You can use anything you like....but the taste won't be the same as if you use sugar, full fat cream and eggs...
But we always have to make compromises...

Most of the recipes for lower fat ice cream Ive seen use Fat Free Half & Half. I'm not sure 1% would have the body, it may come out like a white popsicle.

Alexa

I use agave nectar, instead of sugar, in recipes I make in my Deni ice cream maker - 1/4 c. agave nectar for every 3/4 c. sugar.

You might try using low-fat half and half along with 1% milk. There are also recipes that use non-dairy liquid creamer to add some "creaminess" that would be lost from using low-fat milk alone. Unflavored gelatin is also added to low-fat or non-dairy (using liquid creamer) recipes. I also make a concentrated mixture (double or triple strength) of Morning Moo's (a powdered whey-based milk substitute) as a substitute for heavy cream, and it's low-fat.

LOW-FAT, NON-DAIRY BLUEBERRY FREEZE
(source: Deni)

3 c. non-dairy creamer
1-1/2 t. plain gelatin
3/4 c. sugar (I'd use 1/4 c. agave nectar)
4 oz. egg substitute (Egg Beaters)
1-1/2 c. pureed blueberries
1 t. vanilla

1. In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the non-dairy creamer. Warm the mixture (do not allow to boil) to dissolve the gelatin, stirring if necessary.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well in a blender or processor.

3. Chill thoroughly.

4. Add to ice cream maker and process.

-Grainlady

I use skim and low fat milk to make ice cream all the time. It's true that the texture would never be as creamy as the ice cream used full fat milk. We love homemade ice cream so much that pretty much everything goes. Every summer I look around the kitchen to see if I can come up with some new ice cream ideas. The "exotic" ones I have tried were green tea flavor, ginger flavor, & pineapple flavor, all turned out very well.

Al

The "fat free half and half" that I've seen is skim milk and high fructose corn syrup. I think fat free evaporated milk would be a much better choice.

If you're making chocolate, I really like this recipe:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/06/chocolate_sherbet.html

and I'm certain you could use 1% instead of skim if you wanted. The texture is really nice-- it doesn't get too hard, which I sometimes have a problem with. I think because of the liqueur.

Yes, you can use 1% milk in it, but as mentioned, it won't have the "mouth feel" that you get from fat like cream, half and half or eggs.

I've made a pretty darned good frozen yogurt using just fruit, homemade fat free yogurt and Splenda, when Dad was still alive and I made some sugar free butter pecan ice cream with brown sugar Splenda (which is really a sugar/sweetener blend, so there is some sugar) but I used fat free half and half for that. I've made ice "milk" with low fat milk and it's still pretty good, but remember, every substitution you make alters the final product. So, if you have a vanilla ice cream that you love and you use agave nectar or honey instead of sugar and you use milk instead of cream and you leave the eggs out, it's not going to be even close to your original results.

Annie

Et tu, Brute??

You, of the grass-fed beef, and homemade mozzarella?

Jessica, my Dad was diabetic, had several heart attacks, a quadruple bypass, congestive heart failure, a bunch of stuff. He also had an insatiable sweet tooth, so I did my best to try to keep him supplied with an occasional treat that he could eat without compromising his blood sugar.

Although Dad passed away over a year ago, my brother in law is diabetic, my stepmom has just been diagnosed with diabetes and is on dialysis, Elery's brother in law and stepmother are both diabetics. So, do I make them treats with Splenda, with fat free half and half, with no eggs, whatever? Sure I do.

But I make them all from scratch, I don't buy them, LOL.

Annie

Sure, sure, I understand. I've been known to make the occasional healthy substitute myself. But the fat free half and half instead of skim milk? I don't mean to sound like a food snob, but I don't understand the draw.

It's texture, Jessica, the half and half makes a creamier ice cream than skim milk. I could probably replicate the texture, maybe with cornstarch, to make the skim milk thicker, but I don't do it often enough to really get into the experiments. I considered using evaporated skim, but it has a different taste if I don't cook it.

Mostly I make them frozen yogurt with my homemade yogurt, fruit pureed in the food processor and Splenda or Equal. the only problem is that it freezes really hard, it's best right out of the ice cream freezer, kind of "soft serve".

Annie

Interesting-- I wonder why.

I often have the same problem. Have you tried adding a few tablespoons of liquor or liqueur?

No, I never HAVE liquor, LOL, because I don't drink. I guess I could buy one of those little "airline" bottles of something...

Annie

Right, uh, me either . . . :-P (hides glass of Riesling)

LOL, Jessica, I meant REAL liquor, like vodka or rum or something. I'm thinking Riesling wouldn't be so good in ice cream. I'm not morally opposed to drinking or anything, heck, I owned a bar and grille for years, I just haven't tasted any that I particularly liked, so I don't bother.

Then again, maybe Reisling ice cream.... (grin)

Annie

Lol. I think you're right-- I think the hard stuff works better. I tried some vodka and rum in a couple of sorbets, and some Kahlua (or something like it) in chocolate sherbet.

It is an idea. . . For the record, if I get addicted to white-wine-sickles, I'm blaming you!

OK, blame me. Especially if the idea takes off, you market it and get rich! Remember me for royalty checks, will you?

Annie

Frozen mango chunks (bought in a bag from freezer section) blended with skim milk in a blender can be just about as thick as ice cream (if you use more of the frozen fruit) or smoothie-like if using more of the skim milk.Usually doesn't need sweetener but if desired one packet of stevia would do the trick. Frozen ripe banana chunks blended with skim milk also provide a lot of creaminess but I don't really eat them any more due to calories. :) I was wondering about the low cal possibilities with the ice cream maker and appreciated everyone's info here. Husband just made a batch with full blown cream and sugar, with coconut flavoring, it was great but these days I'm not interested in anywhere near that much fat or sugar! Had one bite, it was enough :) Lost 20 lbs recently amazingly easily by just not eating overly fat foods and starches, wish I'd done it years ago :) It is surprising how quickly you get used to less fat and added sugar, then when you taste something with all that stuff in it, as I just did, it's like, man, way too much!! (Of course the fruit contains sugar and even skim milk has some, so it is still a dessert but at least it lacks the added fat and sugar.) I've read that some people use guar gum, I'm not sure where to buy that, anyone know?

This post was edited by urthcreature on Sun, Aug 17, 14 at 15:30

I use 1 percent milk sometimes or fat-free buttermilk in recipes where the tang works. As for sweeteners, around here, anything goes, including melted jams, honey, fruit juice concentrates, etc.

Are the results "premium" ice cream like we can get from the store? No, but they're a heck of a lot better than the store-bought low-fat/low or no sugar alternatives.