I am finally back from my Hawaiian vacation and I am so excited to get back in my kitchen and my routine. Instead of bringing back island-inspired recipes I am starting with this Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Pie, hoping that it makes it in time for Saint Patrick’s days. I do have a few Hawaii-inspired recipes in mind and in the next few days I am going to be experimenting with them. What is your favorite Hawaiian/tropical dish?

A few ingredients on the list are optional. The spinach gives it a darker green color without really changing the taste, the avocado makes it creamier, and the peppermint extract gives it a stronger mint taste, but you can omit any of these ingredients and the recipe will still work. You can either make your own chocolate chips or buy a good quality kind. I like Enjoy Life chocolate chips because they are dairy-free and soy-free (See link at the bottom of the recipe)

If you are looking for a nut-free crust use the crust I used for my pumping cheese cake and add cacao powder to it. For other dessert ideas try my strawberry rhubarb pie, chocolate chip cookies or apple-fig crumble

Ingredients For The Crust:

2 ½ cups of almond flour

1/2  cup of unsweetened cacao powder

¼ cup of coconut oil

¼ cup of coconut flour

¼ cup of honey

1 egg

½ tsp of baking soda

Ingredients For The Ice Cream:

28 ounces of full fat canned or homemade coconut milk

1 cup of loosely packed fresh mint leaves

½ cup of mashed avocado

1 cup of Enjoy life chocolate chips or homemade chocolate chips (See recipe below)

Sweetener to taste (I used ¼ cup of raw honey and 20 drops of liquid stevia

Optional ingredients: 1 cup of loosely packed spinach leaves (for a greener color), ½ tsp of peppermint extract (for a stronger mint taste)

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Using a food processor combine all the ingredients for the crust and run until fine crumbs are formed.
• Pressing the dough down with your fingers, line the inside of a pie crust.
• Bake for 15 minutes, allow to cool down and refrigerate.
• Using a blender combine all the ingredients for the ice cream together, except the chocolate chips.
• Put the mixture in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• When the ice cream is done add ¾ cups chocolate chips and run the ice cream machine for one more minute to mix in the chips.
• Pour the ice cream inside the cold pie crust and using a spatula or the back of a spoon press it down into the mold and flatten the top.
• Melt the remaining chocolate chips and  pour over the ice cream pie to decorate (optional).
• Freeze the pie for at least an hour before serving, depending on your freezer temperature you may have to let the pie thaw 5-10 minutes before cutting

Optional Homemade chocolate chips

½ cup of coconut oil

¼ cup of cacao butter

1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder

Sweetener to taste ( I used 2 tbsp of raw honey and  5 drops of liquid stevia)

Preparation:

• Gently melt all the ingredients together.
• Pour the fixture over a parchment paper lined plate.
• Freeze until the chocolate is hard and cut into small cubes.