Last week I made my first batch of homemade marshmallows. I tried this easy recipe from DIY Natural. It worked very well. The texture is just like regular marshmallows. But we found them to be a little off on taste due to all the maple syrup. They were too sweet for our taste. So that’s on my to-do list to experiment with the flavor a bit.

But back to the ice cream. I was thinking of ways to use the marshmallows since you can’t roast them (they just melt), and the kids won’t eat them (and I don’t even like marshmallows…of any variety…unless they are roasted). The first thing that came to mind was s’mores ice cream.

I’ve made s’mores ice cream before. Just some basic vanilla with bits of marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate mixed in. But as I mentioned I don’t really like marshmallows. I don’t care for the texture. So if I put them in the ice cream it would kind of ruin it for me.

Simple fix…I’ll just blend some marshmallows into the ice cream mix to make it taste like marshmallow ice cream, without the marshmallow texture.

So I did. I added just two little marshmallows, turned on the blender, and to my surprise I had an instantly thick glob of ice cream batter. So thick that my blender wouldn’t even mix it. I had to add some milk to thin it out.

It was almost like instant ice cream. So I ended up making a few batches of ice cream to experiment. I came up with three different ice creams that are all great! And they all have one common ingredient…gelatin.

Gelatin has amazing health benefits. And it is a great thickener. Ice cream is a super food. Now it just got even better with gelatin.

You can add gelatin to your ice cream batter and make the ice cream as usual. Or if you don’t have an ice cream mixer or don’t have the time you can make instant ice cream. Simply blend the batter with gelatin and pour it into a container. In a few minutes you’ll have a non-frozen ice cream that you can eat as-is. Or you can stick in the freezer to eat later. Pretty cool.

What are some fun ways that you use gelatin?

S’mores Ice Cream

3 cups heavy cream (preferably raw, NOT ultra-pasteurized)
2-4 egg yolks (optional…I don’t use them since I can’t eat eggs, but it adds tons of nutrition)
1/2 cup any combination of cane sugar, coconut sugar, honey and/or maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. gelatin
3/4 cups crumbled graham crackers (gluten free, whole wheat, soaked, sourdough) and chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. fudge sauce (optional)

Combine cream, yolks, sweetener, vanilla and gelatin in a blender. Blend until mixed (about 20 seconds). Adjust sweetness to taste (make it a little overly sweet as the sweetness will go down after processing). Process in an ice cream mixer according to directions (I use a Kitchen Aid attachment. It takes 15 – 20 minutes).

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Stir in the graham crackers and chocolate chips. Gently swirl in fudge if desired. Freeze until firm. Remove from the freezer 5 minutes before serving.

Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream

3 cups heavy cream
2-4 egg yolks (optional…I don’t use them since I can’t eat eggs, but it adds tons of nutrition)
1/2 cup any combination of cane sugar, coconut sugar, honey and/or maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. gelatin
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Combine cream, yolks, sweetener, vanilla, gelatin, salt and butter in a blender. Blend until mixed (about 20 seconds). Adjust sweetness to taste (make it a little overly sweet as the sweetness will go down after processing). Process in an ice cream mixer according to directions (I use a Kitchen Aid attachment. It takes 15 – 20 minutes).

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Freeze until firm. Remove from the freezer 5 minutes before serving.

Instant Vanilla Ice Cream

3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup any combination of cane sugar, coconut sugar, honey and/or maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
3 tsp. gelatin

Combine cream, sweetener, vanilla and gelatin in a blender. Blend until mixed (about 20 seconds). Adjust sweetness to taste.

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes if you want a non-frozen treat. Place it in the freezer and let firm for a frozen treat. Remove from the freezer 5 minutes before serving.