Fennel seed has a gentle aniseed sweetness that infuses beautifully into a creamy ice cream base. A little flaky salt sharpens it, and glassy slices of candied fennel bulb make a garnish that's half sweet, half savory.
The base is coconut milk thickened with a little cornstarch, which keeps it scoopable without eggs or cream. Serve it as it is, with roasted strawberries, or with a slice of plain olive oil cake.
The original Princess Tofu blog published a fennel, honey and sea salt ice cream recipe back in 2014, and food sites still link to it. This is our own fully vegan version, written from scratch.
Ingredient notes and swaps
- Coconut milk: use full-fat; light coconut milk makes icy ice cream.
- Sweetener: all sugar or all maple works; maple makes it softer.
- Fennel: star anise or a little aniseed gives a similar flavor.
Tips for success
- Chill the base thoroughly; a cold base churns faster and smoother.
- Freeze the ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours.
- A tablespoon of vodka in the base keeps it softer in the freezer.
Variations
- Vanilla sea salt: skip the fennel and use vanilla salt to finish.
- Honey-free 'honey' swirl: ripple through a little maple or agave syrup.
- Chamomile: infuse 2 chamomile tea bags with the fennel.
What to serve it with
- With roasted strawberries or rosemary roasted cherries.
- On a slice of plain olive oil cake.
Fennel and Sea Salt Ice Cream with Candied Fennel
Ingredients
Ice cream
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 cans (2 × 400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 100 g (½ cup) sugar
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra to serve
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Candied fennel
- 1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
- 200 g (1 cup) sugar
- 200 ml (¾ cup) water
Method
- Toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan for 1 minute until fragrant, then lightly crush them.
- Warm the coconut milk, sugar, maple syrup and fennel seeds in a pan until steaming. Turn off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
- Strain out the seeds. Whisk the cornstarch with 3 tbsp of the coconut milk until smooth, then whisk it back into the pan.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the salt and vanilla.
- Cool, then chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- Churn in an ice cream maker following its instructions, then freeze until firm.
- For the candied fennel, simmer the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Add the fennel and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes until translucent. Lift onto a rack to dry for 1 hour.
- Serve scoops topped with candied fennel and a few flakes of salt.
Soften it: take it out of the freezer 10 minutes before scooping.
Storage: keeps 2 weeks in the freezer. The candied fennel keeps in its syrup in the fridge for a month.