Whipped coconut cream, vanilla-vodka zabaglione, and meringue enfolding a tart ribbon of blueberry puree. This Coconut Cream Semifreddo with Blueberries is what all ice cream wishes it could be — sophisticated, creamy, with a delicate texture. Of course, it’s low carb and dairy-free, too.
My parents are visiting next week and guess what I have in the freezer waiting for them? Guess? Yes, it’s this beautiful and delicious semifreddo. I’m so excited! I also have a container of Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream and Lemon Buttermilk Popsicles. It’s supposed to be hot and I want to be prepared. Also, my father LOVES ice cream (and cookies). And, just in case we don’t have enough dessert, I have a French Silk Pie on-ice, too. I think we should be set!
Now, on to our recipe. It’s a good one!
Traditional semifreddo is a wonderful, frozen Italian treat perfect for those who do not have an ice cream maker. It’s a fancy dessert usually frozen in a deep dish, then un-moulded and sliced when ready to serve. A preparation of a traditional semifreddo consists of three parts: a whipped cream, a zabaglione (or sabayon in French) and a meringue which are folded together to create a light and beautiful textured confection. The word simifreddo means partially frozen, which describes this dessert perfectly.
I can guess that some of you are thinking this dessert sounds complicated.
I can guess that some of you are thinking it’s a lot of steps.
I’m here to assure you that it’s not complicated and that after making a semifreddo twice, you’ll want to make it for your all of your fancy guests!
So, don’t freak-out!
I wrote a lot of instructions.
Each step takes less than 10 minutes.
BUT, in the spirit of simplifying and saving time, I tested this recipe 5 times, preparing it 3 different ways, to find the best balance between flavor, texture and ease. I found that the traditional method was the best, hands down!
- The first time I made this low carb coconut cream semifreddo recipe, I did it old school. I whipped the coconut cream, made the zabaglione and then the meringue. I folded the first two together and then folded in the meringue and some fresh raspberries. I spooned it into an almond pie crust. It was beautiful and pillowy soft. When I served it, the semifreddo was lovely, but the fruit was hard as a rock. Why? The semifreddo was mostly fat, so it didn’t freeze as hard and thawed at a faster rate than the fruit, which is mostly water.
- The second time I made this coconut cream semifreddo, I again used the traditional method, but used a blueberry puree instead of fresh fruit. I also topped it with a blueberry sauce. It was perfect. (pictured)
- The third time I tried a different approach; hoping to eliminate a step or two. I made a custard out of the coconut cream and eggs, that I hoped would serve to replace the zabablione and whipped coconut cream steps. It would not whip, froze absolutely rock solid, and tasted like a rich French vanilla ice cream. I liked the taste, but the method needed work.
- The fourth time, I whipped the coconut cream from one can of coconut milk. With the coconut cream from the other can, I made a pastry cream. I folded both of them together and froze. While it was much lighter than the third trial, it lacked the airiness obtained from the traditional method.
- For the fifth version of this semifreddo, I used whipped coconut cream only. It was o-k-a-y, but it lacked the consistency and the rich flavor of the original. Also, the mouth feel was a bit greasy.
TRADITIONAL SEMIFREDDO METHOD WINS!!!
And, it’s not hard to do. A hand mixer makes it easier, but a simple whisk and elbow grease will do the trick. Here’s what one can expect: (I have linked to two helpful videos below.)
- Whip the coconut cream: 2 minutes
- Make the zabaglione: 6-8 minutes
- Make the meringue: 6-8 minutes
- Blueberry Puree: 2 minutes hands-on time, 30 minutes total cooking time. Can be made 1 week in advance.
The Semifreddo starts with whipped coconut cream. If you haven’t made it before, watch this video (starring my husband’s hands) on my post How To Make Whipped Coconut Cream. It is very easy.
Here is a video of a semifreddo being made step-by-step, from beginning to end.
Again, don’t freak-out when you see the recipe. I try to be very thorough in the instructions.
This sumptious Coconut Cream Semifreddo with Blueberries is 5 net carbs per serving!
[Disclosure: This recipe contains affiliate links.]
