Mint Chocolate Chip Avocado Ice Cream

I really love this "keto" thing I'm doing. It's made me more mindful of the foods that I eat and has challenged me to be creative in the kitchen. However, while it's easy to find something savory that fits my macros, it's nearly impossible to satisfy my sweet tooth. Although I don't crave sweets nearly as much as I used to, (which definitely has something to do with my body adjusting to the drastic restriction of my carbohydrate intake) I get ice cream cravings every so often. Who doesn't? There just isn't a market for low carb, moderate protein, high fat ice cream so there isn't much out there for me. I've spent a few hours over the past week experimenting with ice cream recipes and after a few attempts and dismal failures, I've settled on one that's not only delicious but also fits my macros.

What you'll need:

 - 2 ripe avocados (frozen overnight and thawed enough to cut in half)
 - 1 1/2 cups unsweetened organic coconut milk (chilled)
 - 3 tbsp of heavy whipping cream
 - 2 egg yolks
 - 1 tsp of Stevia in the Raw
 - A generous handful of fresh mint
 - 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (72% or above)
 - 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Start by mixing the coconut milk, heavy cream, Stevia, vanilla extract, and egg yolks in a blender. Blend until it reaches a puddling-like consistency. Add the mint and blend again until no large pieces of mint leaf remain. Add the avocado and blend once more. If it gets a little too thick, add a splash of heavy cream. Once the mixture is all the same color (no white and green spots, consistency light green throughout) stir in the chocolate chips. Use a spatula to pour into a bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer and leave for at least five hours, stirring every hour if you can. (If you can't, it's not a big deal, especially since the consistency won't be exactly "ice-cream-like" anyway.)

If you're used to and expecting the traditional "sickeningly sweet" flavor of conventional ice cream, you probably won't like this. The fresh mint and the avocado give it a more earthy flavor but it's not so bad once you get used to it. It's extremely refreshing. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. The only thing that I would change is to find a way to incorporate more protein. Any ideas?

MACROS: This recipe makes four servings. 273 calories, 5g carbs*/ 26g fat/ 4g protein
*net carbs

xo,
e.m.