Vanilla Cashew Ice Cream

New York's healthiest ice creams: fruity, dairy free and totally refreshing


The scoop on this summer's hottest ice creams? They contain nutritious ingredients like whole grains, blueberries and nut milk, and while not exactly low in calories, they're light, refreshing and guilt-free.

Some 40 percent of American eat ice cream on a regular basis, and 30 percent of ice cream eaters name vanilla as their favorite flavor, according to the International Dairy Food Association. But the concept of ice cream as health food is making consumers rethink what they want in their ice cream, experts say.

"People want their ice cream, but they don't want to subtract anything from it," says Harry Balzer, vice president of the NPD Group, a consumer marketing research company that tracks how Americans eat. "The issue is no longer avoidance, but adding stuff to ice cream. It’s addition, not subtraction."

Adding green tea and tofu to ice cream is a successful formula at the new restaurant Golosi, where you'll taste flavors like grano (made with 17 whole grains), black sesame seed and green tea.

"People in New York like healthy food," says Franceso Barros, an owner of Golosi. "And this extends to ice cream."

The grano is among his most popular flavors, with a pleasingly sweet, wheaty taste that will remind you of red bean ice cream. Aloe vera is also in high demand.

Among the restaurants making nutrient-rich sorbets and ice creams this summer is Harbour, where Joe Isidori is chef. His cantaloupe sorbet, which offers a good dose of beta carotene, is a winner, as is the vanilla cashew ice cream, sweetened with agave syrup and prepared with either cashew or almond milk.

Adding fruit to ice cream may not be a new idea, but the quality of the frosty, fruity confections this summer is particularly high. At Stogo, where ice cream has either a soy milk, coconut milk or hemp milk base, fruit flavors range from coconut-banana-mango to vanilla goji berry crunch to pomegranate chocolate chip.

Ice cream consultant Malcolm Stogo helped create the flavors for this six-month-old East Village shop, which is owned by actor Rob Sedgwick and restaurateur Steven Horn. The gelato-style ice cream is dairy-free, sweetened with agave, and noteworthy for its freshness.

"It has really caught on and there is a huge demand for it," Horn says. "A huge part of the population can't do dairy anymore. Also, people want their ice cream but they don't want to feel guilty about it."

Another Stogo will open next year on the Upper West Side, and there are plans to expand into other states, Horn says. He says despite its reputation as a guilty pleasure, people are still screaming for ice cream. "But they want a guiltless ice cream."

Instructions

Blend all ingredients , except coconut oil, in blender. While running, slowly pour coconut oil into mixture.

Process in an ice cream machine for 30 to 45 minutes. Freeze until firm.
Ingredients
Makes 1 ½ quarts
1 quart cashew or almond milk (such as Mimic Crème)
3/4 cup agave syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
Pinch of sea salt
6 tablespoons coconut oil, liquefied in blender