Summer weather has arrived here in the south so I have broken out my ice cream maker for the first time of the season. Experimenting with ice cream flavors is always fun. We’ve already enjoyed my cookie dough ice cream recipe, lavender honey mint ice cream, and roasted fig ice cream here on the blog so the bar is pretty high. I decided that this time I would go with a fruit that is just about as summery as ice cream itself, the cherry. This recipe is AIP friendly but it feels like a decadent treat that you would find in some boutique ice cream parlor, someplace fancy. I hope that it is just the treat you need to kick off this summer in style!

Roasted Spiced Cherry Ice Cream (AIP/Paleo)

Ingredients: 

Cherries:

2 Cups of fresh cherries (pitted)

2 TBS Coconut Sugar 

pinch of sea salt

pinch of ground ginger

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ice Cream:

3- 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk

2 TBS vanilla extract

1/4 cup of maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a cast iron skillet toss your cherries in coconut sugar, salt, and ginger. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove and add your balsamic vinegar and vanilla extract, tossing to coat. Place back in the oven, roasting for another ten minutes. Set aside and allow them to cool completely. When the cherries are cool make your vanilla ice cream by combining your ingredients and pouring them into your ice cream maker. Following the instructions on your ice cream maker, add in your cherries when appropriate. Optional toppings include sliced almonds, tigernuts, chocolate or carob chips. Enjoy.