This dairy-free ice cream recipe is so creamy and luscious! It’s way better than store-bought and incredibly easy to make using coconut milk. Use it as a jumping-off point for your own creations. Vegan and Gluten-free.
Here’s a dairy free ice cream recipe I’ve spent years developing in my catering business. It’s incredibly silky and luscious, with a beautiful creamy texture, just sweet enough with a hint of vanilla.
Use the vegan ice cream recipe as a base for your own flavorings!
By the way, I’ve taste-tested this recipe on a few hard-core skeptics! When I described it as vegan ice cream, they turned up their noses. It was fun to watch that cynicism wash off their faces. They all loved it!
Why you’ll love it!
- Incredible texture! Silky, creamy, and luscious!
- Lightened-up. It is subtly sweet and lower in sugar, fat, and calories than most other ice cream recipes! Plus this allergy friendly recipe is nut-free, vegan, and lactose-free!
- Fast and easy, just 10 minutes of hands-on time!
- Prep it ahead. The ice cream base can be made 10 days in advance or stored for 3 months in the freezer!
- So many variations! Customize this base to create any flavor you’d like!
DAiry Free Ice cream Ingredients
- Coconut milk: Preferably boxed Aroy-D coconut milk, not canned. This coconut milk contains 22% fat, which is much lower than most canned brands. If using canned, see notes.
- Organic cane sugar: To make the ice cream just subtly sweet!
- Xantham gum: Optional, but great for achieving the best creamy texture.
- Sea salt: Enhances the sweetness and vanilla to result in a perfectly balanced taste.
- Vanilla extract: To create a vanilla ice cream flavor. The base can be customized. See our flavor variations below!
How to Make Vegan, Dairy-Free Ice Cream
Step 1: Place coconut milk in a medium bowl. Or a 4-cup glass measuring cup.
Step 2: Whisk sugar and xantham gum. Add sugar and xantham gum to a small saucepan and whisk. I’ve intentionally lowered the sugar here; feel free to add more.
Step 3: Whisk water and heat. With the water added, whisk and heat over medium until sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the sea salt and vanilla.
Step 4: Combine with coconut milk and chill. Pour the dissolved sugar mixture into the coconut milk and whisk well. Chill first if using an ice cream maker with a freezer bowl. The ice cream base can be chilled up to 10 days or frozen for up to 3 months for later use.
Step 5: Churn. Pour the base into your ice cream maker according to its directions and churn until creamy and frozen.
Step 6: Serve. Scoop immediately or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw 10 minutes before using to let it soften.
Flavor variations
Add any of the following to the ice cream base to create different flavor profiles! TIP: When adding solid ingredients like nuts, or chocolate chips, or nut butters, add ½-1 cup at the end of churning. When adding spices, or extracts, whisk into the base before churning.
- Chocolate chips, chocolate chunks (chop and use for mint chocolate chip), cacao nibs, or cacao powder
- Swirl in peanut butter or almond butter
- Swirl in caramel or nut brittle (or both to make a salted caramel cluster!)
- Crushed cookies
- Nuts: pistachio, toasted pecans or maple pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts
- Fruit: fruit jams or cooked fruit work best – strawberry, peach, blackberry, blueberries, huckleberries, cherries
- Spices: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, five spice, saffron
- Other creative flavorings: lemon zest, orange blossom water, rose water, spearmint extract (great for mint chip), almond extract, and maple extract
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with fruit desserts – Easy Apple “Pie”, Strawberry Galette, Farm-Style Peach Galette, Simple Peach Cobbler, Apple Crisp, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler, Rhubarb Tart with Lemon, Cardamom & Vanilla
- Serve with cakes – Huckleberry Cake, Olive Oil Cake, Rhubarb Cake, Festive Cranberry Cake
- Serve in a bowl – topped with toasted coconut, fresh berries, or chocolate sauce!
- Serve in an ice cream cone!
