Lychee Ice Cream | The picky eater

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So easy Lychee Ice Cream Recipe is creamy, delicious and only requires 5 ingredients! With sweet and subtle floral notes, this refreshing lychee dessert is the perfect snack on hot summer days, but truly a delicious treat any time of the year. You can easily adjust the ingredients for a dairy-free, vegan option, too!

There’s nothing like homemade ice cream to satisfy your sweet tooth! The natural flavors of the lychee fruit shine in this recipe. My family loves making this treat together and enjoying a bowl for a special dessert.

Creamy lychee ice cream, also known colloquially as lychee ice cream, is the perfect feel-good treat. It is light and refreshing, but still gives a lot of sweetness. You can also enjoy this as a delicious lychee sorbet by skipping the milk and just using the fresh lychee!

Lychee is commonly used in Chinese recipes. It’s a very unique looking fruit with a complex flavor – and tastes great in both sweet and savory recipes! .

Lychee has many health benefits such as being rich in magnesium, phosphorus and other minerals. It’s also a great source of antioxidants!

Most lychee ice cream you order from Chinese restaurants may contain unnecessary ingredients and additives like locust bean gum. I like to make ice cream at home so I know exactly what’s in it!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why this recipe works

• Naturally gluten-free
• Can be easily made vegan
• Amazing lychee taste
• Requires only a few simple ingredients
• child friendly
• Healthier than most ice creams

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🥘 Ingredients

This homemade lychee ice cream only requires a few simple ingredients that you may already have on hand. The main ingredient is of course the lychee fruit, which can be canned or fresh.

• Canned lychees: Lychee grows on a tree and has a pink outer shell and sweet white flesh. This tropical fruit is originally from China but also grows in the United States. You can find canned lychee at Amazon, Walmart, Whole Foods, or Asian grocery stores.
• condensed milk: The condensed milk adds sweetness and makes for a more delicious dessert. For less sugar, look for an unsweetened option. Swap out the condensed milk for condensed coconut milk if you want this lychee ice cream recipe to be vegan.
• whipped cream: Both whipped cream and whipped cream can be used for this ice cream. Heavy cream gives the creamiest and thickest results. You can use coconut cream for this recipe as a non-dairy, vegan option.
• Milk: You can use different types of milk for this recipe. Whole milk is a great option for the creamiest results, but any plant-based alternative will work as well. Try it with coconut milk, almond milk or cashew milk. When choosing a plant-based milk, make sure it is unsweetened with as few ingredients as possible. You don’t need any additional ingredients like guar gum.
• vanilla extract: The vanilla flavor pairs perfectly with lychee for a classic and familiar taste we all know and love.

🔪 Instructions

With just a few simple steps you can enjoy a perfect dessert. How to prepare this lychee ice cream:

Freeze bowl, mix ingredients: Freeze the ice maker bowl at least 24 hours before making ice. Drain canned lychees, then place all ingredients in a high speed blender and puree to desired consistency. A food processor should also work for this.

Decanting & Cooling: Place the lychee puree mixture in a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to intensify the flavors.

Pour into a frozen bowl: Once cool, pour the lychee mixture into the frozen bowl of the ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s directions.

Surcharge: Serve immediately for a soft serve or transfer to an airtight container and freeze at least 1 hour before serving for a lychee spoonable.

How to make ice cream without an ice cream maker

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can also make this dessert using the freeze and stir method! That’s how it’s done:

1. After the ice cream mixture has cooled, place in an airtight container and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
2. Remove and whisk to break up any ice crystals that may have formed.
3. Repeat this process several times until you have a thick frozen ice cream.
4. This process can take 5-6 hours.
5. If the ice gets thicker, you may need to put it in a high speed blender to break up ice crystals and make it smoother.
6. If using an ice cream maker, whisking time is about 40 minutes to 1 hour. However, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, using the freeze/stir method will take up to 6 hours.

💭 Expert tips

• For a smooth ice cream, puree until no lumps of lychee remain; However, if you prefer it textured with some lychee pulp, pulse several times to incorporate all the ingredients but leave slightly chunky.
• Churning times vary by country on the machine you are using or if you are doing it without a machine. Slower churning results in denser lychee ice cream.
• Lychee fresh or canned can be used in this recipe.
• Intensify the flavors through Cool the mixture before freezing. This also speeds up the freezing process.
• You can use vanilla bean. You can also use a vanilla pod instead of vanilla extract, simply halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the pulp and mix into the milk mixture.
• Serve this ice cream immediately for a soft serve option. If you prefer a spoonable ice cream, freeze it in an airtight container for at least an hour before serving. If the ice cream is difficult to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften. Add chopped lychee, fresh fruit, or chocolate syrup for a tasty topping.

📖 Variations

• Add rose flavor: Use a rose syrup or flavor for a delicious lychee rose ice cream. Top with dried rose petals if you like.
• Make it frozen yogurt: Make lychee yogurt ice cream by using yogurt instead of milk and cream.
• Add Raspberries: Mix fresh raspberries together with the lychee for a delicious lychee raspberry ice cream.
• Vegan Lychee Coconut Ice Cream: Swap condensed milk for condensed coconut milk, whipped cream for coconut cream, and milk with plant-based milk for a delicious vegan coconut lychee ice cream. These substitutions still make a creamy lychee ice cream!

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