome, no less. Catch his video after the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
- 4 pitted medjool dates
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1+ tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
Step One
Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. At this point, it should have the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. If it’s too runny, add more strawberries; too thick, add more milk.
Note: if you don’t want to use red wine (why not?), simply substitute with extra non-dairy milk.
Step Two
The ice cream can be eaten as is, but since the majority of the ingredients didn’t start out frozen, it probably will not be cold or firm enough. This ice cream is best served after freezing for 3-4 hours. Once it is semi-solid, remove from the freezer, and serve!
Now here’s that video from Dr. Greger…
Wine in Ice Cream? Awesome! It sounds mandatory to me.. 😉
Right?! That’s what I’m saying 🙂
Oh my God!! I am making this tonight. Why did not I think about this before:)
I don’t know why you didn’t think of it before, Vildan! 🙂
What is your opinion on cocoa powder vs cacao powder? Is cacao really more nutritious or is it a marketing gimmick?
That’s a great question, Rachel, and honestly I don’t know enough about the technical differences to say which is healthier. But I did find this great forum thread with several insightful answers that you may want to check out: http://www.cheftalk.com/t/19794/whats-difference-between-cacao-powder-and-cocoa-powder
Strawberry and cocoa…great! Will have to try this. Thanks for sharing. And the pics are amazing.
Michael Greger is my nutritional idol too!!! So obsessed. Also, I love your site and I cannot wait to try out some of your recipes. xoxo
Thanks so much, Veronica! Dr. Gerger is amazing, I could (and do!) listen to his videos for hours.
This recipe is Heaven in my mouth! This is the second time making it…the first time I didn’t even want to freeze it, I wanted to eat it immediately. This time I’m attempting to practice delayed gratification
haha, I’m so glad you like it Alyssa! I hope the delayed gratification pays off 😉
I know this is an old post but I thought I’d ask anyway; I am allergic to dates, what would you suggest as a replacement?
Hi Shaye, Hmm! That’s a tough one. You might be able to try another dried fruit with similar texture, but dates can be hard to replace.