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Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream

Pineapple coconut ice cream with visible pineapple chunks and toasted coconut for a creamy, vacation-in-a-bowl frozen dessert. Made with a cooked custard base that’s chilled, churned, and then frozen until scoopable.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling + freezing (includes at least 4 hours chilling) 4 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 414
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Coconut milk
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk Use canned full-fat for the richest texture.
Cream & sweetener
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
Custard base
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 salt Just a pinch to balance sweetness.
Pineapple-coconut mix-ins
  • 1.5 cup fresh pineapple Finely diced so the chunks stay distributed.
  • 0.5 tsp coconut extract
  • 0.25 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup toasted shredded coconut Added at the end of churning for better crunch.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the custard
  1. In a saucepan, heat the full-fat coconut milk, heavy cream, and granulated sugar, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is steaming.
  2. In a slow, steady stream, slowly whisk the hot coconut mixture into the egg yolks to temper them.
  3. Return everything to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175°F (about 5–7 minutes) and coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Strain the custard into a clean container, then stir in the coconut extract, vanilla extract, and salt.
Chill and finish
  1. Cool the custard completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours until very cold.
  2. Churn in an ice cream maker until thickened, adding the finely diced pineapple and toasted shredded coconut during the last 5 minutes of churning.
  3. Transfer to a container and freeze until scoopable, about 2–3 hours.

Notes

Pro tip: Straining the hot custard removes any eggy bits for a smoother base. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; freeze for up to 2 months for best texture. For a dairy-light swap, replace heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream (the texture will be slightly less rich).