Sea buckthorn ice cream recipe with apricot

Ice ice baby

There are many more plant-based ice creams on the market today. Further, that's not forgetting sorbets, which have been around quite a while! However, a large number of these will still contain processed sugars or words that you cannot quite understand - never a good sign. That is to say, this is where making your own comes in, and it has a special appeal. 

Do any of you remember those wooden buckets you had to turn a handle on to make ice cream? Families would do it on balmy summer nights out on the porch, with fireflies twinkling around the velvet dark.

However, this recipe is more suited to city living, with a blender standing in for that rustic bucket. It's not that dissimilar to a smoothie actually, just with a different consistency and a slightly more streamlined list of ingredients. In other words, the combination of bananas, coconut milk, the sweetener of your choice, apricots, and lemon along with Erbology Organic Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil is quite elegant. It feels somewhat Mediterranean to us.

Another great advantage of making your own ice cream is that you can get the balance just the way you like it. Roasted almonds happen to make our heart sing, and work very nicely with the other ingredients. Further, leaving them intact maximises crunch and the slightly salty quality they bring, but you may prefer to highlight the berries more or to have fewer nuts. Go on, let your imagination run wild as to other possible additions and toppings.  Dark cacao nibs would be near the top of our list...  or how about cherry compote?

Sea buckthorn berry oil

The beautiful sea buckthorn berry is an intense red-orange colour. Moreover, the strong hue is matched by the concentration of rare nutrients. Omega-7 fatty acids are difficult to obtain through a plant-based diet, but sea buckthorn is a very good source.

Certainly, omega-7 fatty acids are essential for optimal health in part because they help balance good and bad cholesterol. In addition, they help convey information between fat and muscle tissues, which help all the infinite parts of our bodies coordinate.(1)(2) Moreover, omega-7s encourage collagen production. This is helpful because collagen is what plumps our skin and keeps it resilient.(3)

Another healthful substance found in sea buckthorn berry oil is pro-vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. To sum up, this kind of vitamin A is the type that we are able to obtain through plants. It is converted by the body into vitamin A (4)(5) that can be used to support the immune system and healthy development of cells and tissues.(6) You scream, I scream, we all scream ice cream....