Creamy Vanilla Basil Ice Cream with Strawberry Granita
Creamy, fresh, flavorful ice cream topped over a sweet frosty base. Hello, summer.
This easy non-dairy ice cream is made with simple ingredients: coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, basil, and salt. And this simple all-natural granita is made with none other than fresh strawberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice.
Together, they create a sweet, fruity, and herbal blast of goodness in your mouth. The subtle basil clove-like notes balance with the strawberries’ sweetness, and it is the PERFECT combination for a summer afternoon treat.
When it comes to ice cream, I’ve always preferred vanilla over all else. Okay, don’t come at me - I know it’s “boring,” but it’s just so, simply GOOD! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve wanted to explore different simple flavors that pack an unexpected punch.
So it hit me - BASIL is the unexpected herby flavor I’ve been looking for. It provides such a fresh, subtle aromatic that goes well with many different palates.
And while this vanilla basil ice cream is SO good by itself, I felt it needed just one more thing to slam this out of the park…
STRAWBERRIES!
The strawberry basil flavor combination is a classic because the two balance each other out with a herby-sweet result. And the creamy ice cream combined with icy, crystal-like granita adds a texture that melts in your mouth. What could be better than that?!
Guess what… This recipe is heart-healthy!
If you didn’t already know - it’s my mission to prioritize heart-healthy recipes. Two years ago, I changed my diet to be heart-healthy due to high cholesterol. Thanks, fam! Since then, I’ve found that there aren’t many resources for this category of recipes… I was so surprised!
Heart-healthy means trying to stay away from most dairy (egg yolks and fatty cow’s milk/butter in particular), among other things. So it can be tough to find a good solution for yummy desserts like ice cream and baked goods! BUT, that’s never stopped me. This ice cream uses coconut milk - which, is fatty, but GOOD for cholesterol! Such a WIN!
But another amazing thing about using coconut milk is that this ice cream is left truly so creamy, and never icey like you can get with other milk bases. WIN WIN!
Okay, let’s get into it.
Prefer to watch instead of read?
For the ice cream -
Step 1: simmer for the perfect basil flavor. Add the coconut milk, sugar, and basil leaves in a pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot, then remove it from the heat, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and up to an hour. It’s that easy!
Step 2: complete the flavor profile. Remove the basil leaves from the milk mixture, then add the vanilla, salt, and chopped basil. Include a few drops of food coloring now, if you want! I like the green color to fully show through, so I added three drops of green food coloring for the perfect green.
Step 3: mix & set. With your now fully brewed and flavorful milk, add it to either an ice cream maker if you have one, or to a rectangular glass or metal dish with a lid.
If using an ice cream maker, mix for 20-25 minutes or until it’s set. All done!
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, put the filled dish in the freezer. Check the ice cream every hour for a few hours to mix it with a hand mixer until it’s set!
For the granita -
Step 1: sugar water, baby! Boil the water, then add the sugar. Mix it until the sugar dissolves, then remove the pot from heat. Let it cool slightly, then chill it in the fridge until it’s fully cooled down. This takes about two hours.
Step 2: gather your fresh strawberries. Add the strawberries and lemon juice to a blender or food processor, and mix until it’s blended.
Step 3: combine the ingredients. Mix the sugar water with the strawberry puree, then pour it onto a metal sheet pan. Place the pan in the freezer.
Step 4: fluff the granita! Using a fork, fluff the granita every 45 minutes until the granita is set and crystal-like.
Insert image of granita in pan here
Now you have a wonderful velvety dessert, perfect for those hot summer days!
I mean it, you will love this. After making this ice cream for the first time, I was so STUNNED - it was one of those moments where I’m so happy to be doing this and sharing it with you all. This recipe is in my TOP 3 favorites I’ve made, and I’ve sure made a lot!
Finally, if you make this Vanilla Basil Ice Cream with Strawberry Granita, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Creamy Vanilla Basil Ice Cream with Strawberry Granita
Ingredients
- 2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk (USE FULL-FAT COCONUT MILK)
- 1 C. granulated sugar
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- 1/8 t. sea salt (optional)
- 3/4 oz. Basil (leaves and stems are OK)
- 1 T. Basil leaves, finely chopped (optional)
- Food coloring (optional)
- 2 C. fresh strawberries, halved (measure after cutting)
- 2 C. water
- ½ C. granulated sugar
- 2 t. lemon juice
Instructions
- Put your coconut milk, sugar, and ¾ ounces of basil into a pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes, up to 1 hour. Drain basil from the milk, squeeze any remaining milk out of the basil into the milk, then discard.
- Add the vanilla, chopped basil, and sea salt to the milk. Add the food coloring at this time, if using. Let cool in the fridge for 4-8 hours or overnight.
- With an ice cream maker:
- Pour the milk into an ice cream maker and run for 20-25 minutes.
- Without an ice cream maker:
- Transfer the milk into a pre-frozen flat-bottomed, large dish with a lid and keep it in the freezer. Every hour, check on the ice cream and break the hardened sides with a fork first, then use a handheld mixer to mix for about 3 minutes. Repeat until the ice cream sets completely, about four times.
- Bring water to a boil, then mix the sugar into the water. Remove from heat. Let cool and chill in the fridge until chilled (about 2 hours).
- Blend strawberries and lemon juice in a blender or food processor.
- Mix berry puree with cooled sugar water. Pour mixture onto a metal pan and freeze.
- Every 45 minutes, remove from the freezer and mix with a fork. It won’t look like anything initially, but keep doing it. It will be done when you have ice crystals, about four times.
Notes
Let ice cream sit for up to 10 minutes after removing it from the freezer for easy scooping.