Easy Prebiotic and Probiotic Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

This recipe is so simple, I don’t know how it has never occurred to me before - but now it has!

For the summer, we’re changing up how we travel, and are experimenting with being car-less and are flying or taking trains/coaches to our destinations, to see if this is a better way to travel full time. That meant we had to leave a lot of stuff behind, including my beloved ice cream maker.

I make a lot of ice cream, it’s kind of my thing. And it’s always a healthy one, adapted to my dietary needs and typically sugar free or low sugar. However, I now need to switch up my recipes to be made without an ice cream machine, so I thought I’d make this to my advantage and develop easy ice cream recipes for you guys.

When we’re due on our period, most of us have a hankering for ice cream, and I am no exception. I was due on shortly after we arrived in Pristina, Kosovo, our current destination, and my cravings turned to cookies and cream ice cream, so that’s what I set about making.

This recipe utilises whole foods only (unless you decided to go for the sugar free version) and doesn’t require an ice cream machine, only a food processor. It’s straightforward and simple to make, the only downside is waiting for it to be ready!

This recipe is…

• Rich in probiotics and prebiotics to help us manage endo belly and support a healthy microbiome.

People with endo have already been shown to have microbiome dysbiosis, with lower levels of some beneficial bacteria and higher levels of pathogenic (bad) bacteria, which can not only fuel IBS symptoms like bloating, but also inflammation.

This ice cream is  a great source of polyphenols and prebiotic fibre from the cacao nibs and dates. Polyphenols are types of antioxidants found in certain plant foods that not only reduce inflammation levels and improve overall health, but they are also a favourite food for our gut microbiome, which means that can support our good gut bugs to thrive.

Finally, the yoghurt also offers probiotic benefits. Probiotic foods provide us with more beneficial bacteria, to help top up and diversify our own. Given the strong connection between endo and the microbiome, it’s important for us to introduce new and varied bacteria through various probiotic sources.

• Blood sugar balancing to ease pain, PMS and balance hormones.

The majority of store bought ice creams are very high in sugar and are typically classified as ultra processed, both high sugar foods and processed foods can potentially contribute to more PMS and endo pain. Which sucks, given that ice cream is a go to period bestie.

So, I’ve sweetened only with a very low amount of dates, with the option of only using monk fruit if you’d rather go entirely sugar free. The fat and protein in the yoghurt, as well as the fibre in the cacao nibs and the dates themselves can help slow down the release of glucose from the dates, to the blood stream, creating a steadier stream of glucose vs. a big spike.

Keeping blood sugar levels stable helps to prevent oxidative stress, which leads to more inflammation in the body and that may trigger further pain and symptoms. In fact, oxidative stress is higher in people with endo, and it’s a key driver of endo growth.

When we’re in our luteal phase, we often experience more blood sugar swings because oestrogen, which dominates in our follicular phase, helps us regulate our blood sugar response, but is lower in the luteal phase. As a result, we tend to get cravings for sweet foods or foods high in starch. The problem is, these foods keep us on a blood sugar rollercoaster, and raise inflammation levels, resulting in more of those inflammatory symptoms and pain that we’re trying to avoid. This ice cream, being low in sugar and rich in fibre, can help us get our fix without the pain triggering spikes.

Additionally, constant blood sugar swings can take their toll on hormones, leading to issues like elevated androgens (think testosterone), which can affect ovulation and cycle length. Blood sugar swings may also cause oestrogen excess or dominance and low progesterone if ovulation is interrupted or stopped entirely.

Finally, blood sugar swings are linked heavily with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, so if you struggle with low moods in your luteal phase, supporting blood sugar can actually support your mental health!

• Is rich in calcium and magnesium, which can both play a significant role in reducing PMS, mood related symptoms and period pain.

Low levels of calcium have been repeatedly associated with increased PMS symptoms and research has shown that treatment with calcium supplements can reduce the syndrome and even period pain because low levels of calcium can cause more contractions. Calcium may also be a supportive option for PMDD.

Assuming you’re using a dairy source here (even if it’s lactose free or A2 dairy), this recipe can potentially provide around 30% of your RDA. Of course, if you use coconut or a nut based yoghurt, the calcium will be significantly lower (but you could try this recipe to top up your calcium levels!).

Now let’s look at magnesium.