Coconut Cream Semifreddo with Blueberries
Ingredients
Blueberry Puree — 30 minutes
- 8 ounces blueberries
- 1/4 cup erythritol or Swerve
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons water
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon stevia glycerite
Whipped Coconut Cream — 2 minutes
- 2 cans (13.5 oz) cans full fat coconut milk (refrigerated over-night, 13.5
- 1/4 cup low carb powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon stevia glycerite
Zabligone — 6-8 minutes
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons Swerve Swerve is best but can use powdered erythritol
- 2 tablespoons vanilla flavored vodka
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon stevia glycerite
Meringue — 6-8 minutes
- 4 egg whites
- 3 tablespoons Swerve swerve is best but can use powdered erythritol
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Blueberry Topping optional
Instructions
- For the Blueberry Puree: Weigh and wash the blueberries. Put them in a small sauce pan with 1 tablespoon water, two tablespoons lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ¼ cup Swerve (or erythritol). Cook covered over medium low heat until simmering, then turn the heat to low and simmer, covered for 10 minutes more. Transfer the softened blueberries to a blender and puree on low speed. Transfer the blueberry puree back to the sauce pan and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes more stirring every few minutes. The blueberry puree should be syrupy, intense in flavor and coat the spoon when stirred. Remove the puree from the heat an add the stevia glycerite, almond extract and vanilla. Stir and cool completely. There should be about 3/4 of a cup of puree. It can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
- To Make the Whipped Coconut Cream: Remove the cans of coconut milk from the refrigerator, gently turn them over, open, and pour out the liquid or coconut water. (This water can be saved and added to smoothies or discarded.) Scoop the solid coconut cream from the cans and add it to a bowl. Add the Swerve and whisk on high until the coconut cream resembles whipped cream. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and stevia and whip again. Cover and refrigerate
- For the Zabaglione: Select a small heat-proof bowl big enough that it can sit on top of a small pot of barely simmering water and not touch the water. Fill a small pot with one inch of water and place over medium-high to start simmering. Pour the Swerve and vodka in the small bowl and whisk together starting to dissolve the sweetener. Seperate the eggs and add the yolks to the bowl, whisking to combine. Turn the water down to low and place the bowl over the pot of barely simmering water. With an electric hand mixer, begin beating the zabaglione on a medium speed. Watch the mixture carefully to make sure the egg yolk doesn’t scramble. Over the next several minutes, the zabaglione will triple in volume, become very glossy and turn a pale yellow color. When this is acheived, remove it from the heat and scrape it into another bowl to cool.
- Wash the bowl and the beaters really well. There can’t be any fat left on either of them or the meringue in the next step will fail. But even if it starts to deflate, if you work quickly, your semifreddo will still be light and delicious, just not quite as light.
- To Make the Meringue: Place the Swerve, pinch of salt and cream of tartar in the bowl and stir together. Add the egg whites and place the bowl over the barely simmering water. With the hand mixer on medium-low start whipping the meringue, increasing speed as the volume increases. When stiff peaks are acheived, remove the bowl from the heat and place it on the counter. Continue whipping at a reduced speed until the bottom of the bowl cools a bit.
- To Assemble the Coconut Cream Semifreddo: Line a large bread pan with enough plastic wrap that several inches of excess hangs down over each side. Put it in the freezer. Remove the blueberry puree from the refrigerator and give it a good stir, especially if a skin has formed on the top. Set aside.
- Remove the whipped coconut cream and the zabaglione from the fridge. Begin adding the zabaglione to the whipped coconut cream in thirds. The first third is gently stirred-in to lighten the mixture. Gently fold in additions two and then three. Now, we’ll do the same thing with the meringue. Add a third of the meringue mixture to the whipped coconut cream mixture, gently folding to lighten it up. Make sure to scrape from the bottom to incorporate everything. Add the second and then third additions of meringue, folding very gently each time.
- To Assemble the Coconut Cream Semifreddo and Blueberries in the Mold: Remove the plastic wrapped bread pan from the freezer. Gently add 1/3 of the semifreddo mixture to the pan and tap it once on the counter. Add 1/3 of the blueberry puree over the layer. Gently add another third of the semifreddo to the improvised tureen. Add another layer of blueberry puree finishing with the last of the semifreddo. Doing the best you can, spoon the last of the blueberry puree over the semifreddo in a rounded zig-zag pattern, short-side to short-side down the length of the surface of the semifreddo. It doesn’t have to be perfect because it will become the bottom when un-molded. Insert a butter knife or a thin spatula into the semifreddo, just about touching the bottom and make the same rounded zig-zag pattern – this time from long-side to long-side, making a pretty pattern on the top (er… bottom) of the semifreddo. Gently cover the surface of the semifreddo with the plastic wrap and freeze.