MY Favorite Ice cream Maker
If you are in the market for a new ice cream maker, I can’t say enough good things about this Ice Cream Maker. This little guy has a built-in compressor and makes ice cream, gelato or frozen yogurt in 30 minutes—with no pre-freezing of the canister! Good for spontaneous cooks! I love it and use it nightly for healthy frozen yogurt.
FAQs
Boxed coconut milk is best due to its fat content. It results in a lusciously creamy texture! Choose coconut milk over other dairy-free milks like oat milk, cashew milk, or almond milk.
We list the xantham gum here as optional, but it is ideal for enhancing the texture and achieving the viscosity of a rich and creamy ice cream. Guar gum is another option, though we have not tried it.
Hope you enjoy this Dairy-Free Ice Cream as much as I have! Use this as a jumping-off point for your own creations. So delicious!
xoxo
More Vegan Desserts You Might Like!
Dairy Free Ice Cream Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups
- Category: dessert, ice cream
- Method: churned
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This dairy-free ice cream recipe is so creamy and luscious! It’s way better than store-bought and incredibly easy to make using coconut milk. Use it as a jumping-off point for your own creations. Vegan and Gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups coconut milk– preferably two boxes(8.5 oz) of Aroy-D boxed, not canned (see notes)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon xantham gum- optional, but gives good texture
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place coconut milk in a medium bowl or 4-cup glass measuring cup.
- Place sugar and xantham gum in a small saucepan and whisk.
- Add water, whisk, and heat over medium until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Stir in salt salt and vanilla.
- Pour the dissolved sugar mixture into the coconut milk and whisk well. Chill for 6 hours if using an ice cream maker with a freezer bowl. The vegan icecream base can be chilled up to 10 days or frozen for later use.
- Pour into your ice cream according to it’s directions and churn until creamy and frozen!
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw 10 minutes before using to let it soften slightly.
Notes
The ice cream is at its best right after churning.
Coconut Milk– The Aroy-D Coconut milk in the box works perfectly for this recipe. If you must use canned coconut milk, Blend it first in a blender until smooth. Consistency will vary as the fat level varies. This coconut milk contains 22% fat, much lower than most canned brands.
The ice cream base can be made up to 10 days ahead and stored in the fridge, or it can be frozen for up to 3 months (thaw before churning).
Tip: Make a double batch of the base and refrigerate or freeze half for later use.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 15.1 g
- Sodium: 49.9 mg
- Fat: 14.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 12.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.1 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Just made this recipe for the 2nd time. We love it! Would appreciate more details, if you get the chance, regarding how much/when etc to add various add-ins. Thanks to all!!!
So happy you enjoyed this! I will add more detail!
I’d love to add a flavor other than vanilla. For example, could you use this base for fruit such as peaches? Or could I simply add cocao powder to make chocolate?
Hi Jodi! Yes, feel free to use this recipe as a foundation recipe! I add cacao powder, berries, peaches are good too. I like to cook down the peaches first, up to you!
I can’t believe how good this vegan ice cream is! Followed the recipe to a T’ and thought the sweetness was just perfect. Not too sweet, just enough. Rave reviews from my teenagers and husband.
So delighted to hear this Terri! Really appreciate the review!
I thought you and the readers might find this article about Aroy D coconut milk of interest.
https://gohealthywithbea.com/the-truth-about-aroy-d-coconut-milk-ingredients/
That is really interesting Heidi. I wonder if their organic one is the same- I’ll have to look.
Can you make this without an ice cream maker?
Love your recipes. Thank you
Donna
Hi Donna- I have not tried this without the ice cream maker. I feel like it would be too heavy- as the icecream maker whips air into the ice cream giving it lightness!
What about freezing the mixture until semi solid and then using a vitamix? Do you think that might work?
Hi Debra, That sounds like a great idea! I havent tried, but let me know if you do!
The link to this coconut milk, which is supposed to be powdered, takes you to a liquid coconut milk by the company.
Hi June- the link is correct! I don’t use powdered – I use the boxed liquid coconut milk!
Tthanks for clarifying!
😊
I’m so excited to try this as I’m dairy free and gluten free!!
Please let us know what you think!