KIM DAVIS: Since August is my birthday month (I've been known to celebrate all month long!) I started thinking back about my childhood birthday celebrations. The one thing they all had in common--besides having tons of aunts, uncles, and cousins around with a copious amount of yummy food--was homemade ice cream served alongside the cake. I don't remember anything about the cakes but the ice cream, on the other hand, was my favorite no matter the flavor. Slow-churned in one of those old-fashioned wooden ice cream tubs with ice chunks and rock salt, I'd impatiently wait for the first taste of the creamy concoction.
Several times my parents made a blackberry ice cream using buttermilk as the base, which provided a tangy zing to the frozen dessert. I loved it! Unfortunately, the recipe didn't pass down to myself or my sisters, and my online searches have yielded nothing that resembles what I remember. Instead, I stumbled across a recipe that used canned coconut milk and coconut cream, which made it possible for my husband to share in the dessert. I tinkered with flavors and ended up making the blackberry ice cream twice: once with brown sugar and once with granulated sugar. Flavor-wise, the brown sugar gave it a richer flavor but the color of the ice cream was more similar to chocolate instead of berry. Either way, I now have a blackberry ice cream recipe that satisfies my craving for something cold and sweet during the hot summer months!
Be sure to scroll all the way down to find out how to enter for a chance to win a copy of Sprinkles of Suspicion! Contest is open to everyone.
Blackberry Basil Coconut Ice Cream
1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened coconut cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar (or substitute brown sugar)
1/3 cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon vodka (optional, but helps keep ice cream soft)
I forgot to take a photo with the granulated sugar
Heat the
coconut cream, coconut milk, sugar, basil, corn syrup, and coconut oil in a
medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently. Once the mixture comes
to a simmer, remove from heat and allow it to cool for 20 minutes.
While the
coconut mixture cooks, purée the blackberries in a high-speed blender until
completely smooth.* If you don’t have a high-speed blender, strain the seeds
from the purée using a fine-mesh sieve. Keep the puréed blackberries in the
blender and set aside.
Once the coconut mixture has steeped, remove the basil leaves. Discard all but a few leaves of the cooked basil.
Add the reserved basil leaves to the blender. Purée at high speed until completely smooth. Add the coconut mixture and vodka, then blend on low until combined.
Place the
blackberry ice cream base in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to chill
thoroughly. You can keep it in the blender jar if desired.
Once the blackberry mixture is chilled, add it to your prepared ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Churn until the mixture reaches soft-serve consistency, about 20 to 30 minutes, then transfer to an airtight container and cover with plastic wrap before adding the lid. Freeze for 2 hours before serving.
Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk.
*Even with a high-speed blender, there will still be some small parts of seeds left. They didn’t impede the enjoyment of the ice cream, but if you want completely smooth ice cream, strain the blackberries once puréed.
Made with brown sugar
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About the Author:
Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.
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G I V E A W A Y T I M E !!!
I'm giving away a copy of Sprinkles of Suspicion!
Comment below and include your email (yourname at yourserver dot com) for a chance to win a copy of Sprinkles of Suspicion. (Contest ends 11:59pm on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Print is limited to US residents and all others will receive an ebook copy.)
Readers, do you have a favorite birthday dessert either from your childhood or as an adult?
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