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Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

Vegan vanilla ice cream with a silky, ivory custard texture made by thickening coconut cream on the stove, then chilling and churning for scoopable richness. This dairy-free vanilla ice cream delivers pure vanilla flavor with no dairy indication.
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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: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Coconut milk
  • 2 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight; scoop only the solid cream
Sweetener
  • 0.5 cup maple syrup or agave
Flavorings
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the coconut vanilla base
  1. Scoop the solid coconut cream from the top of the refrigerated cans of full-fat coconut milk and leave the coconut water behind for another use. You should see a thick ivory layer that holds together when lifted.
  2. Combine coconut cream, maple syrup or agave, pure vanilla extract, arrowroot or cornstarch, salt, and coconut oil in a saucepan. Whisk until smooth and no cornstarch lumps remain.
  3. Heat over medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. The base should look more custard-like and coat the back of a spoon.
  4. Cool the mixture completely to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours. Cover and chill until very cold and visibly thicker.
Churn and freeze
  1. Churn the chilled coconut vanilla base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The texture should turn creamy and aerated as it thickens.
  2. Freeze churned ice cream until scoopable. It should hold its shape while still feeling soft and smooth when scooped.

Notes

For the smoothest vegan custard ice cream texture, chill the base until fully cold before churning so it thickens evenly. Store leftovers covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. For best texture, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. For a nut-free option, keep the recipe as-is (it’s already dairy-free and typically nut-free); for a lower-sugar version, reduce the maple syrup slightly and expect a softer scoop.