Purely Decadent’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream
This is my family’s favorite ice cream. I’d have to say they like it quite a bit more than my homemade Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream.
When I posted that recipe last week, several people asked if I had heard of various brands of store bought vegan, gluten free ice creams. Yes, I have and here it is. Purely Decadent comes in quite a few flavors and I can attest that each one I have tasted is delicious.
Many people also asked if I had ever made coconut ice cream from scratch. In fact, I have been making it for the last few years and my boys love it. They are big coconut eaters and I will post the recipe for my Coconut Ice Cream recipe in the next few weeks.
Although it is supposed to be ice cream weather, we have had day after day of rain here in Boulder. The creek is little higher every time we walk down to it. The grey weather has been quite soothing, though the boys are home from school on summer vacation and going just a tad stir crazy.
As for the winner of last weeks Freebie Friday… Gabrielle Dodd has won a copy of Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s G-Free Diet. Hooray for Gabrielle!
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Alchemille says
Amy,
I don’t use any ice cream machine.
I pour the ice cream in popsicles molds or containers. It may not have the texture of commercial ice cream, but the taste and flavor are there!
Amy says
I have tried Purely Decadent’s vanilla and enjoyed it. My husband doesn’t like the taste of coconut and is very sensitive to the slightest hint of it (it’s kind of unnatural, really), so we are looking into other non-dairy options for him. Not that I mind trying out new ice cream varieties!
@Alchemille I would be happy to make my own if it didn’t involve purchasing yet another kitchen contraption. Maybe one day.
Alchemille says
I hate to be the party pooper here but this icecream is far from natural & healthy.
“Natural flavors” which can be not-so-natural in order to recreate a common flavor are a politically correct a non-scarry way to say that you’re icecream contains MSG.
If you are prone to migraines after eating some foods, look no further, you got the culprit.
The “peanut butter” part is made of soybean oil, which is a highly refined oil. Soybeans in all their variations (ans especially in a non fermented form) are sky high in phytoestrogenes (hormonal disruptors) and a natural source of MSG (ounce again).
CAROB BEAN GUM & GUAR GUM are thickeners and allergens, also a source of MSG.
Agave syrup has become controversial because of its high fructose level. If you have a sensitive liver or are prone to sugar imbalances, this may not be the best sweetener for you.
And to finish, processed chocolate, especially if it comes from Africa (the origin of the cocoa used in a product is often not mentioned) contains amounts of lead! (I read an article about this recently).
You may find more info about some of things zi mentioned if you visit the Weston A. Price Foundation’s website: http://www.westonaprice.org/
For now, I think the wisest thing to do is to make your own ice cream with coconut milk or other nut milks, there are a few books on the topic if you need some inspiration.
Sorry Elana & everybody but I had to let you all know!
Barbara Filteau says
I’d like to have the names of the books that you mentioned to be able to make my own coconut ice cream.
Paula Peters says
Your comment concerned me, because I am highly sensitive to MSG. Whenever any MSG sneaks into my diet, I get serious, debilitating migraine headaches. I have eaten this delicious ice cream, and had no ill effects. But I contacted Turtle Mountain anyway, and they assured me that there is no MSG in any of their products.
gfe-gluten free easily says
I’ve not had the Purely Decadent Coconut Milk ice cream yet, but think I should do a taste test of your favorite (chocolate and PB–yum!) against a similar Coconut Bliss flavor per everyone else’s recommendation. Just have to wait until I go into the big city to pick some up. Neither are carried around here right now.
Thanks, Elana!
Shirley
Jennifer says
Yum! I’ll have to try this flavor. I’ve had Purely Decadent’s “Mocha Almond Fudge” and it’s the best non-dairy ice cream I’ve ever tasted. Love the coffee flavor and like that it *doesn’t* taste coco-nutty!
Meagan says
I have tried Purely Decadent and Coconut Bliss ice cream. Both are soo good! Purely decadent seems more like ice cream to me, whereas Coconut Bliss is SOO creamy and coconutty, and doesn’t have that cold mouth icy feel that Purely Decadent does. Coconut Bliss feels warmer and thicker in your mouth, it’s hard to describe, not as ice cream-ice crystally. I love all the flavors, but they put soy in almost all of the non-standard coconut, vanilla and chocolate flavors. Larry and Lunas has more choice for me of the other flavors without the soy. I also love Lala Loo’s goat milk ice cream!!
I look forward to your own coconut ice cream recipe Elana! I am now trying to convince my family to buy an ice cream maker (have been for at least a year now) and hopefully they will give in soon!
