Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream
Posted May 28, 2018, Updated May 27, 2024
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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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Serve
There are so many uses for this paleo vanilla ice cream. Here are some of our favorites:
- Serve it on top of brownies: like the best fudgy paleo brownies, flourless brownies, or black bean brownies.
- Serve it on top of these paleo chocolate chip cookies – or use the cookies to make paleo cookie ice cream sandwiches!
- Use it to make paleo cookie dough ice cream.
- It’s also delicious on this healthy berry crisp!
Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe FAQs
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!
It stays fresh for up to 2 months in the freezer.
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Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream (Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 ounces full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream)
- ¼ cup honey (maple syrup for vegan)
- ¼ cup creamy almond butter (or cashew buter)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender in the order listed.
- Blend on high for 30 seconds, or until smooth and mixture is homogenous.
- Turn on an ice cream maker with the frozen base inside.
- 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.
Video
Notes
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I omit the honey or maple syrup?
I do not recommend that – then the ice cream will not be sweet.
Excellent recipe! I made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious. Everyone loved it!!
can you use low fat coconut milk?
Yes!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It’s easy to make and it tastes amazing! I will definitely make it again.
This was amazing! I tried it exactly as written and it came out perfectly. My family is obsessed- I have made it 3 days in a row and they can’t get enough. We are all lactose intolerant so this hits the spot! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Can I substitute coconut for almond milk?
If you do this, the ice cream will have a more icy texture than creamy texture because of the low fat content of almond milk.
Do you think I could use melted caocao butter instead of almond butter or cashew?
I can’t wait to make this!! Do you think I could add ground coffee beans to make a coffee variation?!
Thank you for an amazing ice cream recipe! Most of my Paleo ice cream recipes also include gums, and I just made this for a friend who avoids all gums. I added cinnamon and nutmeg, and it turned out the perfect companion for apple crisp. Thank you also for the tip about starting the machine BEFORE adding in the ice cream mix. I’ve used my Cuisinart for years without knowing this trick, and I had zero trouble with ice cream sticking to the sides.
I have tried to make vegan ice cream SO MANY times and this is the first recipe that was absolutely delicious and had REAL ice cream creaminess! Wow! And i didnt even use an ice cream maker <3
How did you do it without an ice cream maker. I do not have one and would like to try. Thank you!
I also made it without an ice cream maker. I blended the mix, put it in a metal bowl in the freezer, and mixed it with a hand mixer every 15-minutes to a half hour. I was really pleased with the results!
Our first time making ice cream. Dairy free was exactly what we needed. This recipe was so delicious. We just drizzeled a very small amount of Autocrat coffee syrup. Loved it!
How many calories would be in a single serving? I don’t quite understand “Calories: 155.8kcal”. Is kcal different from regular calories?