Dairy Free Coconut Ice Cream
by Sommer Collier — last updated on May 18, 2026 
I’m totally obsessed with this dairy-free coconut ice cream because it’s rich, creamy, and tastes like a tropical vacation in a bowl. I blend creamy coconut milk with simple ingredients into a smooth frozen dessert that’s incredibly refreshing on hot summer days. It feels indulgent, but it’s lighter and dairy-free, which makes it even easier to love.
We love making deliciously cold ice cream in the summer and have quite a growing assortment of frozen treats recipes, like this buster bar ice cream cake. I mean, how else would we be ok in the south when it hits those 90+ degree temps?! And as much as we enjoy classic ice cream, there are times we need a dairy-free or vegan option for friends with food sensitivities and specialized diets. That is where this dairy free coconut ice cream comes in handy! This is by far my favorite non-dairy ice cream, also known as nice cream, since it is totally plant-based. It’s made with coconut milk, coconut cream, and vanilla extract for a perfectly creamy, smooth, and sweet treat that everyone will love! It’s also so easy to make this recipe from scratch, and it tastes fabulous! Seriously, you will not miss the cow’s milk one bit.
Toni – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Such a perfect summer dessert! Everyone at my house loved it!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Creamy Without Dairy – Who knew that a dairy-free dessert could be so creamy and dreamy?! Well, I sure didn’t until I experimented with this recipe. Every scoop of this rich and delicious frozen coconut treat totally proves that you don’t need milk to make smooth ice cream.
Dense Coconut Flavors – Calling all coconut lovers! This creamy dessert is for you. Every bite is filled with tropical coconut flavors that are naturally sweet and absolutely tasty. The store-bought variety, on the other hand, usually gets its sweetness from all those questionable additives that go into making it.
Seriously Refreshing – I eat ice cream, like my vanilla ice cream recipe, all year round. But this dessert is especially refreshing during hot summer days because of the cool tropical flavors. I love to add in some chocolate shavings, chopped nuts, or extra shredded coconut to make it feel more like a sundae, and I eat it straight out of a mug. Don’t judge!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Full-fat unsweetened coconut milk – This is the key to getting that rich and creamy texture. I use the thick canned kind to make this ultra-silky ice cream! Make sure to use the full-fat canned coconut milk and not lite coconut milk. You can’t use the refrigerated coconut milk beverage, as this is not the same kind of coconut milk and doesn’t contain enough fat to make ice cream.
- Coconut cream – Canned coconut cream helps to accentuate that coconut flavor even more. Plus, it adds extra thickness to the final result.
- Granulated sugar – To sweeten things up, you can use either white sugar or coconut sugar! Sugar also helps keep the texture soft.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla bean paste or extract adds depth to the flavor profile, and it accentuates the natural coconut taste.
- Salt – A pinch of salt is always essential to making a great ice cream! It helps balance out all the sweetness, and promote the key flavors.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, cooking tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
No-heat method – The first way to make this ice cream is using the no-heat method. This basically just entails tossing all the ingredients into a blender, pureeing them until they’re smooth, and churning them as-is in an ice cream machine without heating everything up.
Heat and stir method – The other option is to use the heat and stir method. I usually make it this way if there are chunks in the coconut cream and I need to break them down/dissolve them by heating it up. Then, I chill the mixture at room temperature before popping it into the ice cream machine to churn.
Churn – Once I’m done making the cream base using either method, I set up my electric ice cream machine. I place the freezer bowl into the machine, and I turn it on. Then, I pour the cold ice cream mixture into the machine, and churn it for about 20 minutes until the ice cream is thick and firm.
Serve – Finally, I either serve it immediately as soft-serve, or I scoop it into a container and freeze it until I’m ready to enjoy this tropical deliciousness.
Recipe Variations
- Other extracts – One of my favorite things about this coconut ice cream is how easy it is to customize with different extracts. Almond and hazelnut add a rich, cozy flavor, while lemon or lime makes it taste extra bright and tropical. Raspberry gives it a fruity twist, and mint makes it super refreshing. Just start with a small amount because extracts can get strong fast!
- Chocolate – When I’m craving something extra indulgent, I mix in cocoa powder or chunks of dairy-free chocolate. Chocolate and coconut are such a dreamy combo, and it instantly makes the ice cream taste extra decadent.
- Berry – I love swirling in raspberry or strawberry jam right before freezing. It adds gorgeous ribbons of color and little bursts of berry sweetness throughout the ice cream.
- Cookies – Folding in crushed dairy-free cookies is one of my favorite ways to add texture. I usually stir them in at the very end so they stay a little crisp instead of getting soggy. It makes the ice cream taste like a fancy ice cream shop flavor!
Serving Suggestions
There are endless possibilities for all of the extra yummy goodies that can be added to this frozen coconut cream. Here are a few of my favorite toppings to add on-top for a fun sundae-inspired dessert:
- Coconut shreds
- Strawberry sauce
- Chocolate shavings
- Dark chocolate chips
- Chopped nuts like cashews, macadamia nuts, or pistachios
- Lime zest or lemon zest
- Crushed pineapple
- Fresh berries
- Berry jam
- Add fresh homemade dairy-free whipped cream and a cherry on top!
