Low Carb Balsamic Caramel Ice Cream with Roasted Strawberries

The Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book explains that they like to use vinegar in their ice creams “because it adds an unexpected savory twist, while helping offset the sweet richness that’s usually found in ice creams.” Salted caramel had been done by other trendy ice cream shops, so they decided to pair their caramel with balsamic vinegar. I’ve usually seen balsamic vinegar paired with strawberry ice cream, so I thought, “Why not add some roasted strawberries, too?”

When I first tasted the ice cream as it came out of the machine, it tasted familiar. Familiar? I never made a balsamic vinegar ice cream before. I recognized the flavor after a few seconds: sour cream. Sour cream?! I didn’t add any... DUH! Vinegar (acid) plus milk/cream equals sour cream. It was reminiscent of the Low Carb Avocado Ice Cream, which uses sour cream as a primary ingredient. The sour cream flavor was very strong. It overpowered the caramel and was a little too loud. My first impression was that if I had to make this again, I might dial it back to one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. However, the flavors melded quite well together after a few days. I strongly suggest allowing this ice cream to age in your freezer. It makes a big difference.

The roasted strawberries are a welcome addition. Fear not keto-dieters. They only add about 10 g of net carbohydrates to the entire quart at most. The strawberries are supposed to be caramelized by the added sugar, but non-sugar sweeteners don’t work that way. However, the resulting cooked Truvia-vanilla-strawberry juice crunchy stuff that results is awesome! I decided to scrape off the bits that baked onto the silicone mat and crumble them into the mix for extra flavor.

Ingredients

Roasted Strawberries

1 cup (152 g) halved strawberries
¼ cup Truvia
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Ice Cream

Low Carb Sweet Cream Base
1 tablespoon LorAnn Oils Flavor Fountain Flavorings, Caramel Delight
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Roasted Strawberries: In a small bowl, mix Truvia and vanilla extract together.
   
   
   
   
   Take off the stems of the strawberries and halve.
   
   
   
   
   Coat the strawberry halves in Truvia and vanilla mixture. Place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Use all the left over Truvia/vanilla mixture by mushing it on top of the strawberries.
2. Roast at 375 °F for 25-30 minutes. Rotate once after 15 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   Remove from the oven and let cool. Scrape all the liquid onto the strawberries as they cool as it will eventually harden.
   
   
   
   
   Cut the roasted halves in half. Scrape off browned (but not burnt) “sugar” from silicone mat and crumble into small bits. Put strawberries and browned bits in freezer for later.
3. Ice cream: Follow the instructions for the Low Carb Sweet Cream Base. Add the LorAnn Oils Flavor Fountain Flavorings, Caramel Delight to the sweet cream base. Cover and chill if necessary.
4. Follow your ice cream maker’s directions for making ice cream. Right before you are ready to freeze the custard, add the vinegar (it will curdle the mix if allowed to sit).
   
   
   
   
   Five minutes before the ice cream is done, add the crumbled bits of browned “sugar” and make sure they get churned in completely. Use a silicone spatula to remove the ice cream from the ice cream maker when it’s done and put into empty container. Start with a small layer of ice cream and then push in some frozen strawberries, then cover them with more ice cream. Continue until container is full. Freeze until solid.