• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cheeseslave

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About Me
  • FAQ
  • Contact Me
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Dips & Sauces
    • French Food
    • Italian Food
    • Main Dishes
    • Mexican Food
    • Pressure Cooker Recipes
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
  • Shop Monat Haircare
    • Free Monat Samples
  • Travel
    • Travel Bucket List
  • Get Email Updates
You are here: Home / Recipes / Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream

June 22, 2011 by Ann Marie Michaels 61 Comments

Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream

vanilla ice cream

Homemade vanilla ice cream from grass-fed cows is exceptionally healthy. Want to make it even healthier? Make it probiotic!

Culturing grass-fed milk and cream with kefir grains adds beneficial bacteria which can help improve digestion and absorption. Click here to read my 8 Reasons to Eat Fermented Foods (like kefir).

Why Grass-Fed Ice Cream?

Grass-fed cream is extremely rich in vitamin K2, which is critical for strong bones and teeth, as well as heart health.

You see, vitamin K2 is the vitamin we need to tell the body where to put the calcium we absorb. Just like we need vitamin D in order to utilize calcium, we need vitamin K2 to tell the body where to put it.

So if you have a vitamin K2 deficiency, the calcium doesn't go into our bones and your teeth — it goes into your organs. Like your brain or your heart or your kidneys. This is why we end up with heart disease, seizures and other nervous system disorders, and kidney stones. The calcium is deposited in places where it shouldn't be.

This is also why we suffer from osteoporosis, bone loss and dental decay. Vitamin K2 tells the body, “Calcium goes in the bones and teeth!”

But how many of us are getting enough vitamin K2? Are you eating cream and butter from cows eating green grass? Only grass-fed cream and butter is rich in vitamin K2.

So here's your excuse to eat more cream and butter!

Recipe Notes:

For good vanilla flavor, use real vanilla extract — not that faux “vanillin” stuff they try to pass off as vanilla extract. Here's my recipe for homemade vanilla extract. If you are on the GAPS diet, use vodka instead of rum or Bourbon to make your vanilla extract.

You can also use Vanilla Beans instead of vanilla extract. Just scrape the beans from the vanilla bean pod into the mixture. Add as much as you need to get the right flavor.

Also, if you are on the GAPS diet, use honey instead of maple syrup or other sweetener.

You can also use coconut milk (full-fat) if you are dairy-free.

You may also purchase kefir powder to use instead of the kefir grains. You may also purchase ready-made milk kefir from the health food store, if you do not have kefir grains. (However, if you are on the GAPS diet, you need to use homemade kefir.)

For more info on making kefir, read my tutorial on how to make kefir.

Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream

Difficulty: Easy
Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

Whole milk, grass-fed, raw if possible (1 cup) — where to buy milk
Heavy cream, grass-fed, raw if possible (1 cup)
Kefir grains — where to buy starters
Sea salt, a pinch
Coconut sugar, sucanat, maple syrup or honey (1/2 cup, or more, to taste) — where to buy sweeteners
Eggs, pastured (4)
Vanilla extract, real, homemade and/or organic (1 tsp) — click here for the recipe for homemade vanilla extract

Equipment

Blender or food processor
Ice cream maker (canister style — I recommend the Cuisinart)

Directions

Milk kefir and kefired cream:
1. You will need about 1/2 tablepoon of milk kefir grains and 1 cup of whole milk to make the milk kefir. Place the grains in a clean mason jar and fill with the milk.
2. Gently stir to incorporate and cover the jar with a napkin or cheesecloth and rubber band.
3. Let sit at room temperature for about 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally. Each time you stir, taste the kefir. It should be thick and tart.
4. Once done, strain the kefir grains out of the milk with a fine mesh strainer, and transfer to another jar to make another batch, or store in the refrigerator.
5. Make the kefired cream in the same manner. (Or you can just do them both together.)

