I perfected this dairy-free ice cream recipe while working as a pastry chef at a vegan restaurant! Coconut milk is the base for a velvety smooth scoop that rivals any you would get from a specialty ice cream parlor.
As a Pastry Chef, This is My Favorite Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipe
During my years as a pastry chef at a vegan restaurant, one of my favorite tasks was developing recipes for ice cream to accompany the desserts. These frozen treats became so popular that we gave them their own place on the menu and sold them to-go. This delighted me since it gave me even more opportunity to experiment with flavors and add-ins.
We always used canned coconut milk as our base for its deep richness and creaminess. I experimented with different sweeteners, seeking the best flavor and texture. I found that sweetening it exclusively with sugar resulted in an ice cream that tended to get icy over time. I reworked the recipe to use a combination of sugar and agave nectar to dial in the texture.
My new and improved dairy-free ice cream has a texture similar to Italian gelato. It’s luxurious yet firm; creamier and smoother than traditional ice cream with a dense, soft texture.
This recipe does require a little planning ahead, but I promise it will be worth the wait. When you’re done, there will be plenty to share, but I won’t tell if you eat it all on your own!
Key Ingredients
This is considered a base recipe. You can make the base, which is a basic diary-free vanilla ice cream, then add different flavorings, which I suggest a little further down in the post under “Flavor Variations.”
- Canned coconut milk provides the fat and creaminess to replace the dairy. Look for brands that have a high fat content, between 12 to 17 grams of fat. Thai Kitchen, Arroy-D, and Chaokoh are good options. I used Thai Kitchen when testing this recipe. Do not use cream of coconut, the sweetened coconut sauce often used in cocktails.
- Sugar adds sweetness while lowering the freezing point of the ice cream, helping to keep it soft and scoopable, yet cohesive.
- Agave nectar is a liquid sweetener made from breaking down sugar (sucrose) into fructose and glucose. It lowers the freezing point better than sucrose. This prevents large ice crystals from forming, which helps make the ice cream smooth and creamy. You can also substitute light corn syrup or honey instead.
- Coconut oil adds richness and silkiness and improves the texture of the ice cream. Unrefined coconut oil will have a stronger coconut flavor. You can use either refined or unrefined coconut oil for this recipe. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and for this recipe it should be measured as a solid.
- Vanilla extract helps to balance the flavor of the coconut milk, enhance the sweetness and add depth.
- Fine sea salt also lowers the freezing point of the ice cream base which helps it freeze quicker and helps prevent an icy texture.
How to Make Dairy-Free Ice Cream
You will need to freeze the core of your ice cream maker, usually 24 hours ahead of time, but follow the guidelines of your specific ice cream maker.
While testing this recipe, I used the Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment, but the Cuisinart ice cream maker is another great option.
Once you’ve made your base, it is necessary to chill it. And, once spun, you will need to keep it in the freezer to firm up. Don’t skip the step of bending the ice cream base before chilling it!
This step ensures the ingredients are fully emulsified, resulting in a smoother texture and preventing ice crystals.
- Combine the base. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add 2 cans coconut milk, 3/4 cup organic cane sugar, 1/4 cup agave nectar, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons solid coconut oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Whisk to combine. Warm over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until you start to see wisps of steam. Remove from heat.
- Blend the base. Transfer the mixture to a blender and place the lid on tightly. Blend for 15 seconds on medium speed, just enough to combine ingredients completely.
- Chill the base. Transfer ice cream base into a container and refrigerate for at least four hours, but ideally overnight. The base should be about 45°F before churning in the ice cream maker. If the mixture separates while chilling, whisk until it comes together again before spinning it in the ice cream maker.
- Churn the ice cream. Once thoroughly chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Freeze the ice cream. Transfer to a sealed, freezer-safe container and place in the freezer. For a firmer, scoopable texture, freeze ice cream for at least four hours before serving.
Flavor Variations
- Tahini Ice Cream: For an indulgent tahini ice cream, add 1/4 cup tahini to the pan with the base ingredients in step 1. Then continue with the recipe as written. When serving, top it off with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
- Chocolate-Hazelnut: To make chocolate hazelnut ice cream, add in 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder to the base in step 1. Then, once you’ve churned the ice cream for 10 minutes (step 4), add 1/3 cup toasted and roughly chopped hazelnuts.
- Blueberry-Cardamom: Add 2 cups fresh blueberries, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 tablespoon vodka (more on why below) to the blender with the other ingredients in step 2. Then continue with the recipe as written. You can try substituting different berries, but different berries and fruits add varying amounts of liquid and fiber, so you may find the texture altered.
Tips, Tricks and Troubleshooting
- Cold temperatures dampen our perception of sweetness, so even if your ice cream base tastes very sweet before spinning, it will taste less so once it’s frozen.
- Depending on the coconut milk you use, some have a small amount of gums like guar gum or xanthan gum added to them that will act like a stabilizer and thickener, which can improve the body of the ice cream.
- Adding fruit to an ice cream base adds additional water, which can create an icy texture. To counter this, add a tablespoon of vodka. Use vodka for a neutral flavor or choose a more complex spirit like whiskey or rum to enrich the overall flavor.
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Combine the base. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add both cans of coconut milk, sugar, agave nectar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt. and whisk to combine. Continue whisking occasionally, until you just start to see wisps of steam. Remove from heat.
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Blend the base. Transfer mixture to a blender and place the lid on tightly. Blend for 15 seconds on medium speed just enough to combine ingredients completely.
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Chill the base. Transfer ice cream base into a container and refrigerate for at least four hours but ideally overnight. The base should be about 45°F before churning in the ice cream maker. If the mixture separates while chilling, whisk until it comes together again before spinning it in the ice cream maker.
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Churn the ice cream. Once the base is thoroughly chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream will be more like soft serve at this point.
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Freeze. Transfer to a sealed, freezer-safe container and place in the freezer. For a firmer, scoopable texture, freeze ice cream for at least four hours before serving.
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- Flavor Variations:
- Tahini Ice Cream: For an indulgent tahini ice cream add 1/4 cup tahini to the pan with the base ingredients, in step 1. When serving, top it off with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
- Chocolate-Hazelnut: To make chocolate hazelnut ice cream, add 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder to the pan with the base ingredients in step 1. Then, 10 minutes into the churning process, add 1/3 cup toasted and roughly chopped hazelnuts.
- Blueberry-Cardamom: For a fruity option, add 2 cups of blueberries, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 tablespoon vodka to the blender with the other ingredients in step 2. Adding fruit to an ice cream base adds additional water, which can create an icy texture. Adding the vodka helps counter this.
Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 24.1gProtein: 0.01gFat: 3.6gSaturated Fat: 2.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 73.3mgPotassium: 2.7mgFiber: 0.01gSugar: 23.5gVitamin C: 1.2mgCalcium: 0.5mgIron: 0.03mg
Our Must-Have Cardamom
Sweet, pungent, and lemony, cardamom enhances both sweet and savory dishes.