Storing
I like storing ice cream in a tightly sealed container in the freezer, so it stays delicious for up to 3 months. To keep it extra creamy and help prevent freezer burn, I sometimes press a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap onto the surface before sealing the lid. And don’t worry if it freezes pretty firm; that’s totally normal for homemade ice cream! I usually let the container sit on the counter for about 10+ minutes before scooping it, so it softens up into a scoopable texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is a hint of coconut flavor in the homemade ice cream, but mostly it tastes just like vanilla. It has a lightly tropical flavor that I LOVE, and pairs really well with crushed pineapple as mentioned above.
Enjoy scoops of coconut milk ice cream in root beer floats, make banana splits with all of your favorite toppings, or add to baked desserts like cake or pie to serve à la mode.
Well, it depends on the brand of coconut milk/cream and the type of blender you use. You can put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth to find out. If the coconut ice cream mixture is VERY smooth without any chunks, it’s safe to churn it as-is without heating.
However, if there are any coconut cream chunks present, they will freeze into hard waxy clumps in the ice cream. In this case, you need to warm the mixture over medium heat until smooth, stirring regularly. Then chill and cool to at least room temperature before churning.
If you don’t want to “test” the no-heat method, you can simply dump all the ingredients in a saucepot and heat until smooth, so the coconut clumps and sugar both dissolve. Then chill and churn.
More Frozen Dessert Recipes
Help Me Spread the Word about this Fabulous Free Recipe! Sharing this recipe link on Pinterest and Facebook is super impactful, and I greatly appreciate it! Find the share buttons below the recipe form.
Dairy Free Coconut Ice Cream
Video
Ingredients
- 27 ounce canned full-fat unsweetened coconut milk 2 cans
- 13.6 ounce can coconut cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- No-Heat Test: I’ve made this ice cream several times and have discovered that it doesn’t always need to be heated/cooked before churning… Which cuts out a significant amount of time. (It depends on what brand of coconut milk/cream you use and the type of blender you use.) To test if your ice cream needs to be heated, put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. If the coconut ice cream mixture is VERY smooth without ANY chunks, it’s safe to churn it as-is without heating.
- Heat and Stir: However, if there are any coconut cream chunks present in the mixture, they will freeze into hard waxy clumps in the ice cream. In this case you need to warm the mixture over medium heat until smooth, stirring regularly. Then chill and cool to at least room temperature before churning. *If you don’t want to “test” the no-heat method, you can simply dump all the ingredients in a saucepot and warm over medium heat until smooth, so the coconut clumps and sugar dissolve. Then chill.
- To Churn: Once the ice cream mixture is cold, set out a 1.5-2 quart ice cream machine. Place the freezer bowl in the machine and turn on. Pour the very smooth cold ice cream mixture into the machine. Churn for 20-25 minutes, until thick, firm, and smooth.
- Serve immediately, or scoop into an airtight container and freeze until ready to use.
The coconut cream you linked to doesn’t add up in ounces, and I assume you use two cans of the milk. please clarify. Also, can you use the Simple version without the guar? Thank you!
Hi Tina,
Most canned coconut milks and creams come in the 13.5 – 13.66 ounce size. I believe we linked to a selection page where you can choose the brand you prefer. Look for cans in this size range. 2 milks, and 1 coconut cream. Hope this helps!
Thank you for posting this recipe and for including tips about how to reduce churn time too. I made a different yesterday and I definitely over churned it. This recipe is rock hard. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe.
ha, love the nice cream and coconut is a welcome flavor for me, not one of my regulars, but love coconut, thank you!
Have you ever tried making with peanut butter? Would love to know how that worked and how much to put in.
Quick question?
This looks amazing and Is like to try it. Are you calling for 2 x 27 cans of coconut milk or a total of 27 ounces?
I used this recipe to create a dairy-free ice cream, but I made a few changes. First, the coconut cream we had was already sweetened, so I didn’t add any sugar. It was plenty sweet as it was. I also added about 1.5 cups of frozen berries. I first mixed it all together over a very low heat until the chunks of coconut cream had melted. Then I threw it all in the blended on the ‘salsa’ setting to keep some of the berry skin visible. Then it went into the ice cream maker. Delicious and a beautiful magenta color! We served it in crystal champagne glasses (not flutes) over slices of store-bought ginger and lemon cakes. Divine!
About to make this recipe for some popsicle molds but I just HAD to tell you how amazing those little crocks are!! Are they cast iron? I must find some for myself!
Hi Ash,
Yes, they are enameled cast iron. I actually think I found them at Hobby Lobby! :)
Such a perfect summer dessert! Everyone at my house loved it!
Usually the texture of dairy free ice cream is not the best, but this coconut milk ice cream has such a great texture! Also really great flavor!