3-Ingredient Green Tea Ice Cream (vegan)

I love green tea ice cream but haven’t been able to find a non-dairy alternative at the grocery store.  It was hard enough finding green tea ice cream at the store when I did eat dairy!  When we were in Ottawa last week, I saw matcha powder after our visit to a sushi restaurants (coincidence) and had to buy for my first time.  I bought a large container for the sole purpose of making myself green tea ice cream.  It is creamy, light, and not too sweet. 

Note: Depending on your matcha powder, you may require more or less, so adjust according to your taste.  We also have been experimenting with coconut milk and I highly recommend using the Thai Kitchen full-fat coconut milk. We have tried the recipe several times with other brands, but can never get the same creaminess for our ice cream recipes.  Depending where you are, you may have more options of quality coconut milk.

Note: This recipe uses an ice cream maker. If your ice cream maker requires components to be frozen, make sure to freeze them overnight. My ice cream bowl requires 24 hours of freezing before use. You could probably use without an ice cream maker but it won’t be as creamy.

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 LITRE

INGREDIENTS
– 2 cans (400 mL) of full-fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen and I highly recommend. I haven’t be able to get the same creaminess from others)
– 1/2 cup organic agave (I used Wholesome Organic Raw Blue Agave)
– 1 tablespoon organic matcha powder
– 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional, but recommended)

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare ice cream base by mixing all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan. Slowly bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.
2. Put mixture in large blender or use an immersion blender (caution: liquid is hot so make sure blender is covered or if using immersion blender that your pot is tall enough that you won’t get splattered).  Blend on low speed for around 30-45 seconds. If you want a creamier texture after it freezes, you can add in 1 T of alcohol, such as vodka.
3. Pour mixture into a sealed container and put in fridge for 4 hours or more until complete cooled. To speed up the process, you could put in freezer, but don’t let the mixture freeze. You want it around 45-50F.
4. Prepare ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s direction. I use my KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment. To do this, I pour the mixture slowly into the bowl while it mixes on the lowest setting. I let it mix for about 15-20 minutes on the lowest setting. I then move it to the next setting for a minute or two and then the third speed for another minute or two until the ice cream is frozen and airy.