VeggieGirl says
I’m with the above commenters – the Coconut Bliss ice cream line CANNOT be beat!! :-)
Michael Koren says
To me the difference between Coconut Bliss and the Turtle Creek brand of Coconut ice cream is that Coconut Bliss is much fattier and coloric than the other so it has a denser, creamier texture compared to the Turtle Creek (Purely Decadent) lighter fluffier texture.
I think Purely Decadent Vanilla hands down tastes better than Coconut Bliss’s but the opposite true for the Chocolate. Purely Decadent’s Passionate Mango and Mocha Almond Fudge are great – especially if you mix them with the Vanilla, and the Cookie Dough is adequate as a Ben and Jerry’s substitute, but I find the Coconut flavor a bit flat. I am addicted to the Mini Ice Cream Pops called So Delicious also by Turtle Creek and fully coconut (no soy dairy or gluten).
I love the Coconut Bliss Cappucino and Hazelnut Fudge but am not so hot on some of the other Coconut bliss flavors I tried, the Cherry Amaretto being a disappointment.
There you have it. Well almost – the So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt is really good. How confusing – Turtle Mountain uses Purely Decadent and So Delicious seemingly interchangeably!
I wish one of the two companies would do a cherry-garcia-like flavor! With the coconut background it would be superb!
I have BIG QUESTIONS about BOTH their use of Agave Syrup for sweetener (though cane sugar is in the yogurt). The reason – Agave is high fructose just like the corn syrup we’re all rejecting. It SHOULD have the same physiological issues as HFCS which makes it seem like a new-age organic facelift which succors us into thinking we have a great sweetener due to its low glycemic value – also true of HFCS. But there are defenders of Agave who claim its inulins and other magic ingredients are nature’s way of protecting us from the awful effects of fructose plus give us many healthful other properties. So at this point the jury seems to be out and we are playing Russian Roulette by using this sweetener everywhere. My two cents.
Any other view points?
Michael
Misty says
I think the Purely Decadent Cherry Amaretto is to die for!!! I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed! I bought 2 pints a few days ago and have already gone through 1 1/2!
Eric says
@Michael
High Fructose Corn Syrup normally has a mix of 55% Fructose and 45% Glucose. Agave is around 80-90% Fructose and 10-20% Glucose.
This is important because Glucose has a high score on the Glycemic Index — approximately 100. HFCS has a GI of 85, while Agave has a score of 15-25. Much of this is due to how HFCS is made, as enzymes are added to the corn syrup to break down the inulin and fibers to make the glucose more readily available, while the process of making Agave syrup does not include this enzyme process — your body is forced to do the digestive work.
This means Agave does not spike your blood sugar levels nearly as high as HFCS. A high spike means a higher crash, and a strong desire to eat more. This feeling of needing to re-dose on sugar is the major drawback of HFCS and table sugar, a.k.a. sucrose (which is a 50/50 split of fructose and glucose).
Both Agave and HFCS have the same amount of calories, of course, but your body feels less hungry after Agave. This is important if you’re in a weight loss program, as calories-in/calories-out is still how weight is gained and loss.
Abby says
I have tried both and although both good, I have to say I am a fan of Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss. Whole Foods just started carrying it and it is delicious. All organic ingredients and they use agave nectar.
Marci says
I love Purely Decadent, but have not seen the coconut milk varieties before – sounds wonderful!
Justine says
Have you tried Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss ice cream? Amazing. I’m not sure how Purely Decadent measures up …
Barbara says
I’ve eaten both Coconut Bliss and Purely Decadent, and they’re both good. But as far as creaminess and taste, I think that Purely Decadent blows Coconut Bliss away. And Coconut Bliss has a slight aftertaste that you just don’t get with Purely Decadent. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Tracy says
I am saddened that the Purely Decadent contains soy. They have it in my local store but we can’t eat it cause we are SOY FREE. Oh well. Elana, looking forward to your coconut recipes. Tracy
Barbara says
I’m holding a container of the Purely Decadent Passionate Mango coconut milk ice cream in my hand (there’s always at least one container in our freezer!), and it doesn’t list soy in the ingredients statement.
Heather says
Purely Decadent makes soy ice cream and coconut milk ice cream. We don’t do soy either (unless it’s fermented). If you don’t see it at your local health food store, see if they can special order it for you. It should be available to them through United Natural Foods.
Katherine says
I’m pretty sure the only coconut milk one that contains soy is the cookie dough, which is made with soybean oil. The vanilla, coconut, mango, and coffee flavors at least are all soy-free.