Spiced Sunflower Maple Ice Cream

 

I am not sure what made me decide to make an ice cream with sunflower seed butter, but it sure was a good idea!  I have been enjoying a lot of it lately, and I thought that it might make a pretty delectable ice cream, combined with a coconut milk base I normally use.  Now, your first thought may be coconut milk and sunflower seed butter?  Wierd sounding combo, but actually completly perfect combo once you have had a taste of it...the creamyness and sweetness the coconut milk adds is heavenly with the richness and silkyness of the nut butter!  This ice cream melts slowly on the tongue...and you wouldn't want it any other way!  I also ended up adding maple syrup as my sweetener, simply because I was in a maple sort of mood, and added some cinnamon and vanilla to the base as well!  It all came together in perfect harmony!  Even better once I had added some sweet and spicy sunflower seeds that I happened to have on hand!  This ice cream is remenicent of peanut butter ice cream but better!  Definately a must try for anyone who has access to sunflower seed butter!

spiced seeds:

1 cups sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp maple sugar

1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp chipotle

1/4 tsp sea salt

ice cream base:

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

1/2 cup sunflower seed butter

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

To make spiced seeds, heat oven to 375, line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Toss nuts with maple syrup, sugar, spices, and sea salt and mix until well combined.  Spread out on prepared sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes until seeds are fragrant and toasted.  Remove pan from oven and let cool completley.  To make ice cream, combine all ice cream base ingredients in a food processor, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Stir spiced nut pieces into the ice cream, pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results. Makes about 4 cups of delicious ice cream!