If you like tofu and have low expectations, this recipe is for you! I'm just kidding. It's actually pretty good, but you do taste the tofu because it's Chocolate Tofu Ice Cream. The recipe calls for low calorie, high protein, silken tofu. And then along with your tofu, you've got some coconut milk for fat, Dutch cocoa powder, maple syrup for sweet smoothness, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
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A Slightly Lighter Ice Cream?
Like most homemade ice cream, there's not a lot of extra air beaten into this so a half cup serving actually weighs around 4 oz (114 grams). I never measure ice cream by volume, though. I always weigh by grams, and if you add all the ingredient calories up and divide by grams, this one falls around 40 calories per 28 grams (an ounce in weight). So half cup of this ice cream should be around 160-170 calories, but it's best to weigh. A lot of people ask me for calorie counts, and that's what the nutritional software says. I advise everyone to do their own math on that.
Silken Tofu
Okay, so onto the tofu! I love the slick texture of silken tofu in ice cream and smoothies. You can use the boxed Mori-Nu, which is usually found with the Asian foods aisle or you can use the kind sold in the refrigerated section like Greenwise. Silken tofu is great because it only has something like 15 calories per oz (28 grams) so it adds protein and keeps the overall calorie count reasonable. Just make sure the tofu is extra fresh or the ice cream will have an aftertaste. Ask me how I know. Well, I used Mori-nu that was still within its expiration period, but tasted a little sour. It ruined a whole batch of ice cream, but I learned a lesson.
Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
Any cocoa powder will work. I've been using Guittard Cocoa Rouge. A little goes a long way. The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons, but you can use slightly more if you'd like.
Maple Syrup
The maple syrup gives the ice cream its smooth and creamy texture, and in my opinion the maple flavor is pretty subtle. This will probably vary by brand. Another thing that works well is agave syrup or a mix of agave and maple. Whatever you use, just use 120 grams. Also, I've never tested this with a low sugar syrup, but I'm thinking it would ruin the texture completely.
Coconut Milk
I use 6 oz of coconut milk, but you can add more or even less to taste. Be sure to use full fat coconut milk rather than light because it's the main fat in the ice cream and the ice cream needs it for smoothness.
Ice Cream Maker
To make the Chocolate Tofu Ice Cream, I used an older model Cuisinart ice cream maker. The newer models are a little sleeker, but my old one is still in business. I highly recommend the Cuisinart ice cream maker even though you have to have a big freezer space to store the bowl.
Recipe
Chocolate Tofu Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 ice cream maker
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 6 oz full fat coconut milk (170 grams)
- 12 oz silken tofu (340 grams)
- 3 ½ tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder (20 grams)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup ** (120 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in the blender in order given. I usually do this by weight. I set the blender container on a scale, set the tare to "0" and add everything except for the salt and vanilla in grams.
- Puree until smooth. At this point you can taste test. If you don't find it sweet enough, add a little more maple. Too sweet? Add coconut milk. This recipe is very flexible.
- Put mixture in the ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer directions.
- Serve right away or scrape into a container and freeze.
- The ice cream will get very hard in the freezer, so allow it to sit at room temperature to soften before serving. You can also soften it in the microwave using a very low setting.
Sue says
I should try this. As I age my GI tolerance for dairy becomes less and less. Thanks for the photo of the tofu. I don’t have a lot of experience with that.