- To Serve: Remove the Coconut Cream Semifreddo from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes to allow it to warm up a bit. Peel back the plastic wrap, and holding the pan in one hand and the serving platter on top with the other, flip the semmifreddo up-side-down onto the serving platter to un-mold. Remove the plastic wrap. If you want, dip an offset spatula in warm water and gently smoth the surface of the semifreddo. Slice the semifreddo and serve as is or with a blueberry topping.
I don’t remember the brand of full fat coconut milk I used, but it didn’t separate, it was just a slurry. I put it through a sieve the separate the solids from the milk and it whipped up well. I know it was not Mai Ploy and it didn’t come from trader joes, so I’ll look for these brands next time I make it.
I found the end product very tasty but I thought that it had too much almond taste. I’m not sure if eliminating the almond extract would change the consistency. Also, my guests felt, although it tasted good, it was too sweet. Again I don’t know if cutting back on the stevia glycerite will change the consistency. Also, after you put the semifreddo in the freezer, it needs to be frozen much longer than I did. I’d say I put it in for 6 hours. I’m thinking it needs to be put in over night. It is a lot of work, but I would try it again with a few adjustments and hope it comes out as tasty.
What can be substituted for vodka?
You can leave it out, Celeste. The Vodka just helps it not get as icy. -Kim
For the meringue, do you use granulated or powdered swerve. Looking to make this for Thanksgiving, for those of us that are sugar free, dairy free. Thank you.
Hi Elizabeth. Use the swerve confectioners in the meringue and any place it calls for Sukrin Melis or icing sugar. Make sure that your full fat coconut milk is the kind that whips. You can test it by refrigerating an extra can overnight and seeing if you get a nice thick layer of solidified coconut milk fat and a smaller layer of clear liquid. You can also buy coconut cream from Trader Joes. This recipe takes some time to make but is good. Not many people have tried it. I suggest making a test one before trying to make it for the first time for Thanksgiving. It will keep in the freezer for a long time. -Kim
Do you need to have the stevia glycerine? Or is there something else you can exchange if you’re not worried about sugar?
If you aren’t worried about sugar, then use more and sweeten to taste. I’m sorry I can’t be more exact, but I made this a few years ago and I haven’t used sugar in about 9 years! Having said that, this was tasty. -Kim
I have some organic creamed coconut, which comes on a 7oz carton. It’s solid coconut cream. I thought this would work well in this recipe. Have you used this product?
I’m wondering how much cream comes out of 2 cans do I can substitute appropriately.
Hmmm. Good question, Cici. I’m going to guess that one 13 oz can yielded 8-9 ounces of the thick coconut cream. It’s important that the coconut cream is cold and solid from the fridge. Did I link to the How To Make Whipped Coconut Cream post in this post? I’m on my phone right now and can’t check. In that post I’ve included a video of us opening the cans, pouring off the water and whipping the cream. If you think your product is going to be solid and thick – you said it was coconut cream, then it should work.
can i replace all the stevias with sugar or coconut sugar? i dont need the low carb but the pics look delish!
Hi ajgb. You can use straight sugar and won’t need to add the extra sweetening. Make sure you use a good quality full fat coconut milk or it may not whip. I hope you enjoy the recipe. -Kim
Perhaps it was ill advised, but when I went to get the coconu milkt, I saw Thai Kitchen brand “coconut cream” (different from their full-fat milk). I assume, at the least, there will be less water in each can. Can you tell me about how much cream (weight or volume) you get from the single can of milk called for in the recipe?
Great question. I am assuming that the cans (?) are smaller than the coconut milk cans (13.5 oz or 380g) – at least they are at Trader Joe’s here in the States. I would use 2 cans of the coconut cream which I’m going to guess are about 8-10 ounces (225 -280g?). I hope this helps. Have a great day. -Kim
Have you ever tried this using Xylitol instead of Swerve? I much prefer the taste of xylitol, and wonder how it would work in this.
Hi Michelle. I LOVE xylitol and it would work beautifully in this recipe. Just remember that xylitol does have calories where as erythritol doesn’t. I suggest you use Mae Ploy coconut milk from the Asian store or coconut cream if you can find it. Some of the coconut milk others have used did not whip. If you are in the U.S. you can find coconut cream at Trader Joe’s. This recipe tastes really nice. Enjoy! -Kim
Yeah my coconut cream went like coconut oil in the fridge so that prob the prob with that!
