Dairy Free Ice Cream Recipe | Creamy Homemade Non Dairy Dessert
Creamy, scoopable dairy-free vanilla ice cream made with a blend of coconut milk and almond or oat milk, plus starch and syrup for a silky texture. Includes churn and no-churn methods with optional mix-ins and swirls.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 can (13.5–14 oz) full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or oat milk
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (or 2 teaspoons cornstarch)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado or refined coconut oil)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup chopped dairy-free dark chocolate (optional mix-in)
- 1/3 cup toasted chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, or pecans; optional mix-in)
- 1/4 cup berry jam, sunbutter, or dairy-free caramel (optional swirl)
Instructions
Instructions
- Whisk the tapioca starch with 1/4 cup cold almond or oat milk in a small bowl until completely smooth and lump-free.
- Combine coconut milk, the remaining almond or oat milk, sugar, maple or corn syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan and heat over medium, stirring often, until steaming and the sugar is fully dissolved without boiling.
- Slowly whisk in the starch slurry and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, then remove from heat.
- Stir in vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste if using, and neutral oil, then blend the warm mixture with an immersion blender for 15 to 20 seconds to emulsify.
- Pour the base into a shallow container, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- For the churn method, churn the chilled base according to your ice cream maker’s instructions until soft-serve consistency, add optional chopped chocolate or nuts in the last minute, transfer to a container, ripple in any swirls, and freeze until firm, about 3 to 4 hours.
- For the no-churn method, beat the chilled base in a cold metal bowl with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, freeze for 45 minutes, beat for 1 minute, and repeat the freeze-and-beat cycle 3 to 4 times, then fold in mix-ins and swirls and freeze until solid, about 5 to 6 hours.
- Before serving, let the ice cream temper at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes for easier scooping.
Notes
Pre-chill your ice cream maker bowl for 24 hours if using one. Use shallow containers for faster freezing and smaller ice crystals. Limit total mix-ins to 1/2–3/4 cup to maintain a creamy texture. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container with parchment or plastic wrap pressed on the surface; freeze up to 2 weeks for best quality. Variations include chocolate fudge, strawberry ripple, mint chip, cookie crunch, salted caramel swirl, and coffee. For coconut-free, use 1 3/4 cups oat milk plus 3/4 cup cashew cream.