Whip up a batch of this delicious fruity Lychee Cherry Blender Ice Cream, a great clean-eating recipe that is dairy-free and has no artificial sugars!
*This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of our links, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Visit our Disclosures & Privacy Policy for complete and detailed information.
Lychee Cherry Blender Ice Cream
You know how it goes, right? You’re wandering the grocery store, determined to stick to your list and get in and out over your lunch break, when you come across an unusual fruit, and you simply must have it and create something magical with it. No? That’s just me? Huh… Well, anyway, I found lychees at Sprouts recently, and immediately needed them. I’ve had them before, usually at Asian restaurants in savory dishes (or cocktails… swoon!), but I’d never had them raw or made anything with them myself.
First off, if you’ve never had these sweet and juicy little gems, you’re in for a treat! They may look a little daunting in their spiked red shells, but just peel that skin away with your fingers to reveal the white fruit inside. There’s a shiny brown pit in the center, though; don’t eat that! It’s not only difficult to do and unpleasant tasting (or so the internet informs me; I’ve never actually had the inclination to eat a lychee seed…), but it can have some unpleasant effects on your digestive system apparently. When you remove the seed, you’ll notice a little bit of brown coloring on the fruit itself where the seed was, which is fine to eat.
While they’re delicious in something as simple as a seasonal fruit salad, I thought I’d try an easy non-dairy blender ice cream to cool off with this summer. I love ice cream, but since dairy doesn’t love me back, I go for the almond/cashew/coconut milk based varieties instead and make my own whenever possible I’m not being lazy. With a high speed Blender, it’s quick and simple, and this way, I can control how much (if any) sweeteners I add. For at-home versions, I love the creaminess of the coconut milk!
I do recommend using organic, full-fat Coconut Milk (in the can, not the box/refrigerated version) for this blender ice cream, as I’ve had trouble in the past with the low-fat versions and non-organic versions; despite being left in the fridge overnight, the cream never really separated and solidified with those versions. If you find you like easy blender ice creams like this (or coconut whipped cream!), you might even consider keeping a can in the fridge all the times, to ensure proper preparedness for when an ice-cream emergency inevitably strikes.
The Lychees are juicy enough that you shouldn’t need to add any water from the can, but you may need to use your tamp to help blend the ingredients. Despite the frozen cherry base, I did have to toss my blender ice cream back in the freezer for a couple hours to firm up because we keep our house fairly warm on days we don’t have company (I’m pretty much always freezing; I’ve even been known to take a blanket outside on summer mornings to drink my hot coffee…), and I chose to make this in the heat of a sweltering summer day. I love this ice cream and can’t get enough, as cherries are my fave fruits and pair so well with the lychees! Hope you enjoy it too!
*Place coconut milk in refrigerator overnight to allow cream to solidify and separate!
Scoop coconut cream only out of can, add to blender with 1 1/2 C whole frozen cherries, lychees, and honey.
Blend, tamping down as necessary.
Remove from blender and mix in 1/2 C chopped frozen cherries.
If needed, freeze 1-2 hours until firm but scoopable.
Enjoy!
Notes
*Note: place can of coconut milk in fridge 8+ hours before making! I’ve had the best and most consistent results with organic, full-fat coconut milk without guar gum.
Like this Blender Ice Cream? Check out these recipes:
What’s your favorite dish to cool down with on a hot summer day? Let me know in the comments, and stay in touch on Facebook! For you fellow pinners out there, see the image below and follow us on Pinterest! Remember to subscribe to our newsletter too (and get a freebie in your email!).