Ice Cream:
1. Place canister of the ice cream machine in the freezer for at least 12 hours.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place yolks in the food processor. Save the whites for another use if desired (egg whites freeze well).
3. Add the remaining ingredients into the food processor or blender and mix well. You can also just use a bowl and a whisk.
4. Add to the ice cream machine and run for 25 to 45 minutes (according to the directions for your ice cream machine).
5. Enjoy immediately or transfer to a shallow container and store in in the freezer.

Photo credit: wintersoul1 on Flickr
Disclosure:cmp.ly/4 and cmp.ly/5

Please note: I may have affiliate links in this post. I make a small commission when you order via my affiliate links. However, I only recommend brands I trust. Thank you for helping to support my blog!

Google+

Filed Under: Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pavil, the Uber Noob says

    June 22, 2011 at 5:14 AM

    Awesome idea, Ms. CheeseSlave.
    We harvest 3 pints of raw guernsey milk kefir daily. So diverting a cup for ice cream should be trivial. I look forward to trying this.

    We just polished off the version of ice cream from Nourishing Traditions. Pure silk.

    Now, what to do with the frozen whites?…

    Ciao, Pavil

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 22, 2011 at 9:04 AM

      Cheesy souffle?

      Reply
      • cheeseslave says

        June 22, 2011 at 10:18 AM

        Meringue, macaroons, or frosting.

        Reply
    • kirstenmichelle says

      July 2, 2011 at 2:47 PM

      Give them to me? ;)

      Reply
  2. Natalie says

    June 22, 2011 at 5:49 AM

    I have access to Kefir – but, not grains (I’m in Europe). How can I adapt this with pre-made, organic plain kefir?

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 22, 2011 at 11:15 AM

      Yes just use premade kefir. See the recipe notes.

      I really recommend kefir made from grass-fed cows, however, Can you find out if the kefir you have is grass-fed?

      Also, most people I know who sell kefir grains will ship internationally. You can find sources here: http://villagegreennetwork.com/marketplace/fermented-food-starters?pid=1″ target=”_blank”

      Reply
      • Natalie says

        June 22, 2011 at 1:24 PM

        In Germany, it is probably from grass-fed cows. Or, partly so. I can get raw milk here, certified organic too. But, I don’t think the cows are on pasture in this part of Germany as often as I’d like. I don’t see the yellowish cream like I did when I got my raw milk at a farm in the States last year. But, there’s nothing I can do about that. I get what I can get. I have found kefir starter around here and I have made it. But, not sure if I’m going to tackle it again (not that it’s hard – I’ll be out of town a lot this summer). Can you explain how I make kefir cream with premade kefir?

        Reply
        • cheeseslave says

          June 22, 2011 at 4:03 PM

          I don’t know how you would make kefir cream with premade kefir. You could just use half kefir and half regular cream.

          Reply
          • cheeseslave says

            June 22, 2011 at 4:04 PM

            You could also make sour cream with a creme fraiche culture.

            Reply
            • tessag says

              July 4, 2011 at 8:07 PM

              I have done this…delicious!

              Reply
  3. Vivian says

    June 22, 2011 at 6:43 AM

    Looks great! I’m always looking for healthy treats for my young daughters. Just a question: could the milk and cream be combined and cultured just once instead of culturing them separately? Or would that change the consistency of the ice cream?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Pavil, the Uber Noob says

      June 22, 2011 at 9:17 AM

      If I understand correctly, the milk kefir becomes an alternate cream. It definitely has its own thick, smooth texture. So, you end up with a blend of sweet cream and thick milk kefir. If you cultured the cream, you should get European sour cream (creme fraiche).
      Let us know how it worked :)

      Ciao, Pavil

      Reply
      • Vivian says

        June 22, 2011 at 10:48 AM

        Thank you for a quick reply! That makes a lot of sense. Now I just need to check if my kefir grain is any worse for wear due to inattention.

        Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 22, 2011 at 11:17 AM

      Yes I meant to add that to the recipe.

      Reply
      • Beth says

        June 22, 2011 at 12:16 PM

        Could you please let me know if the recipe is update?… I’m a little unclear on this. Thanks!

