Nutella and Coconut Ice Cream: With or Without an Ice Cream Maker

You don’t have to use an ice cream maker to make this easy treat but it is a good way to use an often gifted but not as an often used appliance. I have a love-hate relationship with mine only because I frequently forget to freeze the bowl for the requisite 4 hours beforehand. If you have no frozen bowl or ice cream maker at hand, mix the ingredients together slowly with an electric hand mixer OR a whisk and a lot of vigor.

For the uninitiated, Nutella is the brand name for a cocoa-enhanced hazelnut spread. It is absolutely delicious and if you like chocolate or hazelnut, run to your nearest grocer and buy a jar. I have splurged on other, fancier brands and they were all slightly different- some are thinner than others, and have a stronger hazelnut flavor. They are all excellent, so try with abandon. If you have a tendency to read the calorie content on labels, consider this before deciding that Nutella is “bad”: Like peanut butter, hazelnut spread is filling, and also like peanut butter, is enhanced with added sugar but can be purchased in lower sugar varieties.

After you make the desert below, try spreading Nutella on apple slices, on pretzels, on a banana, on strawberries, and in countless other delights.

I tried the very popular recipe suggested by countless others on Pinterest that consists of only Nutella and coconut milk. It was tasty and obviously pretty simple but froze to a rock-hard consistency. Adding cream and milk makes it much more scoop-able.

Mix in either the frozen bowl of an ice cream maker or in a regular bowl;

½ cup Nutella

one can of unsweetened coconut milk

2-3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup heavy whipping cream (or 1 cup milk if you haven’t cream handy)

½ cup milk

Pour into a container and freeze till firm.

Hint: The Nutella mixes best when warm. If you want your chocolate evenly distributed, consider mixing the ingredients in a separate (not frozen ice cream maker bowl) before pouring into the cold bowl. I love the streaks of Nutella and am not about to dirty another dish, but you certainly could.

Cheers, Wildflowers!  I plan on including a frozen banana in my next batch 🙂  Share in the comment section below your favorite way to enjoy one of my favorite pantry staples; Nutella!