Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream

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The creamiest homemade dairy-free vanilla ice cream ever! Made with only 5 ingredients and is vegan, paleo, gluten-free & refined sugar free! 

Overhead view of four scoops of Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream in a waffle cone


Vanilla ice cream transcends the seasons. Of course it’s refreshing when enjoyed on a hot summer day or over a fruity summer dessert, but it also takes fall and winter desserts to the next level.

I created this paleo vanilla ice cream because I wanted to make a healthier, dairy-free vanilla ice cream for my family to enjoy.

Made with only 5 ingredients, this recipe is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and paleo with no refined sugar!And it only takes 5 minutes to prepare.

I am all about ultra-creamy dairy-free ice cream. The absence of dairy doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice texture or taste! Using a liquid sweetener and adding almond butter, makes this paleo vanilla ice cream irresistibly creamy.

Serve it on top of these fudgy paleo brownies (or these flourless brownies) or these paleo chocolate chip cookies for a delicious dessert.

Up close overhead view of four scoops of Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream in a waffle cone

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 be less creamy.
  • Almond butter: Any nut or seed butter can be used in this recipe. Besides almond butter I recommend cashew butter.
  • Honey. This dairy-free vanilla ice cream recipe calls for honey or maple syrup as the sweetener!  Both of these sweeteners yield a delicious and creamy ice cream, but the maple syrup will impart a slight maple flavor.

How to make Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream

Let’s discuss how to make this dairy-free vanilla ice cream, and as always don’t forget to watch the video.

Blend! Use a Vitamix or regular blender and blend the ingredients together until smooth.

Overhead view of two photos, both overhead views of Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream being made in a vitamix blender. The left is before blending, the right is during blending.

Thoroughly blending the Almond Butter into the coconut milk not only ensures that the flavors are distributed evenly, but it also helps create a creamy texture.

Front view of a Vitamix blender with the finished Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream mixture inside

Next, churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker. Make sure to turn the machine on and pour the vanilla mixture into the machine as it is turning.

This will prevent the ice cream from getting frozen to the sides immediately, which prevents the machine from turning.

Non-ice cream maker instructions: 

If you don’t have an ice cream maker. Simply pour the 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!

Front view of two photos. The left photo is the Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream mixture being poured from the Vitamix container into a moving ice cream maker. The right photo is of a hand holding the ice cream maker paddle with the frozen Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream on it.

Freeze

I recommend letting this dairy-free vanilla ice cream freeze for at least 3 hours before serving. It will get very hard when it’s completely frozen. So you will need to let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before scooping.

Overhead view of Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream in a rectangular loaf pan after being frozen.

Serve

There are so many uses for this paleo vanilla ice cream. Here are some of our favorites:

Overhead view of Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream in a waffle cone

Recipe FAQs

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.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the 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!

How long does this ice cream last?

It stays fresh for up to 2 months in the freezer.

overhead view of four scoops of Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream in a waffle cone

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Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream (Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream)

Laura
The creamiest homemade dairy-free vanilla ice cream ever! Made with only 5 ingredients and is vegan, paleo, gluten-free & refined sugar free! 
5 from 69 votes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 1 pint of ice cream
Calories 155.8
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients 
 

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.

Video

Notes

To make without an ice cream maker: 

If you don’t have an ice cream maker,  pour the ice cream mixture from the blender 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!

Ingredient Substitutions

  • 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 be less creamy.
  • Almond butter: Any nut or seed butter can be used in this recipe. Besides almond butter I recommend cashew butter.
  • Honey. This dairy-free vanilla ice cream recipe calls for honey or maple syrup as the sweetener!  Both of these sweeteners yield a delicious and creamy ice cream, but the maple syrup will impart a slight maple flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.3333cup | Calories: 155.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9.6g | Potassium: 8.3mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13.7g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

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Recipe Rating




168 Comments

  1. The flavor was incredible but my consistency was not 🙁 I doubled the recipe and used one can of coconut cream and one can of full fat coconut milk. The consistency wasn’t smooth, but sort of “grainy” from the coconut milk. Any recs? I used Trader Joe’s brand coconut cream and milk if that’s relevant. Do you have a favorite brand?

    Thanks for the help and fun recipe! 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    Very good! If you want amore vanilla flavor cashew butter would probably be a better choice. It was very good but with maple syrup and almond butter tasted more like peanut butter ice cream.

  3. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It exceeded my expectations. I used freshly ground raw cashew butter, and heated the “custard” to infuse the vanilla beans used. This helped thicken the “custard”, before letting it cool and chill overnight. I also added a tiny pinch of ground turmeric for color. After churning and freezing, the resulting ice cream is incredibly creamy, rich and decadent.

  4. 5 stars
    This was great! Made it in my Breville Smart Scoop (was a rare splurge milestone bday – worth every penny as no pre-freezing and I have no spare freezer space). Added Date Molasses (Salem brand) and Walnuts and it tastes like a DQ blizzard! Off to the store to buy more coconut milk!