        Reply
  4. Andra says

    June 22, 2011 at 7:41 AM

    I made a beautiful frozen yogurt made from raw milk Bulgarian yogurt that I had cultured the day before. I made a batch of meyer lemon curd sweetened with just a touch of raw honey and ran it through the Cuisinart. It turned out heavenly!

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 22, 2011 at 11:18 AM

      Yum!

      Reply
  5. Beth says

    June 22, 2011 at 11:58 AM

    Can you make this without an ice cream maker?

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 22, 2011 at 12:27 PM

      Yes you can!

      http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/07/making-ice-crea-1/

      Reply
      • Beth says

        June 22, 2011 at 3:21 PM

        Oh, yeah – this is so exciting! Just in time for summer. I’ve never made this before, and the idea of culturing it is just the little extra push I need. This will open up a whole new world!!

        Reply
  6. Cindy says

    June 22, 2011 at 12:18 PM

    This is the best info I’ve seen today!! Thanks for the post. I make kefir daily with whole milk and have also been making ice cream with my cuisinart. Been thinking about making kefir ice cream but wasn’t sure about a recipe. THANK YOU THANK YOU! Can’t wait to try.

    Reply
  7. Erica says

    June 22, 2011 at 12:35 PM

    YUM!!!…YUM!!!…YUM!!!… :)

    Reply
  8. Anne Fischer Silva says

    June 22, 2011 at 1:04 PM

    I just started some vanilla ice cream right before reading this. I made mine with 1 cup homemade yogurt and 2 cups cream. I also used a whole vanilla bean, split and scraped out. It gives a lovely, intense vanilla flavor.

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 22, 2011 at 4:04 PM

      I usually make my ice cream with 100% cream — no milk.

      Reply
      • tessag says

        July 4, 2011 at 8:10 PM

        Me too, all cream. :)

        Reply
  9. Marina says

    June 22, 2011 at 3:11 PM

    nice!
    also, if your digestion and intestinal health is very good, vitamin K can be produced in the large intestine.
    i did not have much luck with using raw eggs in ice cream – it becomes to crystalline. any tips for this? so far i just use cream and it turns out very good.

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 22, 2011 at 4:05 PM

      I’ve never had this problem. For me, it works just fine to use the egg yolks.

      Reply
  10. Tori says

    June 22, 2011 at 5:45 PM

    I was on SDC and did something similar that I loved. Used homemade Kefir, date paste and vanilla. Your recipe looks yummy, I like the use of egg yolks, looking forward to trying it! Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Rachel says

    June 22, 2011 at 8:24 PM

    It looks delicious, but wouldn’t freezing kill a lot of the good bacteria in the kefir?

    http://tuftsjournal.tufts.edu/2008/06/professor/01/

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 22, 2011 at 9:04 PM

      No. That guy is talking about flash freezing, but even then he doesn’t say they’ll die. You can freeze kefir grains and they still ferment milk.

      http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html

      Reply
      • Misti says

        December 14, 2013 at 8:47 PM

        That sight you referenced actually says that if there is any liquid with the grains when freezing it will kill the organisms so yes it would kill the beneficial bacteria…maybe not immediately.

        Reply
  12. Cathy says

    June 23, 2011 at 6:37 AM

    If the kefir ice cream is frozen, will that damage the beneficial bacteria in the kefir? I love my friendly neighborhood bacteria, and wouldn’t want to go to all that work and then not experience the benefits of it!

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 27, 2011 at 6:09 AM

      No it won’t damage the bacteria. They just go dormant when frozen. This is why you can freeze kefir grains and they still work.

      Reply
  13. Gayle says

    June 24, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    I’ve been making my own kefir for the last year or so, and tried this recipe last night. It’s delicious! I had a ripe peach and some strawberries, so added those in while it was churning.

    Thanks for sharing this. :)

    Reply
  14. Charisma says

    June 24, 2011 at 3:54 PM

    Can I use store-bought Kefir?

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 27, 2011 at 6:09 AM

      Yes, you can.

      Just know that the storebought kefir is not fermented as long as most people ferment theirs at home. I typically let mine go for 24 hours and in the store it’s much shorter, oftentimes only 4 hours. So the storebought kefir is typicaly not as probiotic as homemade.

