This Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream recipe with sea salt has only 7 ingredients and is SO easy to make! It’s a perfect healthy summer dessert! Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free and vegan!
Sea salt and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
Seriously, one lesson I have learned on my culinary journey {so far} is that adding a touch of sea salt to a cholcatey dessert is always a good idea. Always.
The inspiration for this Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream with Sea Salt came to me on a date night with Ritch before Mara was born. We went out for ice cream and chocolate peanut butter wasn’t an option {GASP}!
After getting over my disappointment, I opted for the sea salt chocolate fudge {and of course, had them mix in some peanut butter}. It was the BEST ice cream flavor I had ever tried. Seriously the saltiness offset the bittersweet chocolate so well my mind was blown! However, my body didn’t love me the next day {because dairy is definitely not by BFF}. So, I decided I had to recreate a healthier, dairy-free chocolate ice cream recipe at home…STAT.
Enter this Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream with Sea Salt! It is super creamy and irresistibly chocolatey, but not overly sweet. The sea salt adds a depth of flavor and richness that is out-of-this-world good. This vegan chocolate ice cream recipe is sure to become a summer dessert staple in your house, as it is in mine!
Not only is this Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream crazy yummy, but it’s also healthy and suitable for just about anyone! It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, nut free and has zero refined sugar! Plus it’s vegan friendly! So even the most sensitive eater in your life can enjoy this frozen treat!
How to make Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream with Sea Salt
1. Use a Vitamix to make the base
Making this ice cream is SUPER easy! Simply melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, then toss all the ingredients into a blender {Vitamix} and blend for 30-60 seconds until smooth!
2. Do not chill the base before churning!
Pour the mixture directly from the blender container into an ice cream maker and let it churn! Do not chill it before putting it in the ice cream maker to churn! Something important to note: always turn on your ice cream maker before pouring the ice cream mixture in. Doing this keeps the ice cream from freezing to the bottom/sides, which can hinder the churning process!
3. Freeze!
Once the ice cream has finished churning, transfer it to a freezer-friendly container. Let it freeze for at least 1 hour before digging in!
Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream: Substitutions
As always, I recommend making this recipe exactly as written! There are a couple substitutions that will still result in a delicious frozen treat!
- Please do not substitute the coconut cream. I have found that coconut cream makes the absolute best dairy-free chocolate ice cream on the planet. Any other non-dairy milk will likely result in a sub-par final product. So please, go buy some and thank me later.
- Honey: For a vegan option use maple syrup! You can try other liquid sweeteners, although I have only used honey & maple syrup so I cannot say with certainty that they will taste as yummy! If you do try another liquid sweetener, report how it went in the comments!
- Unsweetened chocolate: Any variety of chocolate works here! I recommend keeping it dark, but if you’re more of a milk chocolate person that works too.
That’s it! I do not recommend making any other substitutions in this recipe!
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Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream with Sea Salt
Ingredients
- 1 can full-fat coconut CREAM not milk…cream!
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup unsweetened chocolate melted
- 2 TBS coconut oil melted
- 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a microwave safe dish, melt together the chocolate and coconut oil
- Add the ingredients in the order listed to the container of a Vitamix (or other high-powered blender)
- Blend, starting on low speed then increasing to high, for 30-60 seconds or until all ingredients are combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Turn on an electric ice cream maker.
- Pour the mixture from the blender container into your ice cream maker as it spins.
- Let the ice cream churn for 20-25 minutes until it becomes a firm ball or the ice cream maker stops rotating.
- Transfer to a glass Tupperware container and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until you’re ready to eat it!
- Makes about 1 pint of creamy DELICIOUSNESS !
Notes
Nutrition
Now that summer is {finally} in full swing here in Utah, I could eat this Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream with Sea Salt every single day! If you give this recipe a whirl please let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to snap a picture and tag @joyfoodsunsine so I can see your creation!
Question: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?!
Need some more ice cream recipes?
Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream {vegan friendly}
Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream {vegan-friendly}
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KATHY sheets
Does it taste like coconut?
Laura
I do not think so!
Debbie
I’m surprised you don’t have to freeze the container from the ice cream maker? Mine has been churning for 20 mins and it looks the same. I hope it works out when I freeze it (btw Tovolo containers are great!)
Laura
Oh you absolutely have to freeze the ice cream maker container. You don’t have to chill the chocolate ice cream mixture. But the container has to be frozen to work.
Christa
Hi! I’m gonna make this tonight, it looks awesome. I was wondering if I could replace the honey with unsweetened apple sauce, or maybe do half and half of each? Do you think it would taste ok?
Laura
I don’t recommend replacing honey with applesauce.