Hmmm. I’m not sure what that means, but it should become 2 distinct layers – one pure white and solid (that’s what you whip) and the other would be the water to be poured off. There are comments all over the internet about certain brands not performing well for whipped coconut cream and sometimes there is a dud can with the better brands. Do Google search for Mae Ploy to see what it looks like. I have success with that brand. -Kim
Will do ?
Yeah I did all that with the coconut cream, I’d say it’s the brand. Aldi, although it’s just coconut extract and water, but still, might have to go Ayam (better quality imo)
Well, Carolyn, I have noticed that the Albertson’s brand that I use has gone down in quality since making that post. There seems to be more water than coconut cream (coconut milk extract) so I have a smaller amount of the coconut cream after refrigerating. I have noticed that the Thai Kitchen brand is not as smooth as some others so I just use that brand for curries and such. Mae Ploy is a great brand that I get from my local Asian store (until it closed). Trader Joes has a coconut cream (not coconut milk) which is all coconut cream minus the water. That would whip after being refrigerated. Again, I’m sorry about the coconut cream not whipping. Thanks for taking the time to comment and have a great weekend. -Kim
I made this and the coconut cream just wouldn’t whip up. It turned out a curdled mess! I still put it together, taste might be ok?
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t turn out for you, Carolyn. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to prepare something that looks and sounds delicious and have it not come together the way it’s supposed to. Did you read the post about “How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream” and watch the video? I talk about how to put the canned coconut into the fridge and how to pour out the water, leaving the fat or coconut-cream. That is what will whip. Some brands work better than others. Also, were you able to watch the video of the other semi-freddo? It helped me with the technique. Your semi-freddo should taste good, but it may be pretty solid? You may need to let it sit out for 20 minutes or so before you try to serve. Although not a difficult recipe, it does have several steps. I hope it’s still salvageable. Let me know if you have any more questions. -Kim
Amazing recipe! After this is un-molded, does it have to stay frozen (the uneaten part) or can it just be refrigerated? I never do frozen deserts so I’m rather clueless. lol
Hi Edith. Great Question. Yes, it does need to be kept frozen because it is basically an ice cream cake. It can also be scooped instead of sliced. I hope you like it. -Kim
This recipe looks absolutely amazing! I found the link on a paleo website and follow a paleo diet. Can I use either honey or maple syrup instead of swerve?
Hi Denny! Of course you may use any light tasting honey, but I wouldn’t use maple surup in this recipe. Just so you know, the honey is going to change the flavor of the dessert – the balance of flavors I acheived was due in part to a neutral tasting, natural sugar alternative. Sweeten to taste at each step, but a few tablespoons – 1/4 cup of honey each step sounds about right – but honestly I haven’t cook with honey in years! Please let me know what you did and how it turned out. Good Luck! -Kim
Wow! This looks incredible and I love your photos!
I don’t have erythritol or Swerve – what would you recommend as a substitute for it? Can I do a 1:1 with plain ol’ sugar?
I am so going to make this! :)
Hi Amy. Great question. Yes, use sugar but you may want to taste as you go as erythritol is 1/3 less sweet than regular sugar. Watch the video and pay attention to the amount of sugar that they use in their steps. Remember that coconut cream is sweeter than regular cream. Please let me know how it turns out as I ‘m sure others would benifit from your experience. Thanks for your nice compliment and have a great day! -Kim
For those who don’t have dairy issues, could this be made with heavy whipping cream, and if so, do you know what proportions would change?
Hi Carolyn. Great question. I would think 1 1/2 cups of cream would about do it, but I haven’t tested this particular recipe with dairy. Since coconut cream is a little sweet, you may need to up the sweetener to your taste and you may not want to add the almond extract. Follow your taste buds. I am working on a traditional semifreddo with dairy, but it’s not ready yet. Please let me know how this turns out with your changes. Have a great week! -Kim
I love a classic semifreddo and this one looks particularly delicious due to the addition of all those berries. So perfect for Summer. Yum!
Thank you for your compliments Thalia. Have a nice weekend. -Kim
I love your recipes and ill try them this weekend. thank you!
Hi Mary. Thank you so much. Have a great weekend! -Kim
This is SO pretty! So does tour dad follow a low carb WOE, too, or do you not tell him your desserts are healthy?
Melanie, thank you. No, my dad is not low carb, but is lower carb. He’s easy to cook for and hasn’t met a sweet he didn’t like. My mother is a tough customer, but because of an autoimmune condition, has to be very careful what she eats. I BUY her treats from the store. -Kim
This sounds divine!
Thank you, Ann. Have a great weekend!