I'm not kidding when I tell you that I've tested this recipe a lot. I've tested it like, A LOT. Let's just say getting a vegan ice cream recipe that has no coconut or nuts in it just right, is a lot of work! On the other hand, if you love coconut then this vegan chocolate ice cream (no-churn) is for you.
Besides the fact I'm not complaining I've been living on chocolate ice cream these past few weeks, I've been determined to create this one for you as some of you have mentioned that you don't like the taste (or are allergic) to coconut. So here it is, and I could not be happier to finally share this homemade chocolate ice cream with you!
What's the secret to creamy coconut-free ice cream?
The secret my friends is condensed soy milk. I know, you've probably never seen this on the supermarket shelves (I know at least it's not something found here in Ireland). But don't worry, you don't need any fancy ingredients to make this recipe, because we're making our own homemade sweetened condensed soy milk using a more commonly found ingredient, plain old soy milk!
Ingredients needed
Along with your homemade sweetened condensed soy milk here's what you'll need to make this creamy dairy-free chocolate ice cream recipe.
- Soy cream: this replaces dairy cream found in non-vegan ice cream and brings the fat content to this ice cream recipe.
- Oat milk: if you prefer you can use another plant-based milk in its place.
- Vanilla extract: as always, this enhances the sweetness and flavor of the recipe.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder: for this recipe, I recommend dutch processed cocoa as it has a much deeper chocolate flavor and is less acidic than natural cacao powder.
- Cookies: Oreos are accidentally vegan (be sure to check as this may differ from country to country). You could also use my recipe for homemade oreo cookies or healthy vegan Oreos if you'd prefer.
- Other add-ins: a few dark chocolate chunks would be great in the ice cream too, these can be stirred in just before freezing.
How to make homemade sweetened condensed soy milk
(Full recipe and instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post)
I recommend making the sweetened condensed soy milk the day before as it will need a couple of hours to cook as well as a couple of hours of chilling time.
- Add soy milk, sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Make sure the saucepan is big enough to allow room for the mixture to expand and bubble. Heat on medium and stir for a couple of minutes until all of the sugar has been dissolved.
- Increase the heat until the mixture comes to a simmer, then reduce it to medium so that the mixture is gently simmering (not boiling). Keep a close eye on the pot for the first ten minutes or so to make sure the mixture does not boil over.
- Set your timer to check and whisk the mixture every 15 minutes. Do this for 2 hours.
- For the last 15 minutes, keep a very close eye on the pan as this is a critical stage. The mixture will become sticky, and resemble regular condensed milk. At this stage measure the contents of the saucepan by pouring them into a heat-proof jug or bowl, there should be close to 350g. If there is much more, then return the pan to heat for another 10-15 minutes, stirring to reduce the mixture down to the correct amount.
- Remove the pan from the heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl. Set aside for 10-15 minutes before covering and placing in the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours. The mixture will thicken (see image for reference) this is normal.
Frequently asked questions
Theoretically, you could use the steps in this recipe and replace the soy milk with oat milk. If you can find oat cream, that can also be used in place of soy cream. As of yet, I have not tried these substitutions, so I can't vouch for this version of the recipe yet. But do let me know if you experiment with the ingredients using my method below.
This dairy-free ice cream recipe does require an ice cream machine. I tried to create a coconut-free, nut-free, dairy-free ice cream that was also no-churn. Guys, it just does not cut it. So if you're serious about making good quality ice cream at home without the help of coconut cream, then I'd recommend investing in an ice cream maker. It doesn't need to be state of the art. In fact, there are some very reasonable machines on the market that don't break the bank and do the job just fine. The brand I use is called "Silvercrest". It was only about €20 or so when I bought it a few years back. You can find similar spec ice cream machines here.
More vegan ice cream recipes
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Description
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4.25 cups (1 l) unsweetened soy milk
- 1 cup (200 g) caster sugar , *superfine sugar, or cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) sea salt
- 14.1 oz (400 ml) soy cream
- ⅓ cup (78 ml) oat milk, or other plantbased milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons (89 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 8-10 (96 g) vegan oreos , or other vegan cookies of choice, *see notes
Instructions
Sweetened Condensed Soy Milk (MAKE AHEAD OF TIME)
- Add the soy milk, sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Make sure the saucepan is big enough to allow room for the mixture to expand and bubble. Heat on medium and stir for a couple of minutes until all of the sugar has been dissolved.
