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Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream

Dairy free vanilla ice cream with a silky, creamy texture made by gently thickening coconut milk on the stove, then churning and freezing until scoopable. Clean non-dairy vanilla flavor with rich coconut creaminess—no dairy needed.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

full-fat coconut milk
  • 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk Use 2 cans.
granulated sugar or maple syrup
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar Or swap for maple syrup.
  • 0.5 cup maple syrup Or swap for granulated sugar.
arrowroot or tapioca starch
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch Or swap for tapioca starch.
  • 1 tbsp tapioca starch Or swap for arrowroot starch.
pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt
coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 ice bath
  • 1 ice cream maker

Method
 

Make the base
  1. Whisk full-fat coconut milk, granulated sugar (or maple syrup), arrowroot (or tapioca starch), pure vanilla extract, salt, and coconut oil together in a saucepan until smooth.
  2. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens very slightly—about 5 minutes, with a glossy look.
  3. Remove from heat and cool completely over an ice bath, stirring occasionally until no longer warm to the touch.
  4. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and chill at least 4 hours, until cold and thick enough to hold shape briefly on a spoon.
Churn and freeze
  1. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the texture looks like soft-serve.
  2. Transfer to a container and freeze until scoopable—about 2 hours, until firm around the edges but still scoopable in the center.

Notes

For the silkiest scoop, chill the base until very cold before churning—warm base can lead to a softer result. Store in a sealed container in the freezer up to 2 weeks; let sit 5–10 minutes at room temperature for easier scooping. Freezing is recommended, but refreezing after thawing may reduce texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat coconut milk, noting the ice cream may be less rich and slightly softer.