The paleo diet does leave room for dessert

No-churn avocado ice cream from ‘Paleo Sweets’ cookbook

By Morgan Hannah, Life & Style Editor

Just when you thought being vegan was difficult, here comes a new food fad that will have you throwing out all but the fish and avocados… or so I thought until I gave it a try for two weeks and realized I’ve practically been paleo all this time! And lo and behold, I came across PaleoHacks: Paleo Sweets written by certified Nutritional Therapist and paleo chef Kelsey Ale, a book that had me changing my mind about the caveman diet.

Shortly after ordering this baker’s aid online, I found Ale on Instagram and started a conversation. I wanted to know just exactly what one could and couldn’t eat while taking on the paleolithic diet.

“To practice the Paleo diet, you must be willing to cut out everything that wasn’t available for us to eat during the Paleolithic era [… ] this includes anything processed, grains, and a lot of dairy products, sugar, legumes, vegetable oils, margarine and trans fats, soft drinks, and any artificial sweeteners,” said Ale in an Instagram interview with the Other Press.

Feeling just a bit overwhelmed, I had to ask what was left.

“The good stuff! Meat, fish, veggies and fruits, eggs, seeds, nuts, herbs and spices, and healthy fats and oils,” said Ale. Suddenly, the generation all about avocado toast starts to make sense.

Dieting lesson aside, I didn’t try out being paleo for its healthy meal options—I went straight for the sweets. I was curious to know how I could still consume cakes, cookies, pies, and ice cream when most of these temptations are strictly forbidden because of my sensitivities to wheat and dairy, and because paleo said so. Finding Ale’s book was a godsend—pages and pages of picturesque baked goodies left my mouth watering, from classic walnut brownies and Congo bar blondies, to the sexy black forest cake—Ale’s favourite—to mini flourless chocolate cakes, layered mocha cheesecakes, blueberry cream tarts, and honey vanilla ice cream! My food fix was, well, fixed!

The paleo recipe I’ve decided to share from Ale’s sweets book is her no-churn avocado ice cream, one of the easier—not to mention classic—recipes that is sure to be a fan favourite. Flipping to the back of the book, the recipe says it serves four to six people, with a prep time of four hours and 15 minutes. However, that’s mostly just freezer time. There are literally only three steps to this ice cream:

First, combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.

Second, pour the mixture into a loaf pan or other container and freeze for four hours—told you—or overnight.

Finally, allow the ice cream to set for 5 to 10 minutes to soften before serving.

My kind of recipe!

Admittedly, I hadn’t made ice cream before this, and I think it’s because of the churning process—I haven’t wanted to bite the bullet and buy an ice cream maker just yet. However, this no-churn ice cream has me giving it four and a half stars out of five. For all its simplicity, if not made just right, the liquids will crystallize in the freezer and ruin that expected creamy texture of the frozen treat. And treat it is! The sweetness of the coconut cream and honey blends perfectly with the avocado flavour, leaving mouths wanting more.

Hot tip: Avocados tend to brown over time, even when mashed into an ice cream mixture, so eat up quickly!