Vegan coconut vanilla ice cream
Creamy vanilla ice cream made with coconut milk — free from dairy, eggs and lactose.
Tinned coconut milk has about 20 % fat, similar to single cream, so it makes a properly creamy ice cream. It is suitable for people with a milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance, and for vegans. To be honest: “vegan” doesn’t automatically mean “lighter” — coconut fat is mostly saturated and the calories are similar to cream ice cream. It is healthier here mainly for people who can’t have dairy. You can still taste the coconut; the vanilla softens it.
Type: Classic cream ice cream · Servings: 8 · Difficulty: Moderate
Equipment
Ingredients
- 650 g coconut milk (tinned, ~20 % fat) (2 tins of full-fat (at least 17 % fat))
- 80 g water
- 70 g granulated sugar (sucrose)
- 60 g dextrose (glucose powder)
- 1.5 g locust bean gum (carob gum, E410)
- 0.5 g guar gum (E412)
- 0.5 g salt (a pinch)
- 3 g vanilla pod (1 pod)
Making the mix
- Mix the dry sugar, dextrose, locust bean gum and guar gum.
- Heat the coconut milk with the water, salt and vanilla (seeds and pod) to 40 °C and, stirring constantly, pour in the dry mix.
- Heat to 85 °C and hold for 2 minutes.
- Remove the pod and blend the mix with a stick blender — otherwise the coconut fat separates.
- Cool in iced water and leave to age in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Blend briefly again before freezing.
Method — Compressor ice cream maker
- Switch on the ice cream maker 5–10 minutes in advance so the bowl pre-chills.
- Pour in the chilled mix (no higher than the fill line) and churn for 30–40 minutes until it has the consistency of a thick cream.
- Transfer to a chilled container, cover the surface with cling film and leave to harden in the freezer for about 120 minutes.
Total time: 7 h 30 min
Method — Freezer-bowl ice cream maker
- Freeze the bowl for at least 24 hours in advance. Take it out just before use, fit the paddle and switch the machine on.
- With the machine running, pour in the thoroughly chilled mix — filling the bowl no more than two-thirds full; freeze the rest as a second batch.
- Churn for 20–30 minutes until the mix thickens. Going on longer is pointless — the bowl has already warmed up.
- Transfer to a chilled container and leave to harden in the freezer.
Total time: 8 h 20 min
Method — Ninja CREAMi and similar machines
- Pour the mix into the CREAMi tub up to the MAX line (one or two tubs, depending on their size), put the lid on and freeze level for 24 hours.
- Put the tub in the machine and run the Ice Cream program.
- If the result is crumbly or powdery, add 1–2 tablespoons of coconut milk and run Re-spin — with a very cold freezer even twice.
Programme: Ice Cream
Total time: 29 h
Stages
- Preparation
- 15 min
- Cooking
- 10 min
- Cooling
- 30 min
- Ageing in the fridge
- 4 h
- Churning
- 35 min
- Hardening in the freezer
- 2 h
- Total time
- 7 h 30 min
Serving and storage
From the freezer, let it stand for 10 minutes. It goes well with mango, pineapple, baked banana or toasted coconut.
In a sealed container, up to a week. Coconut fat sets harder than milk fat, so let it soften for longer before serving.
Tips
- Reduced-fat (light) coconut milk isn’t suitable — the ice cream will be icy.
- Check the ingredients: good coconut milk contains only coconut and water, possibly with a stabiliser.
- A drop of lime juice or a spoonful of rum (for adults) masks the soapy note that cheaper coconut milk can have.
Why it works
In dairy ice cream, proteins and lactose (the milk solids) help bind water and stabilise the air. Coconut milk has almost none of them, so the recipe relies on fat (about 15 %), locust bean gum with guar, and a higher proportion of dextrose, which keeps the ice cream softer. Coconut fat sets at fridge temperature and creates a firm structure — the ice cream is dense but, at −18 °C, harder than cream ice cream.