I finally took a leap of faith and tweaked my Old Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream for the Dairy Sensitive Person. Several of my close friends are allergic to all or one of these ingredients: milk, nuts, corn, and/or gluten. I mean an anaphylaxis response; their throat swells up. I passed the test! My friend who is very allergic to milk enjoyed my dairy and gluten free old fashioned strawberry ice cream with no reaction. We all savored the creamy texture with just the right amount of strawberry sweetness.

If you prefer a different flavor, choose your favorite frozen fruit to replace the strawberries in this recipe. Can you omit frozen fruit to make plain vanilla or chocolate ice cream? That is another recipe for another day.

Why Should You Make Dairy and Gluten Free Strawberry Ice Cream?

Save Money

Today, finding money in your budget is becoming a necessity. Finding it in your grocery budget without eliminating a treat is a win-win. Especially, when that treat is dairy and gluten free old fashion strawberry ice cream.

Does the thought of an hour in the kitchen make you reach for store-bought ice cream? Perhaps the extra cash savings I share will encourage you.

FACTS

When you shop, dairy free ice cream is found in a pint container. Sometimes, I almost eat the whole container in one sitting. Yikes!

A 4-quart homemade ice cream container equals 8 pints of ice cream!

The prices below reflect August of 2022, summer store-bought ice cream prices. Walmart continues to beat the competition with the most affordable prices.

• Ben & Jerry Ice Cream ranges from $3.98 to $6 dollars per pint (that is between $32 and $48 dollars for a gallon!)
• Planet Oat Ice Cream costs $5 per pint ($40 a gallon)
• So Delicious Dairy Free Ice Cream costs $7 per pint ($56 dollars a gallon)

Save Your Money!

With a bit of time and effort, you can make delicious homemade dairy free ice cream for a fraction of the cost. To save the most money, I make homemade dairy and gluten free sweetened condensed milk. I think of my time as paying myself. After deducting the cost of ingredients, I made about $25.00 dollars.

Motivation to Make it Yourself

When you make dairy and gluten free ice cream, you save money and expand your dessert menu. While shopping for store-bought ice cream, I must avoid any ice cream flavor with gluten-based ingredients: cookies, graham crackers, brownies, pretzels, etc. When you make your own dairy and gluten free ice cream, the mix-in choices are endless. You, loved ones, and friends can enjoy an endless variety of gluten free baked goods, toppings, and flavors: banana splits, ice cream sundaes, blizzards, and milkshakes.

My Motivation: Socials & Memories

I never make old fashioned homemade ice cream alone. My husband and kids enjoy the churning process leaving me free to clean up the kitchen. Curiosity brings everyone into the kitchen asking, Is it ready? When are they coming? Of course, I ask for help knowing that someday I will be in their kitchen asking, Is it ready? What flavor?

Ingredients for Old Fashion Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

• One batch of COLD, homemade, dairy and gluten free sweetened condensed milk OR two cans of store-bought dairy free sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cans of COLD coconut milk
• 2 to 3 cups of frozen strawberries (or frozen fruit of your choice)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• Roughly 1 1/2 bags, 7 pounds each, of ice depending on your ice cream maker’s capacity
  • Or, a frozen ice cream churning bowl (pre-freeze the ice cream churner bowl for at least 12 hours)

Ingredients for Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 2 cans of coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk
• 1 Tablespoon of organic plant based protein
  • I like Truvani vanilla and chocolate
• 2 Tablespoons of Cream of Tartar
• 2 Tablespoons of Benefiber (helps stabilize blood sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut flour

How to Make Dairy and Gluten Free Old Fashioned Strawberry Ice Cream

Before You Start

First, put your ice cream metal container in the freezer at least 2 or more hours before you make your ice cream or the day before.

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

Empty two cans of coconut milk into a large pot.

Next, add 1 & 1/2 cups of sugar to the pot.

Bring the pot to a simmer over medium heat stirring occasionally.

Once the mixture begins to boil, immediately turn the heat down to low.

Allow it to continue simmering on the stovetop for one hour stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. As the milk cooks down and thickens, you will see the milk mixture look less foamy. It will also begin to stick to the stirring utensil and the sides of the pot.

Remove the pot from the stove and allow it cool completely for around a half hour. While it is cooling prepare the thickener.

Thickener for Condensed Milk

First, measure out a fourth of a cup of coconut milk into a small measuring cup or bowl.

Next, add 2 Tablespoons of Cream of Tartar.

1 Tablespoon of vanilla protein powder.

Then, add 1 Tablespoon of coconut flour.

Since my blood sugar dips high and then low, I add 2 tablespoons of Benefiber or a gluten free Fiber Powder. (optional) Of course, I must eat a healthy meal before enjoying a bowl of dairy and gluten free old fashioned strawberry ice cream.

Stir until everything is incorporated. It will be a little clumpy and that’s okay.

Add the thickener to the pot of cooled milk and stir.

Pour the homemade sweetened condensed milk into a bowl and allow it to chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or until it is time to churn the ice cream. For best results I recommend allowing it to chill overnight. It needs to be COLD before you begin churning the ice cream. If you need it sooner, put the sweetened condensed milk in the freezer for an hour.

Prepare the Strawberries for the Strawberry Ice Cream

Now you need to prepare your strawberries. If you are using fresh strawberries, then you need to wash, dry, and remove the green tops before freezing them. The berries must be frozen prior to putting them in the ice cream. You need 2-3 cups of strawberries.

If you are using frozen strawberries then you can skip this step.

How to Make Old Fashioned Strawberry Ice Cream

Pour two cans of COLD coconut milk into a blender and blend until smooth.

Now, remove half of the coconut milk from the blender to make space to blend 2 to 3 cups of frozen strawberries.

Blend the coconut milk and 2 to 3 cups of strawberries until the mixture looks smooth.

Pour all of the coconut milk from the pitcher and the blended strawberry milk into the churner bucket.

Add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Add a 1/4 cup of lemon juice.

Stir.

Place the churner in the bucket filled with the dairy free strawberry ice cream.

Put the lid on the churner bucket.

Place the churner bucket into the ice cream maker.

Next layer the ice and a half cup of rock salt.

Continue layering until the ice cream maker is full.

Churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions until the dairy free strawberry ice cream is thick and creamy.

Printable Recipe Card: Dairy and Gluten Free Old Fashioned Strawberry Ice Cream

A Delicious Treat

Unbelievably my husband prefers this dairy and gluten free recipe so much that he stopped eating his dairy-full ice cream. I am looking forward to making different flavors of dairy and gluten free old fashion homemade ice cream to share with family and friends.

If like me, you are gluten free but dairy sensitive, you may prefer my Old Fashion Homemade Ice Cream for the Dairy Sensitive.

I created this recipe because I have a friend who is allergic to coconut and casein found in cow and goat milk. If you are allergic to coconut and milk, there are countless nut-based recipes on unconventional baker. She uses cashews to make her dairy free condensed milk.