This one got a few raised eyebrows where I presented it to my friends for the first time, but it’s not an entirely novel concept (at least the basil isn’t – I think using olive oil as a cream replacement in vegan ice cream might be). The first time I had a basil ice cream was at a dessert bar here in Melbourne, where it was served with a variety of small fruity cold desserts. Everything was pretty good, but the basil ice cream really struck me; it was so overwhelmingly refreshing.
The obvious point of comparison here is the most popular herb-based ice cream, mint. It’s similar, for sure, but the key difference is that basil isn’t infused into the custard. While I’ve not tried it myself, I’m guessing basil’s propensity for browning would make this approach less than ideal. Instead, a handful of basil is blended into the custard shortly before churning. This does require the addition of a small amount of extra dextrose to compensate for the water in the basil leaves (10g extra to be precise), so keep that in mind if you decide to reduce the amount of basil. Apart from that, this is a fairly standard recipe.
Vegan Basil and Olive Oil Ice Cream
Time: 30 minutes (active), 6 hours (total)
Makes: 1 Litre
Ingredients
| 660 grams | 3% Fat oat milk |
| 15-25 grams | Basil |
| Powders | |
| 150 grams | Sucrose (White sugar) |
| 60 grams | Dextrose (D-glucose) |
| 25 grams | Maltodextrin |
| 5 grams | Stabiliser, such as xanthan gum |
| Pinch | Salt |
| Fats | |
| 80 grams | Refined Coconut Oil |
| 20 grams | Olive Oil |
Directions
- Combine all the powders in a bowl, then mix together until homogenous.
- Heat up the oat milk and fats in a pot, stirring constantly. While the mixture is heating, pour in the powders. Take off the heat when the mixture hits 80°C/175°F.
- After 5-10 minutes, transfer to a heatproof bowl. If fats in the custard have separated out or lumps have formed, use a stick blender to homogenise.
- Cool to 4°C/40°F in the fridge or an ice bath, then add in the basil leaves and blend with a stick blender until no large pieces of basil remain.
- Churn to machine specifications, then freeze to desired hardness before serving.