The creamiest homemade dairy-free vanilla ice cream ever! Made with only 5 ingredients and is vegan, paleo, gluten-free & refined sugar free!
This post was originally published on August 11, 2016. The photos have been updated but the recipe remains the same.
Who else is WAY excited that summer has finally arrived?! I’m looking forward to our daily pool adventures, fresh summer produce, and ice cream…lots and lots of ice cream!
So, to celebrate summer and embrace all the warm-weather vibes of the season, I bring you this Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream! It is the best (non-chocolate) ice cream I have ever had! Made with only 5 ingredients, this delicious cold treat can be enjoyed by just about everyone! It’s vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo with zero refined sugar! Plus it only takes 5 minutes of active prep! WIN!
I am all about ultra-creamy dairy-free ice cream. The absence of dairy should never mean we have to sacrifice texture or taste! Using a liquid sweetener and adding almond butter, makes this Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream irresistibly creamy!
Uses for Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
Why would a chocolate aficionado (like yours truly) need to create a vegan vanilla ice cream recipe?! (great question)! Well I will let you in on a little secret… there are only (and I mean ONLY) two occasions that I prefer dairy-free vanilla ice cream to chocolate.
- When it’s on top of warm {gooey} brownies…and
- If it’s loaded with cookie dough {pssst, get the recipe here}!
Basically, I needed to create a healthy vegan vanilla ice cream to eat on these paleo brownies, these black bean brownies, or these vegan peanut butter black bean brownies! Can you blame me?!
Now, let’s walk trough how to make this coconut milk ice cream recipe step-by-step!
How to make Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream
Step 1: Use a Vitamix
Blend! This is another recipe creation that is made in the Vitamix! I have made so many different ice cream recipes, and the dairy-free versions always turn out the best when the ingredients are blended together!
Thoroughly blending the Almond Butter into the coconut milk not only ensures that the flavors are distributed evenly, but it also helps achieve maximum creaminess without the addition of eggs! Thus, creating a Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream that even my vegan friends can enjoy!
Step 2. Use an Ice Cream Maker
Yes it’s true, the best ice cream recipes are made in an ice cream maker. I recommend this Cuisinart ice cream maker (the one I have is just an older version of it)! You can’t beat the creaminess that comes from churning!
Step 3. Turn the ice cream maker ON!
This is a super important step. Once you put the frozen container onto your ice cream maker, be sure to turn it on so that it’s spinning when you add the vegan vanilla ice cream mixture. This will prevent the ice cream from getting frozen to the sides immediately, which prevents the machine from turning!
Step 4. Freeze & Serve
I recommend letting this dairy-free vanilla ice cream freeze for at least 3 hours before serving. Yes, it will get very hard when it’s completely frozen. Simply let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before scooping and you’ll be just fine!
Can I make ice cream without an ice cream maker?
Many people ask me if they can make ice cream without an ice cream maker. The answer is yes, you can churn it by hand…but I highly recommend investing in an ice cream maker if you want the creamiest, dreamiest, homemade coconut milk ice cream recipe possible. It doesn’t have to break the bank either! I bought my very first ice cream maker on clearance at Target for $7…and it served me well for many years!
Non-ice cream maker instructions:
If you don’t have an ice cream maker. Simply pour the paleo vanilla ice cream mixture from the Vitamix into a freezer-friendly container. Put it in the freezer and stir by hand every 15 minutes until it’s frozen. It won’t be as creamy but it will still taste delicious!
Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream: Substitutions/Ingredients
Here are a few possible substitutions for this recipe!
- Coconut milk: Full-fat coconut cream or coconut milk can be used in this recipe with great results! Using light coconut milk will cause it to lose some of its creaminess.
- Almond butter: Any nut or seed butter can be used in this recipe. My two favorites are almond butter {obviously} and cashew butter {YUM}!
- Honey. Similar to this dairy-free Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, this dairy-free vanilla ice cream recipe calls for honey or maple syrup (for all my strict vegan friends out there), as the sweetener! Both of these sweeteners yield a delicious and creamy ice cream, but the maple syrup will impart a slight maple flavor!
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Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream (Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream)
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk or cream
- ¼ cup honey (maple syrup for vegan)
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a Vitamix (or other high-powered blender) in the order listed.
- Blend on high for 30 seconds, or until smooth and mixture is homogenous.
- Turn on your ice cream maker.
- Pour mixture directly from the Vitamix into the ice cream maker while it is moving.
- Let the ice cream churn for about 20-25 minutes until it becomes a firm ball or the ice cream maker stops rotating.
- Transfer to an airtight, freezer-friendly container and freeze for at least 1 hour, or until completely frozen.
- Makes about 1 pint of ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Do you prefer vanilla or chocolate?!
Here are some more Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes!
Paleo Sea Salt Chocolate Ice Cream
Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Paleo Cookie Dough Ice Cream
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Susanne Varner
could I use Date Paste in this recipe instead of Honey or maple syrup?
Maggie
This might sound like a dumb question…but I never used a ice cream maker. Do I need to chill the “ice cream container” first?
I was reading the box for it, and it said to freeze for about 8 hours then put in “maker” and add the “ice cream” mixture. Does this sound right? Thanks! 🙂
Laura
Yes! The container of the ice cream maker needs to be frozen!
Ashley
Does the Almond Butter give it an overwhelming “nutty” flavor, or does the vanilla shine through?
Sarah
Does this ice cream taste like coconut at all?
Laura
There is a slight coconut taste, yes!
Jordan Knox
I love this recipe! I’m breastfeeding my son who can’t have dairy or eggs so this is perfect! So many recipes call for like 5 egg yolks which he just can’t handle. I love that it’s ingredients I always have on hand and there is no cooking and cooling involved. Super easy and super delicious!
Laura
YES! I totally understand cutting out dairy when breast-feeding! I’m so glad that this recipe has been helpful for you! Momma needs ice cream!
Lita Johnson
I’ve never been a huge homemade ice cream fan. In the past it was always so watery and not very creamy. Decided to give it one more try and made this for Father’s Day yesterday. Wow! Seriously the best ice cream ever. It was so creamy and had so much flavor. My only complaint is I wish we had more !!
Sarah
This recipe was a total lifesaver! My 10-yr old daughter was diagnosed with hashimoto’s recently and it has been so hard to find auto-immune friendly alternatives to her favorite food…icecream! She couldn’t get over how good this was, and said she liked it better than any other “regular” icecream she’d had. Thanks so much!