Packed with probiotics, this peach ice cream is made with gut-friendly kefir, cream, fresh peaches, honey and vanilla. Churn it for a soft-serve consistency or send it straight to the freezer it for creamy scoop-able hard ice cream.
This blog post is sponsored by Terry Naturally. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible. As always, opinions are my own.
Why I love this recipe!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for probiotic ice cream!
Who doesn’t love a decadent, delicious dessert that also happens to have a nutrition benefit? That’s right, this ice cream is made with probiotic-packed kefir. A fermented milk beverage, kefir has a similar tart taste to yogurt but is thinner in consistency.
Creamier than milk, kefir makes a delicious addition to smoothies, salad dressings, pancakes, and you guessed it, ice cream.
As a dietitian who focuses on gut health, I’m all about advocating for including fermented foods in the diet. For one, they taste delicious (IMHO) and two, they contain probiotics, also known as “good gut bacteria”, that have been shown to help support a healthy gut microbiome.
Nutrition benefits aside, this ice cream is the one to make this summer / early fall while peaches are in-season and bursting with flavor.
Churn or no-churn, you decide! I like to churn my ice cream to get that soft-serve consistency and it helps make it creamier with the final freeze. But you could easily just pour the mixture into a bread pan and freeze it right away; it may just have a slightly icier texture.
If you’ve got little ones at home, this can be a really fun recipe to make as a family! My four-year-old loved helping make this and thought it was so cool to see the liquid start to thicken into ice cream in the ice cream maker.
Grab a spoon and dig in!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Notes on Ingredients
Peach kefir: I could only find a low-fat peach flavored kefir (which is why I added whipping cream to the recipe) but a whole milk peach kefir would work even better! You could also experiment with a plain whole milk kefir but you might have to add extra peaches or honey for sweetness.
Heavy whipping cream: Adds a necessary fat to make creamy ice cream that will churn well
Peaches: I like to use ripe yellow peaches for their sweetness and color
Honey: adds a little extra sweetness
Vanilla: adds a floral sweetness to the ice cream
Salt: helps enhance all the flavors
Probiotic-Packed Ice Cream!
I’m all for eating regular ol’ ice cream and by no means am I saying you should replace ice cream with this kefir version. But if incorporating more kefir and/or fermented foods into your diet is a goal, this ice cream can be a fun way to do that!
While gut health and probiotic research is still fairly new, there are some promising studies that show a positive beneficial effect on overall digestive health. The effects are dependent on which strains you use, the dosage, and what type of support you’re looking for.
If you’re interested in trying probiotics, fermented foods is a great place to start but it’s hard to know which strains and how many you’re actually getting. Which is why a probiotic supplement can be a more targeted approach. Talking to a dietitian or doctor about your health goals can help guide you to choosing a probiotic strain (or strains).
I like Terry Naturally’s FloraSure® Probiotic because it provides a unique combination of strains (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum) that may help relieve occasional gas, bloating, cramping, diarrhea, and constipation.* Just one capsule a day delivers 20 billion live and active cultures.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
How to Make Peach Kefir Ice Cream
- Blend, baby! Add peaches, kefir, cream, honey, vanilla and salt to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Time to churn! Pour kefir mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until soft-serve consistency is reached.
- Freezer-bound. Enjoy ice cream soft-serve or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until hard, about 4 hours.
- Soften, then serve. Let ice cream sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes before scooping and serving.
Equipment You’ll Need
Blender
Ice cream maker
Expert Tips
- Use ripe peaches when in-season or substitute with frozen peaches to make year-round.
- Make sure the freezer bowl of the ice cream maker has been frozen for 15-24 hours before use.
- Low-fat kefir alone will result in an icy texture, almost like a sorbet or sherbet. Adding the whipping cream helps to achieve a creamier, ice-cream-like consistency. You could also use a whole milk kefir instead.
Preparation and Storage
Store ice cream in an airtight freezer-safe container or store in loaf pan with plastic wrap or wax paper pressed firmly down onto ice cream to prevent freezer burn. While ice cream is freshest when consumed within a few weeks, this ice cream can be stored for up to three months.
Recipes that Pair Well
Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix
Blueberry Apple Crisp
For more ice cream inspiration, check out my other recipes below!
Vietnamese-Inspired Iced Coffee Ice Cream with Coconut Milk
Dairy Free Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream
Coconut Milk Strawberry Ice Cream
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Description
Packed with probiotics, this peach ice cream is made with gut-friendly kefir, cream, fresh peaches, honey and vanilla. Churn it for a soft-serve consistency or send it straight to the freezer it for creamy scoop-able hard ice cream.
- 1 lb peaches, peeled and sliced, about 2 cups
- 2 cups low-fat peach kefir
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Store your ice cream freezer bowl in the freezer for at least 15 hours before use.
In a high-speed blender, blend peaches, kefir, cream, honey, vanilla, and salt until combined.
Let mixture sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill.
Transfer mixture to ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions until soft-serve consistency is reached, about 20 minutes.
Enjoy as soft-serve or using a spatula, transfer ice cream mixture to a freezer-safe container (a bread loaf pan works well!).
Store container in the freezer until ice cream hardens, about 4 hours.
Let ice cream soften at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can add crumbled shortbread cookies on top for added texture.
- You can use all kefir with no cream but low-fat kefir makes a more icy consistency and may have trouble churning to a soft-serve consistency.
- Stop churning once you’ve reached a soft-serve consistency so you don’t over-churn.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezer
- Cuisine: American
