Thai · Authentic-ish Thai
Coconut Ice Cream
338 kcal a serving, against 446 for the traditional version. That is 108 kcal off, or 24%, with 6g of protein. Serves 6. 30 minutes plus freezing.
What the traditional version is
The classic is simple: thick coconut cream, caster sugar, and a pinch of salt, churned together and frozen. Sometimes a handful of roasted peanuts or sticky rice on top, but always that rich, pure coconut flavour. No eggs, no flour, just fat and sugar doing what they do best.
What changed, and what each change costs
Coconut cream swapped for light coconut milk
Coconut cream is almost pure fat, so swapping for light coconut milk cuts the calories right down. The cost is that you lose some of that thick, heavy richness and the ice cream will freeze harder, because there's less fat to keep it supple.
What it costs you. Don't expect the same ultra-creamy texture. It'll be firmer, more crystalline and a bit less luxurious. The coconut flavour's still there, but it's a lighter take - you need to let it sit before scooping or you'll bend your spoon.
Add eggs for protein, and thicken with a touch of cornflour
Eggs bring protein and help the texture, so it holds together and sets more gently. Cornflour helps thicken, so you don't end up with coconut-flavoured ice. You don't need much, but it makes a difference.
What it costs you. It's not a real custard - there's no double cream. The texture's somewhere between a gelato and a frozen coconut sorbet. If you want glossy eggless coconut ice cream, look elsewhere.
Sugar down from 180g to 90g
Coconut cream brings its own sweetness, but the light coconut milk's more watery, so it needs less. You won't get that full Thai street-sweetness, but it'll still have enough sugar to keep it palatable and not just cold soup.
What it costs you. It's sharper and lighter, and if you've got a sweet tooth you might find it a touch plain. A drizzle of honey on top fixes that, though.
Scatter with roasted peanuts, if you like, for the nod to the real deal
It's tradition, but up to you whether you want the crunch. I do, because the ice cream itself is lighter, so the nuts give back a bit of the luxury.
What it costs you. Adds a smidge of fat and crunch, but no one will argue with that little bite at the end.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 446 | 338 |
| Protein | 3.6g | 6g |
| Fat | 34.7g | 27.5g |
| Saturated fat | 30.8g | 21.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 36.6g | 21.3g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 0.8g | 1.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Thai prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs, milk, peanuts.
The method is in the book
Pure coconut cream is a cheat code for texture, and the full-fat version is still the champion for mouthfeel. But if you want something lighter without totally ditching the coconut buzz, this gets you most of the way for far fewer calories. It's icier, less dense, and you won't mistake it for the stuff you'd get on a Bangkok street. But on a hot night, a scoop of this, a few peanuts on top, and you'll barely mind.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Thai, along with 50 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.