      Reply
  15. Kathryn says

    June 26, 2011 at 6:57 PM

    Am so happy to find a probiotic dessert. I look forward to making this. I bet it would be good with some lemon essential oil instead of or with the vanilla, some lemon zest, and a couple tablespoons lemon juice….

    Reply
  16. cathy says

    June 27, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    After reading this post on Kefir ice cream, it’s got me wondering if kefir could be used to make buttermilk pie. It would probably damage the bacteria cultures, but the flavor would still be there and if made with grass fed raw butter, kefir and pasture raised eggs, might be healthy. Any thoughts on this?

    Buttermilk Pie
    Ingredients:
    • 1 1/3 cups sugar
    • 3 Tbsp. flour
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 2 tsp. vanilla
    • 1 tsp. lemon extract
    • 1 (9 or 10 inch) unbaked pastry shell
    Directions:
    Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes without opening door.

    Reply
    • cheeseslave says

      June 27, 2011 at 10:44 AM

      Sounds yummy! You can absolutely use kefir. I use kefir as a substitute for buttermilk often.

      I would use sucanat or coconut sugar instead of the plain white sugar. I would also use sprouted flour (you can sift it if you like) instead of regular flour. And instead of lemon extract, I would use fresh lemon zest.

      Reply
      • Cathy says

        June 27, 2011 at 10:57 AM

        I have both types of sugar on hand, and was thinking of making up another batch of sprouted flour, too! Do you think it would be ok to freeze sprouted flour to be able to keep it on hand at little easier?

        Reply
  17. Bethany says

    July 2, 2011 at 5:56 AM

    This inspired me to make my own icecream… I don’t have a ice cream maker so it didn’t turn out quite as nice as it could have I am sure but we all loved it, especially since it’s been almost 9months since I have purchased any ice cream… I made it with some raw goat milk yogurt I had made…yum yum !

    Reply
  18. riceinmay says

    July 3, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    We have been making this ice cream (only with just 2 TBS of maple syrup). We LOVE it. My husband actually prefers it over our regular ice cream recipe. I just kefir fresh milk and cream together everday- then we always have plenty available. Thanks!!!!!

    Reply
  19. leighann says

    July 5, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    using kefir is brilliant! can’t wait to try this.

    Reply
  20. FarmerKimberly says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    Does the Kefir powder make as good of product as the kefir grains?

    Reply
  21. coconutfreek says

    July 21, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    this inspired me to get my kefir grains out of the freezer……… time for kefir. I have been drinking piima. who says one can’t ahve both? :-)

    Reply
  22. Angie says

    August 3, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    Hi,
    I was wondering if you’d had problems using honey with this recipe. I was afraid the honey might get too hard when cold to work well.
    Thanks!

    Reply
  23. Mindy @ Too Many Jars in My Kitchen! says

    September 27, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    I just made this tonight with kefir goat milk & coconut milk cream. So delicious! Thanks for the great recipe. : )

    Reply
  24. greenmama says

    March 2, 2012 at 7:36 PM

    I made this today, and two of my children and my husband loved it. The recipe is very forgiving, I accidentally used almost 3 cups of kefir and 1 cup of sour cream (made with yogurt instead of kefir) instead of the 2 cups total. I had to add a little extra honey and vanilla, but it turned out great and was such a treat for my family (and was just the right size batch for my cuisinart ice cream maker). I am sure we will be making this again, thank you!

    Reply
    • greenmama says

      March 2, 2012 at 7:39 PM

      next time I am going to try adding pureed local organic strawberries or peaches, I think that would be a huge hit with my family. Thanks again for the recipe!

      Reply
  25. Sheri says

    May 16, 2012 at 2:47 PM

    Just curious – if the kefir is frozen to make the ice cream – doesn’t that kill the probiotics? (Still want to make this for a treat either way!)