Research has shown magnesium to be an effective treatment in preventing dysmenorrhea (period pain) because it reduces inflammatory prostaglandins that are the drivers of both endo and period pain. One study showed that six months of magnesium treatment reduced prostaglandin F2a by over half!  In fact, in recent research, magnesium is being explored as a dietary treatment for endo and a higher intake of magnesium rich foods was associated with a lower risk of endo. Additionally, magnesium helps to regulate our sex hormones, and as result, is a recognised treatment for preventing PMS. One serving of this delicious fro-yo offers round 23% of your magnesium RDA, thanks to yoghurt, dates and cacao nibs.

Important notes to help you tailor this recipe to your own body and needs (and tastebuds!)

Is dairy okay for endo?

It really comes down to the individual person, and often, the types of dairy and the frequency of consumption. A recent study found that 45.2% of participants who removed dairy experienced reduced pain, but as you can see, just over half didn’t experience a benefit, so it’s really down to your own experimentation and working out what’s right for you.

To help you do that, I have a podcast series on endo and dairy, that explores every single way dairy could impact endo and why, what the research says and the nutritional (and endo) benefits of dairy if you are able to consume some. As you can see above, low calcium plays a major role in PMS and period paid, so if you can’t tolerate dairy, you do need to ensure you’re getting enough.

Monk fruit vs. other sweeteners

When it comes to ice cream, monk fruit is my sweetener of choice. Monk fruit extract is a sugar free sweetener derived from the monk fruit plant. Unlike some other sugar alternatives, it doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin levels, so this really helps to keep our recipe blood sugar friendly.

The other great thing is, unlike other sweeteners, the majority of research indicates that it doesn’t have any negative side effects on the gut (though more needs to be done) and in fact, recent research shows it to be a prebiotic that actually promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria and the production of SCFA. In one study where they added monk fruit to yoghurt (like we’re doing here), they observed better survival rates of beneficial bacteria whilst inhibiting pathogenic bacteria like e.coli! Higher levels of e.coli have been found in several studies on endometriosis.

Additionally, whilst it hasn’t yet been officially tested, it’s thought to be low FODMAP.

You can get monk fruit drops here (this is the one I use, no affiliate or sponsored link) but I’ve also seen it sold on Etsy. You can also get powder too, so hunt around, just avoid any monk fruit products with added erythritol or other sweeteners as they can cause bloating or affect blood sugar.

A fun treat alternative to cacao nibs

Whilst I don’t recommend doing this regularly, if you want to have a bit more of a traditional cookies and cream flavour, try getting hold of some sugar free Oreo type cookies, and crushing up four into the blend, rather than the cacao nibs. Unless you’re buying a brand that prides itself on whole food, good quality ingredients, the majority of these sugar free cookies are full of additives, and sweeteners like malitol, which may be sugar free, but isn’t great for blood sugar overall. Additionally, they’re ultra processed, so best avoided most of the time, except for occasional treats.

Can this be made low FODMAP to help prevent bloating?

Yes, if you go for a lactose free yoghurt (I have a recipe here) or a low FODMAP dairy free alternative (see Monash University FODMAP app. for suggestions).  All the other ingredients, at this serving size, are low FODMAP.

Further resources

If you’re struggling with your endo nutrition or gut health, you might find my courses and one to one coaching helpful. You can find out more here. I’ve also got endless podcast episodes on gut health and blood sugar.  

To understand more about the low FODMAP diet, start here.

Easy Prebiotic and Probiotic Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Method:

• The night before, blend the yoghurt, dates/monkfruit and vanilla together in a food processor. I find that a few small chunks of dates left remaining in the blend, adds a nice hit of sweetness, but you can blend until entirely smooth if you like.

• Add the cacao nibs, and pulse until they reach a more cookie crumb texture, with a few larger nibs left remaining.

• Spoon into a flexible ice cube tray (my first attempt was with a pretty brittle one, and it snapped when I tried to remove the yoghurt!) and freeze overnight.

• The next day, when you’re ready to have your ice cream, remove the ice cube tray from the freezer and leave to soften for about 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it, because you don’t want it to be too soft.

• Once removable, pop out the yoghurt cubes into your food processor, and pulse until the chunks start to break down and form ice cream ‘crumbs’, then switch the food processor on fully and blend. You’ll need to stop and start to scrape down the sides. This bit requires a bit of patience before the creamy part emerges! You don’t need to add any milk/water to loosen it - just give it time!

• Once a creamy texture has formed, you may want to pop back into the freezer for 10-15 to firm up a bit, then remove and serve in your favourite bowls.