The iPhone 7 Isn't the Only New Thing That Comes in Jet Black

Move over rainbow food trends, there's a new, darker kid in town: jet black ice cream. And no, it doesn't have squid ink in it.

This frozen dessert may look mysterious and slightly intimidating, but trust us— it's insanely delicious. The blackish hue is created from activated charcoal, and although it's guaranteed to dye your tongue black for the rest of the day, it's perfectly harmless (and totally tasty) to consume.

Read on to discover how to create your own version in a few simple steps, and celebrate the fact that black is the new rainbow.

The iPhone 7 Isn't the Only New Thing That Comes in Jet Black — *Image by Julia Kitlinski-Hong/Food Hacks Daily*

The Origins of Black Ice Cream

It all started at Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream in New York City, with the debut of their Coconut Ash flavor. The store's owner, Nick Morgenstern, came up with the unique flavor after noticing the growing trend of using activated charcoal for detoxing in everything from lemonade to smoothies.

Activated Charcoal: The Newest Trend

Coconut ash, which Morgenstern's uses in their ice cream to give it its distinctive color, is a form of activated charcoal. Although eating charcoal may seem like something that only takes place in the ER for ingesting poison, activated charcoal in small amounts is believed not to have any adverse effects on your body. Plus, there's that cool black tongue thing that can scare people into thinking you're Patient Zero of the zombie apocalypse!

However, coconut ash is not always an easy ingredient to hunt down, and can be pretty expensive if do you manage to find it. Luckily, regular activated charcoal is a perfectly acceptable substitute that is easily found in your local health food store or online.

PopSugar has created their own version of this famous black ice cream, and it's super easy because there's no churning involved. The recipe calls for regular activated charcoal and has a light lemon flavor that is ideal for those hot summer days. Going to the dark side has never been more delicious!

What You'll Need

1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup activated charcoal powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon curd
1 cup sour cream
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (be sure it's sweetened!)

Step 1: Whip It Good

Whip the heavy cream and 1/3 of the charcoal powder together in a large, chilled metal bowl (chilling the bowl makes the cream easier to whip). Continue until stiff peaks form, and then set it aside.

Step 2: Mix It Up

In a smaller bowl, combine the sour cream, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice, lemon curd, vanilla extract, and the rest of the charcoal powder, and whisk until no lumps are present.

Carefully fold the two mixtures together and stop immediately after they are completely combined to avoid over-mixing. You don't want your whipped cream to deflate!

Step 3: Freeze Frame

Move the mixture to a metal or glass loaf pan (to retain the low temperature), and cover with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystal growth. Freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to get a firm consistency.

Step 4: Ice Cream, You Scream...

After it's frozen enough, scoop into a bowl and enjoy! It's really that easy.

Once you discover the dark goodness of black ice cream, it will be hard to go back to those silly brightly-colored ice creams. Let us know in the comment section below how your version turned out.