The base is made using my vegan custard recipe, which is speckled with real vanilla beans and gives the ice cream a rich consistency without being heavy or overly sweet like ice cream with condensed milk tends to be.
What's more, it's made without cashews or bananas!
You can also choose to make it with oat milk or soy milk depending on your preference.
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Traditional French ice cream has a rich, thick custard base (creme Anglaise) made using egg yolks, whole milk and/or dairy whipping cream.
Like my vegan banoffee ice cream, this recipe uses a dairy-free crème Anglaise base and vegan condensed milk to create the best texture possible.
Because of the thick and creamy base, this homemade ice cream won't go icy in the freezer, unlike other recipes that use just milk or cream.
🧾 Ingredients Needed
As promised, this homemade vegan ice cream recipe is made using just 8 ingredients. Here’s what you need:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Non-Dairy Milk: I've tested this recipe with soy milk, oat milk, and almond milk. I personally find that soy milk makes the best ice cream base, with oat milk coming in a close second. Almond milk gave a paler color and slightly more watery consistency. You could probably also use coconut drinking milk, rice milk, or cashew milk if you don't mind whether it contains nuts.
- Vanilla: A real vanilla pod is essential for that authentic flavor. Alternatively, you can also go for a good-quality vanilla paste. Vanilla extract is also included in the recipe to help create a layered intense vanilla taste.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the custard base without eggs, giving it a rich consistency.
- Vegan Condensed Milk: Replaces regular condensed coconut milk typically used in ice cream recipes. As the custard base is only mildly sweet, this adds sweetness and creates a consistency that doesn’t get too solid once frozen. This seriously helps with giving the ice cream a wonderful melty consistency.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Refrigerate the can overnight and use only the thick cream from the top of the can. You can also use coconut cream, or another vegetable-based whipping cream such as Schlagfix if you want to avoid any coconut flavor.
🥣 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make this vegan vanilla ice cream recipe. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:
Step 1: Add the corn starch, white sugar, and dairy-free milk to a saucepan and whisk to remove any lumps. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod with the back of a knife and add to the pan.
Step 2: Cook the mixture for 4-5 minutes until it thickens. The custard should coat the back of your spoon, remove it from the heat, and stir in the sea salt. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
Step 3: Add the full fat coconut milk, condensed milk, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl and whisk with a hand mixer until fluffy.
Step 4: Add the chilled custard mixture to the bowl and whisk again until thoroughly mixed.
Step 5: Pour the vanilla ice cream mixture into your ice-cream machine and churn for 30-40 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Step 6: It will have a soft serve consistency at this stage, but you can transfer it to a loaf pan or airtight container, cover it, and freeze it for 2 hours for a scoopable consistency.
🍦Serving Ideas
- Vegan Ice Cream Sundae: Drizzle over some vegan caramel sauce, healthy date caramel, chocolate ganache, homemade Baileys, or hot fudge sauce. Serve with sprinkles, fresh fruit coulis, berries, caramelized pineapple, hot cherries, or crushed nuts.
- Stracciatella: Finely chop dark chocolate or chocolate chips and add them to the mixture during the last 10 minutes of churning.
- Flavors: Swirl vegan lemon curd throughout the ice cream before freezing for a delicious lemon ice cream.
- Mix-Ins: Combine it with edible cookie dough to make vegan cookie dough ice cream. Stir through crushed oreos or biscoff cookies for a delicious cookies n' cream ice cream situation.
- Top Desserts: Enjoy it with a slice of vegan vanilla cake, cherry pie, pecan pie, or apple pie. Scoop it on top of brownies, vegan pancakes, waffles, or crêpes.
💭 Expert Tips
Freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker in advance. I usually keep mine stored in the freezer, but it needs at least 12-24 hours in the freezer before use.
Thaw before serving for 10 minutes to allow the ice cream to become scoopable.
Refrigerate your cans of coconut milk overnight. I usually keep a few cans in the fridge for good measure, that way I never have to worry about prepping the day before making a recipe.
Heat your ice cream scoop in hot water before scooping to get perfect scoops every time.
💬 FAQs
Although I highly recommend using an ice cream machine, here are some tips if you're keen to go ahead and make the recipe without one.
After an hour of freezing or as it begins to freeze around the edges, transfer the ice cream mixture back into the blender to blend down any ice crystals before pouring it back into the loaf pan and into the freezer. Continue to check the ice cream every 30-45 minutes, using a spatula to stir it vigorously by hand.
Alternatively, another interesting method for making ice cream without a machine is with a plastic bag as shown on Delish. I haven't personally tried this method yet, so I can't vouch for how good it works!
You could also go for one of these great no-churn recipes instead including mango ice cream, caramel ice cream, or passion fruit ice cream.
The secret is in the base. Any great ice cream recipe will have a high-fat content, making it less likely to crystalize than water-based ice cream.
This coupled with using an ice cream machine and ensuring that the ice cream is airtight when in the freezer and not exposed to the air will truly give the best vanilla ice cream!
Yes! You can use another plant-based whipping cream such as oat whipping cream, and use sweetened condensed oat milk instead of condensed coconut milk.
🍨 More Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream (Nut Free & GF)
Ingredients
- 520 ml (2 ⅕ cups) soy milk *see note 1
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar *see note 2
- 45 g (4 ½ tablespoons) cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 vanilla pod
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 200 g (7 oz) vegan condensed milk
- 200 g (7 oz) chilled full-fat canned coconut milk thick part from top of the can only, or coconut cream *see note 3
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Freeze the ice cream bowl from your ice cream machine at least 12-24 hours ahead of making the recipe.
- Add the soy milk, sugar, and cornstarch to a saucepan and whisk well to remove any lumps. Cut the vanilla pod down the center and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and the pod to the saucepan and place on medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes whilst whisking. Alternate between using a whisk and rubber spatula to make sure the custard does not stick to the pan. The mixture will become thick once the cornstarch is cooked, remove it from the heat. Carefully remove the vanilla pod and stir in the sea salt.
- Cover the bowl with clingfilm to prevent a skin from forming and allow the custard to cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to the fridge to cool fully for an hour before the next step.
- Add the vegan condensed milk, coconut milk, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and mix with an electric whisk for a couple of minutes until creamy. Add in the chilled custard mixture and whisk for another minute to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, mine usually takes about 30-40 minutes.
- Transfer the ice cream mixture to a loaf pan, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours.
Storage and serving
- Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving to allow it to thaw slightly and use a hot wet ice cream scoop to serve.
Notes
- Soy Milk: You can also use oat milk or almond milk (almond milk will be less creamy).
- Some white sugar in the US is not vegan, if in doubt use organic sugar.
- Full-fat canned coconut milk: Refrigerate overnight and only use the thick cream from the top of the can. I find Biona and Nature's Charm yield the best amount of coconut cream.
- Heat your ice cream scoop in hot water before scooping to get perfect scoops every time.
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