Do you ever buy those chocolate oranges that are sold around Christmas time? I used to LOVE those, but due to various food restrictions I haven’t eaten one in several years. That flavor combination is one I still think of wistfully, however, so the other day I decided to come up with an ice cream version of a chocolate orange.
My efforts did not disappoint: this ice cream is awesome! I really think it tastes exactly like a chocolate orange in ice cream form (well, at least, what I remember a chocolate orange tasting like). If you like the chocolate plus orange flavor combo, you absolutely must try this ice cream.
A Few Notes on the Recipe
I don’t think the coconut flavor is very noticeable in this recipe. As I’ve said many times, though, my coconut tastes are pretty dulled from all of the coconut products we eat here, so your opinion may differ.
You can use either coconut cream or coconut milk in this recipe. Coconut cream will make your ice cream even creamier, so I often pick this option when I have a choice. Coconut milk works just as well, too, though.
I prefer this brand of coconut cream and this brand of coconut milk. Both are free of preservatives and any added gums/starches, and they come in a carton rather than a can.
In my experience, the BEST place to buy this coconut milk and coconut cream is at your local Asian market. If that’s not an option, though, you can buy coconut milk online here and coconut cream online here.
What if I Don’t Have an Ice Cream Maker?
I get this question from time to time. Honestly my first response is: get an ice cream maker! 🙂 Seriously. If you like coconut ice cream and think you’ll make it regularly, an ice cream maker is 100% a worthwhile investment. We got this model for our wedding in 2008, and it probably made a few hundred batches of ice cream before it finally gave out in 2016.
I replaced it with this newer model, which I’ve been very happy with. My family LOVES ice cream, and since Jesse can’t eat any sweeteners other than honey, homemade ice cream is our only option. (Plus, have you seen the cost of coconut ice cream in the store? That stuff is expensive.)
Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream MakerConair Cuisinart ICE-21 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream Maker (White)
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If I haven’t convinced you, though, here’s a post from The Kitchn on how to make ice cream without a machine. Give some of their ideas a try and see what you think. I haven’t tried any of these methods myself, so I can’t comment on how well they’d work for this particular recipe.
Equipment You’ll Need:
Blender OR mixing bowl and whisk
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 17 drops SweetLeaf clear liquid stevia (or substitute additional honey to taste)
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix coconut milk/cream, cocoa powder, honey, stevia, orange extract and vanilla extract in a blender or by hand until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Pour into your ice cream maker and process until your desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately or put in the freezer for a few hours to make it firmer. Store leftover ice cream in the freezer, preferably in a wide, shallow container to simplify future defrosting.
- By the next day, your stored ice cream will have become very hard in the freezer. Just be sure to plan ahead when you want to eat it—it will probably need twenty or more minutes of defrosting on the counter before it can be served and eaten.
Looking for more coconut ice cream recipes?
Be sure to check out my other coconut ice cream recipes:
- Cinnamon coconut ice cream
- Mint chocolate chip coconut ice cream
- Strawberry chocolate chip coconut ice cream
- Chocolate chip and raspberry coconut ice cream
- Chocolate peanut butter coconut ice cream
- Chocolate mint coconut ice cream
You might also enjoy reading my ultimate guide on how to make coconut ice cream, in which I share all of my best tips and tricks so you can develop your own coconut ice cream recipe, if you so desire. 🙂
If you’re also a fan of cashew ice cream, go try my recipes for cinnamon cashew ice cream and chocolate cashew ice cream.
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