Ana
There are cans of full fat coconut cream that differ in sizes, how many ounces do i use?
Ana
No wait nvm i found out its 14 oz
Juliana Braunsroth
The best chocolate ice cream ever! We’re a vegan family and everyone in the house loves this ice cream. I use maple syrup in ours and make a double batch every time. It doesn’t last very long in our freezer.
Laura
Thank you Juliana! This is one of our favorites too!
Michelle
Holy Smoke, this has to be one of the best chocolate ice creams on the planet!
Just a small enquiry – was I suppose to freeze it directly in the base of my ice cream maker? Also, how long can you freeze this stuff for? Is there a way to make it freeze less Rock hard?
Thanks!
Jennifer Talbert
Hi Laura!
Thanks so much for sharing this and it looks awesome!! If my coconut cream does not contain guar gum, is that a problem? Have any of the brands you have tried not contained guar gum and been successful?
Thank you so much!
Jennifer
Susan
Can your ice cream recipes be doubled without issue?
Laura
They can be doubled, however you will likely need to churn them in two, separate batches. My standard-sized ice cream maker does not have the capacity to churn a double batch!
Chastity
This looks amazing! What size can coconut cream do you use? I have a small and a large.
Thanks!
Laura
I use a 14 oz can!
Ann
What if you don’t have an ice cream maker?
Ann
Its teachetta1@aol.com
Laura
Hey Ann! I do recommend using an ice cream maker! You could churn it by hand (mix it up every 15 minutes as it sets in the freezer) however an ice cream maker is a must-have appliance in my opinion! Especially if you need dairy-free ice cream…it saves you so much money in the long run! I bought my first one for $7 on clearance at Target! Then I found a very high quality one on our neighborhood yard sale page for $20! You can definitely find them cheap!
Bethany @ athletic avocado
Before I became a foodie, I thought it was super weird when chocolate recipes were paired with sea salt. But now I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND the delicious sweet and salty combo! This ice cream looks so creamy and dreamy!
Kim
what about carb counts ?Any idea how many there are in a serving?
Laura
Hey Kim! I’m sorry I do not include carb/calorie counts! But I know there are many web resources that do!
Liz
Laura, these photos are STUNNING! I am so in love with this recipe—- can’t wait to try sometime this summer!
Laura
Thank you Liz!! <3
Laura
Thank you Liz!
Andie Thueson
Oh my word! My mouth is watering! This looks so flipping good! I cannot wait to give this one a try!
Laura
Thank you Andie! 🙂
Kristina @ Love & Zest
Not only does this recipe look and sounds amazing but your PICTURES!! They are so good! When I would see them going through my social media they would catch my eye! You did a great job!
Laura
Thank you so much Kristina! 🙂
Alisa Fleming
Wowee, that is one super rich ice cream! I can only imagine how creamy it is – I may need to make some soon.
Laura
It’s definitely a great dairy-free recipe!
Taylor Kiser
This ice cream looks heavenly! Love that you added sea salt with the chocolate! Wonderful flavor combination! This is a summer must make!
Laura
Thank you so much Taylor! 🙂
Janalyn E
This was AMAZING! I did use maple syrup and increased it to 1/3 cup… But after 5 months of no chocolate ice cream, I nearly wept with joy eating this. Thank you thank you thank you for this recipe!!!!!
katherine
Omg, this is all of my favorite things in one recipe.
Laura
You and me both Katherine! 😉
Anne|Craving Something Healthy
LOVE the chocolate-sea salt combo and this recipe looks SO delicious! I can’t wait to try it – pinned!
Laura
The two just belong together! 😉
Jenn
Holy moly, this looks intensely good!! LOVE that it is dairy free. And your photos are just gorgeous!
Laura
Thank you Jenn!
Sarah
Looks so good and screams summer! The only thing that I think excites me more about this than the chocolate and sea salt is the ingredients!
Laura
Thanks Sarah! It’s super yummy!!!
Deanna Segrave-Daly
These photos are STUNNING. Seriously magazine worthy – you are so talented Laura!
Laura
Thank you so much Deanna! 🙂
Jordan
Salt + chocolate is one of my absolute favorite flavor combos. AND I’ve been craving ice cream all the time lately. How’d you know? 😉
Laura
LOL! Well there you go! 🙂
Farrah
This chocolate ice cream looks amaaazing! <3 I love ice cream made with coconut cream! :]!
Laura
It’s the best creamy dairy-free choice in my opinion!
Emily Swanson
I love sea salt and chocolate together. And I totally agree that coconut cream makes the best dairy free ice cream ever. No one could ever tell this is dairy free; it’s so creamy.
Laura
Thank you Emily! 🙂