I’m in my 40s, and I just started with a lactose intolerance. I never had this issue before, except maybe in small isolated instances where something just wasn’t agreeing with me. This is such a bummer for me now, especially in spring and summer when my daughter wants to go to the ice cream place and sit outside and enjoy our ice cream. I usually have to find something else, like if they have sorbet or something. Otherwise I’ll sometimes bring my own.
I decided it was time to find some different alternatives. My Cuisinart food processor was my saving grace in this turning point in my life. I visited the KitchenWorksUSA website. They sell actual Cuisinart DLC-7 parts. I ordered new blades and different sized work bowls to have onhand. Then I was able to find recipes for sorbets, non-dairy frozen yogurts, and nice cream (ice cream made with frozen bananas). What a massive difference this has made in our lives!
Sorbets are probably the most simple, since it pretty much just involves freezing whatever fruit you plan to use. Typically you would add lemon or lime juice, honey and some warm water and put it in the food processor. It comes out perfectly every time. My favorite is a non-dairy mint chocolate chip ice cream that I make with oat milk.
We also make dairy-free frozen yogurt. It only consists of dairy free yogurt, frozen fruit, dairy free milk, and if you want to use a sweetener of some kind, like honey, maple syrup or agave nectar. I would choose my sweetener based on what the flavor is you’re trying to achieve. You have to mix the frozen fruit and the non-dairy yogurt first to get it to a nice consistency, and then add in the non-dairy milk to smooth it out and sweetener to taste after. It’s also pretty easy to do. I know I was surprised at that.
Lastly, our absolute favorite that nothing can come close to: making nice cream because there are so many awesome combinations to try. They all start with frozen bananas, but you can add anything to it, like other frozen fruits, nut butters, cacao powder, nuts, or pretty much whatever you’d like. It’s such a great treat. I even think it’s better than actual ice cream.
So for an occasion like a birthday or a nice dinner party, we typically set up a little bar that they can choose from with the different sorbets, nice cream, non dairy ice cream variations, and one setup for actual ice cream that is made with cow’s milk. We enjoy having options for everyone.
I can’t stress enough what a wonderful solution this has been for our family, that they enjoy it and that it doesn’t really have to impact their lifestyles too much. I highly recommend trying this out if there’s anyone in your family who is lactose intolerant. It will make a huge difference in improving your family’s life.
