Cool Off Your Sweet Tooth With Nondairy Ice Cream

Whew, it's hot outside! And what better way to cool off than with a heaping scoop (or two) of rich, smooth ice cream? Actually, we do know a better way—you can beat the heat with nondairy frozen treats. Ice cream made with soy, cashew, coconut, and other milks is just as creamy as the "real" thing, but it often has a fraction of the fat and calories of ice cream made with cow's milk.

Soy ice cream has been gaining fans since Henry Ford served it at the 1934 World's Fair in Chicago. Today, you can find a great selection of soy ice creams in your grocery store, including those made by Soy Delicious, Soy Dream, Rice Dream, Tofutti, and WholeSoy. But, it's fun and easy to make your own from scratch.

To make soy ice cream at home, you'll need either an ice-cream attachment for your mixer or an electric ice-cream maker, which is available for about $30. Ice cream that is made in a mixer will need to be frozen before being served, but ice cream made in a machine can be served right away.

Don't have an ice-cream maker? Never fear—you can still make a delicious frozen granita, which is a tasty cross between a snow cone and a sorbet. The recipes we've provided are sure to delight everyone.

Finally, we've given you a quick-and-easy recipe for delicious homemade cones. Simply fill them with your favorite soy ice cream and top it all off with fresh or preserved fruit, chocolate syrup, candy sprinkles, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or nondairy whipped cream. Vegan cones are also as close as your nearest grocery store—try Keebler Ice Cream Cups.

• Coconut Ice Cream
• Chocolate Sorbet
• Strawberry Sorbet
• Watermelon Granita
• Coffee Granita
• Ice-Cream Cones