    Reply
  26. Sonya Race says

    April 22, 2013 at 11:24 AM

    Hi AM! I wonder if there is a way to incorporate a print button for your recipes? I like how this site has it so when I print it, the recipe comes out nice and not all the rest of your wonderful blog. http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/grain-free-goodies/paleo-banana-bread/

    I also sent a message earlier to get a new login/password to my new email (here on my comments) for Reversing Food Allergies I purchased last year. Ready to begin your online work towards greater health. Thank you so much for all the information and recipes. I’ve made many of them on your blog and look forward to your online course to help with my leaky gut.

    Much love and peace!!

    Reply
  27. Alexis says

    May 19, 2013 at 4:37 PM

    This is such a great idea! I don’t have access to kefir grains, but I do have freeze-dried kefir starter (from Yogourmet). If I make kefir using that, can I proceed from there with the recipe?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Peach Cobbler | CHEESESLAVE says:
    August 17, 2011 at 2:28 AM

    […] I personally never eat pie without ice cream. Of course, this cobbler is just fabulous on its own — but ice cream takes it over the top. Here’s my recipe for Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream. […]

    Reply
  2. Getting Grandparents on Board with Real Food | CHEESESLAVE says:
    September 21, 2011 at 3:20 PM

    […] And every treat she gets is healthy. I make your chocolate chip cookies, creamsicles, homemade ice cream, blueberry coconut flour muffins. I make it all ahead and keep it in the freezer so when Kate […]

    Reply
  3. Meal Planning Challenge Week 1: Why I Joined | Too Many Jars in My Kitchen! says:
    September 26, 2011 at 3:27 PM

    […] Soup & Salad (I’ll be doing a variation of the soup recipe.) Prep-Tuna salad, macaroons, vanilla kefir ice cream (or maybe this version without the chocolate) Wednesday, 9/28 B-Sausage patties & eggs with […]

    Reply
  4. Recent Favorite Recipe Finds | Too Many Jars in My Kitchen! says:
    October 10, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    […] maker from my childhood, so I’ve delved into making my own.  I decided to try making this Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream from Cheeseslave since I’m regularly making kefir.  So good!  Since I make my kefir from […]

    Reply
  5. GAPS Diet Thanksgiving Recipes | CHEESESLAVE says:
    November 21, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    […] 5 Minute GAPS Gravy Coconut Flour Bread Easy Reduction Sauce GAPS Mashed Potatoes (Fauxtatoes) Homemade Chicken Stock Roast Duck with Cherry Reduction Sauce Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream […]

    Reply
  6. GAPS Apple Crisp says:
    November 13, 2012 at 2:25 PM

    […] this apple crisp is amazing with a side of GAPS kefir ice-cream  or coconut whipped cream (dairy […]

    Reply
  7. Real Food Thanksgiving Recipes | CHEESESLAVE says:
    November 19, 2012 at 9:32 PM

    […] Nourished Kitchen Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream from Kelly the Kitchen Kop Texas Pecan Pie from Cheeseslave Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream from Cheeseslave (GAPS, SCD, Paleo) Winter Squash Pie from Learning and […]

    Reply
  8. 6 Reasons to Eat Ice Cream + a Roasted Pistachio Ice Cream Recipe | Modern Alternative Kitchen says:
    March 13, 2013 at 8:11 AM

    […] Cream, specifically grass-fed cream, is an excellent source of vitamin K2. This nutrient regulates the absorption of calcium, telling calcium to go to your bones and teeth instead of your organs. Without K2, you increase your risk of “heart disease, seizures and other nervous system disorders, and kidney stones” (source). […]

    Reply
  9. 27 All Natural Homemade Ice Cream Recipes says:
    January 22, 2014 at 12:14 PM

    […] Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream From […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

FOLLOW ME

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Search This Site

About Me

 

Cheeseslave
Welcome to my site. I’ve been blogging for over a decade about food and health. I also write about travel & restaurants, beauty & style, and home & garden. Visit my about  page.

 

FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

My posts may include affiliate links. If you click on an affiliate link on one of my posts, I earn a small commission on the sale. I only endorse and promote companies and products I believe in. Thank you for supporting my work.

Copyright © 2019 · Executive Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy