This vegan vanilla ice cream recipe uses coconut cream and vanilla paste for authentic vanilla flavor. It is easy to make and freezes beautifully!

Ice cream is one of my favorite go to desserts. It’s cold and creamy. It’s great with cookies or cake and enjoyable in hot or cold weather. What’s not to love?

For my vegan version, I wanted to make it as creamy as I was used to. And I was pleasantly surprised at the results. This ice cream is easy to make and has an intense vanilla flavor thanks to the vanilla paste and extract. And the coconut cream not only freezes very well, but adds a nice creaminess to the ice cream.

Try out this vegan vanilla ice cream recipe yourself!

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How to make Vegan Ice Cream?

Traditional ice cream is made by milk and egg yolks as a base. The cream and milk are heated along with their flavorings. The egg yolks are gently cooked by the hot milk that is slowly ladled in to make a thick custard cream. This is then cooled and put in the ice cream machine.

We are not using egg yolks, cream, or milk that is generally used in making ice cream. But I promise this vegan version will be just as sweet and creamy.

I love ice cream and all their flavors, but sometimes I want a simple vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

• Coconut Cream. This fat is where the creaminess comes from.
• Vanilla paste and vanilla extract. In this recipe, I add both to up the vanilla flavor, but either one will impart that flavor.
• Creamy non-dairy milk, like soy or oat. I have even read pea milk works well, too. Find one with high-fat content.
• Cornstarch. This will thicken the cream when heated, similar to what egg yolks would do.
• Sugar. Of course! No ice cream is complete without sugar. Use any granulated sugar.

Equipment you will need:

• Ice cream machine. The ice cream machine’s job is to spin the cream while chilling it, so the ice cream forms the smallest ice crystals possible. You can try putting the cream in the freezer and mixing it up every 5 minutes or so until it is frozen.

How to make Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

You will first heat up two cans worth of full-fat coconut milk. If you are using vanilla pods or paste, then you add it now to let the flavors steep. If using vanilla extract, you add it afterward. This ensures a stronger vanilla flavor.

In a separate bowl, put in your non-dairy milk of choice and mix the cornstarch in. Ideally, you want to mix until there are no lumps. If there are still lumps, strain the mixture before adding it to the coconut cream.

Heat the mixture until there it starts bubbling. You want to whisk it so no skin forms on the top. Once it bubbles for a few minutes, turn off the heat (while still whisking) until the cream is thick and coats the back of a spoon.

This is when you can add your vanilla extract. Then you add it to a heat safe container to chill in the fridge. To make sure a skin doesn’t form, take a little plastic wrap and add it directly to the surface of the cream. Be careful because it is hot.

Chill until it is cool completely. This can take a couple of hours or even overnight.

Turn on your ice cream machine and pour the mixture in. This does freeze fast, so make sure the machine is on before you add the cream.

If adding other add ins, like cookies or fruit, wait 15 minutes or so. This is to make sure they don’t all sink to the bottom immediately.

Once ice cream is like soft serve texture, take it out and put it in a freezer safe container. Let it freeze completely for about 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Does it taste like coconut?

I know coconut gets a bad rap.

I understand. Who will want ice cream that taste like coconut? You want something similar to dairy ice cream.

But I’ll be honest. I don’t taste the coconut once you heat it up with the sugar, vanilla, and non-dairy milk. It does have a hint of coconut when you have it in cream form, but once you freeze it completely, that taste becomes very mild.

Want More?

Try Out Similar recipes below:

• Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
• Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Crackle
• Creamy Vegan Vanilla Pastry Cream

If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you! What is your favorite ice cream flavor?