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Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

Vegan vanilla ice cream with a silky, ivory custard-style texture made from coconut milk. Cook the coconut cream mixture until slightly thick, chill for 4 hours, then churn and freeze for a scoopable no-dairy vanilla ice cream.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vegan Vanilla Base
  • 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk Refrigerate overnight; scoop only the solid coconut cream from the top.
  • 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk Refrigerate overnight; scoop only the solid coconut cream from the top.
  • 0.5 cup maple syrup or agave Choose one.
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch Choose one.
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the coconut custard
  1. Scoop the solid coconut cream from the top of the refrigerated coconut milk cans, and set aside for the base while reserving the coconut water for another use. Keep the cream cold for the best thickening and smooth texture.
  2. Add the coconut cream, maple syrup (or agave), vanilla extract, arrowroot (or cornstarch), salt, and coconut oil to a saucepan. Whisk until no dry starch is visible.
  3. Heat the mixture over medium heat while whisking constantly until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. You should see a light custard texture coating the whisk.
  4. Cool the mixture completely to room temperature. Do not skip cooling, since it affects how smoothly the ice cream churns.
Chill, churn, and freeze
  1. Transfer the cooled mixture to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours (or until cold through). The texture should feel thicker before churning.
  2. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until thick and creamy. Stop when it looks like soft-serve consistency.
  3. Freeze in a container until scoopable. For best firmness, let it rest until ready to serve.

Notes

Pro tip: whisk continuously while heating so the arrowroot/cornstarch cooks evenly and stays silky. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; thaw in the fridge for 5–10 minutes for easier scooping. No dairy swap: this recipe is already naturally dairy-free—use vanilla bean extract if you want more speckled vanilla without changing the method.