Go Back

Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

Vegan vanilla ice cream made with coconut milk for a silky, ivory custard-style texture without any dairy. Cook the coconut-vanilla base briefly, chill until cold, then churn and freeze until scoopable.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
  • 2 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight Refrigerate overnight so the cream firms up on top.
maple syrup
  • 0.5 cup maple syrup Use maple syrup or swap for agave if preferred.
pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
arrowroot or cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch Use arrowroot or cornstarch for thickening.
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt
coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 ice cream maker

Method
 

Scoop the coconut cream
  1. Scoop the solid coconut cream from the top of the refrigerated coconut milk cans, reserving the coconut water for another use.
Cook the vanilla base
  1. Combine the coconut cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract, arrowroot or cornstarch, salt, and coconut oil in a saucepan.
  2. Heat over medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stop heating and let the vanilla base cool completely.
Chill, churn, and freeze
  1. Refrigerate the cooled mixture for at least 4 hours to chill thoroughly.
  2. Churn in an ice cream maker until the mixture thickens into soft-serve texture.
  3. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until scoopable.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, chill the base until it feels fully cold in the center before churning. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; thaw in the fridge 5–10 minutes before scooping. Freezing is yes, but the texture may firm up after a week. For a slightly lighter ice cream, reduce maple syrup to 1/3 cup while keeping vanilla and thickener the same.