This vegan chocolate ice cream recipe is super creamy and delicious without using any dairy! Here are the secrets to making it at home.
Have you ever had the Sunday Night Blues? That jittery gut feeling that work or school week is just a night’s sleep? The pressure to take full advantage of those last fleeting moments? I’ve had a weekly bout of Sunday Night Blues for years, although I’ve finally learned to alleviate it with a few mental tricks. A friend of mine fights back by going on a date at the ice cream parlor with his wife. How fun is it? In honor of the Sunday Night Blues, Alex and I created this vegan ice cream recipe. It’s creamy, frosty and tastes so delicious: without any dairy products. Here are our secrets!
Why a Vegan Ice Cream Recipe?
Why make a vegan ice cream recipe? Alex and I are not strictly vegan/plant-based. But since there are so many great traditional ice cream recipes out there, we took up the challenge of experimenting with dairy-free versions. That’s why we came up with vegan ice cream:
- Plant-based ice cream is a fun twist. It’s no exaggeration to say that this vegan ice cream is just as good as the real thing! It’s deliciously creamy and delicious, a no-dairy feat. Consuming less dairy can be better for you and the planet, so why not try it once in a while?
- It’s not as rich as regular ice cream. When eating dairy, I’ve found that vegan ice cream tends to sit better with my stomach. I don’t feel so indulgent after eating it!
How to make this vegan ice cream recipe
Creamy vegan ice cream is difficult to make. Because real dairy has a lot of fat in it to get that creamy texture, vegan ice cream can sometimes get icy and unsatisfying. We cracked the code to create the perfect texture. Here are our secrets:
- Whole coconut milk. Be sure to use whole milk here! Ice cream needs fat to get creamy.
- cornstarch. A little cornstarch will help thicken the ice cream to get the right smooth texture.
- liquid sweetener. Using a liquid sweetener in combination with granules helps make the texture perfectly creamy.
We tried all of these tricks and were amazed by the result, vastly improved over our last coconut ice cream which turned very icy when frozen for storage. And the taste? Despite being made from coconut, it only has a hint of coconut when you bite into it, overwhelmed by the burst of salty chocolate flavor.
Salt and pistachios optional
When we made this vegan ice cream recipe, Alex and I added two totally optional mixes! Add them if you want:
- Sea-salt. If you like salty and sweet, you’ll love the sea salt mix! I’m a big fan. But if you don’t like salty chocolate (like Alex) feel free to skip it.
- Chopped pistachios. We also added chopped pistachios to give it a little elegance. I love the chunks in my ice cream so this was just perfect. But you can use any nut or mix – see below!
What else can you do with coconut milk? Here are 15 recipes for using a can.
Variations of vegan ice cream: more taste!
You can vary this vegan ice cream in so many ways! Here are some different flavor options:
- Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream: Leave out the chocolate and cocoa powder. Increase to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add the pods of one vanilla bean if you like.
- Vegan Mint Chocolate Ice Cream: Leave out the chocolate and cocoa powder. Add 2 teaspoons peppermint extract and 2 ounces chopped chocolate to mix. (Learn more here.)
- Vegan Chai Ice Cream: Leave out the chocolate and cocoa powder. Add ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream: Add ¼ cup peanut butter with the coconut milk.
- To mix together: Chocolate chips, chopped almonds, nuts or peanuts, fudge strips, shredded candy, shredded cookies, etc.
What is the best ice cream maker?
Finally, what is the best ice cream maker? Alex and I use this 2 liter ice machine and I love ! It’s a great holiday or birthday gift if you’re on a budget.
Stirring the ice cream takes about 15 minutes. Once done, you can eat your ice cream right away for a fluffy texture. Or follow the recipe instructions below to freeze it into a hard ice cream texture: It takes about 4 hours to freeze!
This vegan ice cream recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based and dairy-free.
The description
This vegan chocolate ice cream recipe is super creamy and delicious without using any dairy! Here are the secrets to making it at home.
- 2 15-ounce cans of whole coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup agave syrup
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar or coconut blossom sugar
- 3½ ounces vegan dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- To mix together: ½ cup chopped pistachios, ½ tsp small sea salt crystals (optional)
- Freeze the ice maker base overnight.
- In a small bowl, combine ½ cup coconut milk with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and set aside.
- Place the remaining coconut milk in a medium saucepan. Heat the coconut milk over medium-low heat for a minute or two, stirring to incorporate the solids. Then add the agave syrup and coconut blossom sugar. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the coconut milk; stir until everything is well mixed. Stir in the cocoa powder, then the cornstarch mixture. Heat until the chocolate mixture is thick (do not boil), 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a 1 gallon ziplock bag. If stirring immediately, place the bag in an ice bath for 30 minutes until cool; If you’re stirring the next day, refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight (in either case, the mixture should be as cold as possible before stirring).
- Stir the ice cream in the ice cream maker until it has the consistency of soft serve, about 10 to 15 minutes. If using, add the chopped pistachios and sea salt while the mixture is turning.
- For a soft texture or for a hard ice cream, eat immediately, freeze according to the following instructions: Press a piece of parchment paper or wax paper into an airtight container, then use a spatula to scrape the ice cream into the container, being careful not to scrape off any frozen parts up the edges of the ice machine base. Freeze for 4 hours for a hard ice cream texture.
Remarks
Note: Since the ingredients need to be chilled before churning, we recommend starting this recipe the night before serving.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frozen
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Recipe for vegan ice cream, chocolate ice cream, vegan chocolate ice cream, vegan ice cream
Looking for more vegan desserts?
Aside from this vegan salted chocolate ice cream recipe, here are a few of our favorites:
