Sweeten up your day with a probiotic-rich treat, and try our Salted Caramel Soft Serve Frozen Kefir. This dreamy, flavorful dessert is packed with complete protein and live cultures from Lifeway Kefir for a gut-loving, spoonable delight everyone will love.
A Salted Caramel Treat Made with Better Ingredients
The homemade caramel in this recipe is made from Medjool dates, which deliver a sweet, caramel-like flavor, along with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The base of this frozen kefir is made with creamy Lifeway Lowfat Vanilla Kefir, which provides a luxurious texture and wonderful vanilla flavor, along with complete protein, probiotics, calcium, and vitamin D. We also mixed in some bananas for an extra-creamy texture and natural sweetness, plus additional prebiotic fiber and nutrients such as potassium and B vitamins.
For the perfect finish, a little kosher salt makes this dreamy dessert taste like a trendy gourmet treat. It adds just the right touch of extra flavor and brightens up the sweetness of the frozen kefir for the ultimate palate-pleasing balance.
No ice cream maker? No problem! This recipe can be made with a Ninja Creami, with an electric ice cream maker, or can be made with a simple blend and freeze method — see our easy directions to make the one best suited for you.
Want more frozen kefir recipes? We’ve got plenty to choose from here.
Looking to find Lifeway near you? Discover our products in a store near you here or shop online, and find your new favorite Lifeway product by learning more about our products here.
Want more delicious recipes? Add some culture to your kitchen with Lifeway, and check out all our creations here!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for better gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health.
Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, support the digestive system, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1. Lifeway Kefir also contains a variety of nutrients that are vital for healthy bones and overall health, including vitamins D3, K, and B12 along with calcium and potassium. Along with our kefir, we also offer our creamy Lifeway Farmer Cheese, a high protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support a healthy microbiome that’s easy to spread and contains no added salt or sugar.
Prep Time: Varies - See Directions Servings: 2Ingredients
Frozen Kefir Base:
- 1 1/2 cups Lowfat Vanilla Kefir
- *or try our whole milk vanilla kefir for a richer flavor and texture
- 1 Medjool date, pitted
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch of kosher salt
Date Caramel:
- 6 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water 10 minutes.
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 tbsp. warm water
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Prepare the Date Caramel:
Blend the 6 pitted Medjool dates with the warm water, vanilla, maple, and salt in a food processor or blender until fully blended and creamy. Put in a small jar and refrigerate to let it set up and thicken until ready to garnish the frozen kefir.Make the Frozen Kefir With a Ninja Creami:
- To a blender, add the Lifeway Lowfat Vanilla Kefir, banana, Medjool date, cinnamon, and salt. Blend everything together on high until very smooth. Transfer the mixture to a Ninja Creami container, seal with a lid, and freeze overnight.
- After frozen, process it as soft serve if your machine has a soft serve function; if it doesn't, process it as ice cream. If needed, re-spin if the texture seems crumbly.
- Secure the soft serve lid and nozzle if your machine has a soft serve function, and attach to the swirl portion of the machine. Pull the leaver and dispense the soft serve into two bowls. If your machine doesn't have a soft serve function, simply scoop the ice cream out of the container and serve it in two bowls. Garnish with date syrup and enjoy!
Make the Frozen Kefir Without a Ninja Creami:
- To a blender, add the Lifeway Lowfat Vanilla Kefir, banana, Medjool date, cinnamon, and salt. Blend everything together on high until very smooth.
- Pour this into a shallow glass or silicone container that has a lid. Swirl together to make sure it's even, then put the lid on and freeze for 4 hours. After 4 hours, stir to scrape down the sides of the container, and smooth out until combined, then freeze again 2-3 hours until frozen to a scoopable consistency.
- Remove once frozen, and scoop out into bowls. Garnish with date caramel, then enjoy!
- If you have an electric ice cream maker, you can make this recipe by blending the frozen ingredients, pouring into the machine, and letting it process until frozen to a scoopable consistency. Scoop into bowls and top with the date caramel.