- Increase the heat until the mixture comes to a simmer, then reduce it to medium so that the mixture is gently simmering (not boiling). Keep a close eye on the pot for the first ten minutes or so to make sure the mixture does not boil over.
- Set your timer to check and whisk the mixture every 15 minutes. Do this for 2 hours.
- For the last 15 minutes, keep a very close eye on the pan as this is a critical stage. The mixture will become sticky, and resemble regular condensed milk. At this stage measure the contents of the saucepan by pouring them into a heat-proof jug or bowl, there should be close to 350g. If there is much more, then return the pan to the heat for another 10-15 minutes, stirring to reduce the mixture down to the correct amount.
Ice cream
- Add the chilled sweetened condensed soy milk to a large bowl. Slowly add the soy cream to the bowl whilst whisking to incorporate it into the condensed milk.
- Add the oat milk, and vanilla extract and whisk again until completely smooth.
- Next add the cocoa powder in one tablespoon increments, whisking for about 10 seconds before adding each tablespoon to incorporate it into the mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to your ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturers instructions (mine takes 40 minutes). Once churned, transfer the ice cream to a large bowl and fold in the crushed cookies if you're using them.
- Transfer the ice cream mixture to a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Cover and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 5-10 minutes before serving to allow it to thaw slightly and enjoy!
Notes
- Cookies: Oreos are accidentally vegan (be sure to check as this may differ from country to country). You could also use my recipe for healthy vegan oreos if you’d prefer.
- Add ins: A few dark chocolate chunks would be great in the ice cream too, these can be stirred in just before freezing.
Nutrition
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I have not made the ice cream yet, but just finding a recipe that I can use with goat milk ice cream is wonderful! Recently all the grocery stores around here have stopped carrying LaLoo's goat milk ice cream and Amazon wants $93.00 for 8 pints. Too rich for my blood. Eager to make my own. Thx.
Hi Jean,
This recipe uses oat milk, not goats milk.
This recipe turned out perfectly! I made the sweetened condensed milk with homemade oat milk (3 cups oats plus 9 cups water blended in Ninja at highest setting for 30 seconds) then squeezed through a mesh nut milk bag. I also replaced the vanilla syrup with mint flavoring at my son's request. Instead of soy cream, I used oat milk creamer (The kind used for coffee). When it was time to mix all of my ingredients together, I wasn't able to get a smooth consistency with a wire whisk, so I blended it with my Ninja. It became perfectly creamy and smooth instantly. My son crushed gluten free Kinnikinnick Kinnitoos (just like Oreos, but free from the top 8 allergens), and added them in at the last 5 minutes of churning. Oh, one more thing, I added 1/4 cup sunflower oil to the oat milk that is mixed into the sweetened condensed oat milk. I did this because after researching previous posts, that was one addition that seemed to work for some and it is an ingredient in the oat ice creams available at grocery stores. I picked sunflower oil because it is eczema friendly for my son.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My son has multiple food allergies including wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, coconut and tree nuts. Your recipe has made his life that much sweeter!
I made this a few weeks ago, and it was awesome!
I did have some slight deviations, however:
-I had the condensed milk on a high simmer but it should probably have been on a lower simmer. It ended up being a incredibly sticky mass of goop after an hour of cooking. I was able to salvage it, though, by mixing in about an additional 1/2 of the soy milk called for in the recipe. I stirred it constantly on a low simmer for a while, and it did dissolve for the most part into the texture I believe it would’ve been without my mistake. I did have to strain it to get the residual lumps out before I added it to the rest of the recipe
-I didn’t have soy cream, so I used a vegan store bought whipping cream (Silk’s 33% fat whipping cream alternative). I was a little worried it would ruin the texture, but this recipe seems to be fairly forgiving, and the texture of the finished ice cream ended up great!
Hi Anna,
That's so great to hear - good on you for improvising with the recipe! I'm sure this feedback will be very helpful for others too, so thank you so much for your detailed review. I'm delighted that you loved the recipe.
Hi Christina! This recipe looks great, I really want to try it soon. Before I do though, could you clarify what you mean by "soy cream"? I haven't heard of this product and am having trouble finding it. Would Silk Heavy Whipping Cream work? Thanks!
Hi Addison,
Thank you so much and can't wait for you to try out the recipe! Its an alternative to single cream, so not heavy whipping cream. The one I use is called "Alpro Longlife Soya Alternative To Cream". You could also use oat cream such as Oatly single cream. I hope this helps, we don't have Silk products here in Ireland unfortunately