My FAVOURITE dessert is ice cream – full stop.

Growing up, my parents used to get 3 tubs of “Chinese ice cream” for us to indulge in whenever we’d have family over for a summer BBQ:

1. Mango
2. Lychee
3. Red bean

I can still remember how amazing that ice cream was, with big chunks of fruit mixed into the creamy deliciousness!

However, it’s been a LONG time since we’ve had any of that ice cream because that little store shut down decades ago.

Here’s my healthier version of my favourite childhood ice cream. I hope you enjoy it too!

The Dairy-Free Version of Lychee Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 3 cups of frozen lychee
• 1 can of full fat coconut milk
• ¼ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp maple syrup — to taste, I don’t usually need this if the fruits are super sweet!

Directions

1. Dice up the frozen lychee into small pieces — to your preference in size
2. Line a pan with parchment paper
3. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend in small quick spurts until it’s creamy, and the pour it into the lined pan
4. Put in the freezer overnight or for at least 6 hours
5. When you’re ready to enjoy it, take it out of the freezer and let it “thaw” for 15 min before scooping it out!

The Full Dairy Version

Ingredients

• 3 cups of frozen lychee
• 1 container of your favourite vanilla ice cream (my favourite is the Kawartha Lakes’ French vanilla)

Directions

1. Set your container of ice cream on your countertop to let it thaw so that it’s soft but not liquidy
2. Dice up the frozen lychee into small pieces — to your preference in size
3. Fold the lychee into the softened ice cream
4. Put it back into the freezer overnight or for at least 6 hours
5. When you’re ready to enjoy it, take it out of the freezer and let it “thaw” for 5 min before scooping it out!