Dark Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

Dark Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

This ice cream has a dark, rich, chocolate flavor and creamy consistency that I adore! I typically use the Chocolate Splendor protein powder by Unjury, but any chocolate protein powder that you like should work. You can use skim milk or low fat soy milk, but the ice cream will not be as rich and will be closer to ice milk in consistency. I use an ice cream maker for mine, but if you do not have one you can make it without an ice cream maker - it just will not be as creamy. And quite frankly, no where near as good! If you do not want to use an ice cream maker, make sure you mix it in a blender or with a mixer to get it light and fluffy and stir it every 20-30 minutes as it is freezing until it is too hard to stir. I use the Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa, but you can use any unsweetened cocoa you like. The Hershey's Dark unsweetened cocoa makes an even darker ice cream, but I like the flavor of the Ghiardelli better, personally. You can eat this right out of the ice cream maker for a very soft serve, place it in the freezer for a few minutes for a more traditional soft serve style, or for an hour for a hard ice cream. However, due to the lack of sugar this ice cream does become quite hard in the freezer due to the lack of sugar. You can take it out a little bit ahead of time to soften, or do so quickly by microwaving for 10-20 seconds at half power.

2 scoops chocolate protein powder (for testing we used Unjury Chocolate Splendor Whey Protein Powder (200 calories, 40 grams protein)
1 cup full fat vanilla or regular soy milk or 2% or regular milk (for testing we used soy milk) (131 calories, 8 grams of protein)
1 tablespoon Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa (15 calories, 1 gram protein)
2 packets Truvia or Splenda (or your favorite artificial sweetener) (5 calories)
2 tablespoons chocolate sugar free syrup (Torani or DaVinci)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt

Whisk together all of the ingredients well. Put the freezer bowl in the ice cream maker. Insert the beater and cover with the lid. Turn on the machine and slowly pour in the chocolate mixture. After fifteen minutes, scape the sides of the bowl and turn back on and stir for another 10-15 minutes, or until the ice cream is soft-serve style. Spoon out with a soft spatula or spoon. Eat immediately, or place in freezer-safe containers.

Makes 4 servings.
12.25 grams of protein, 88 calories per serving