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This Homemade Dairy-free Vanilla Ice Cream recipe is so easy to make it will quickly become your go-to summer treat with its creamy texture and flavor that will keep you coming back for more.
It's summertime, and that means we are all trying to keep cool on these hot days. This summer has been exceptionally out of the ordinary with all of the quarantines and travel bans in place. Since my husband is military, we have had a much stricter travel ban in place than most. And unfortunately, that has made it harder to get some of our usual go-to favorites harder. Lol, of course, it also doesn't help; we live in the middle of nowhere. If it can't be delivered in the mail, we haven't gotten it in the last several months. That's included our favorite go-to dairy-free ice creams from Nada Moo.
So we've been playing around without different flavors and recipes, so our youngest (she's sensitive to dairy) can still enjoy a sweet treat along with her sister this summer. We've played around with a few, but I'm a big believer in classics first, and that's where this Homemade Dairy-free Vanilla Ice Cream comes into play. Because, hello, who doesn't love vanilla ice cream? And it's an excellent classic to have on hand that you can change up anyway you want to.
Ingredients in Dairy-free Vanilla Ice Cream
-
- Coconut Milk
- Coconut Cream
- Vanilla
- Sugar
- Gelatin
Tips and Tricks
Sugar- This might seem odd as a trick for ice cream, but you might be surprised to know that it is actually one of the secrets to getting the homemade ice cream really soft and creamy. Don't skimp on the sugar or try to sub in an alternate because you won't get the same texture.
Gelatin - The gelatin in this recipe helps keep the final ice cream smooth and creamy without getting icy or hard in the freezer.
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How to Make Dairy-free Ice Cream
- Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.
- Gently warm the mixture to dissolve the gelatin.
- Chill the mixture.
- Process in an ice cream maker for extra creamy texture or use the no-churn method.
Machine or No Machine?
I prefer the texture of homemade ice cream with a machine. I think the final product is much smoother and creamier, and it takes much less time to make, which means we can enjoy it sooner.
I have and love this ice cream maker. I find it makes the whole process easier and yields a creamy ice cream no matter what flavor I am making.
No Machine Method
- Follow the instructions until it's time to chill.
- Once the base is chilled, place it in a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer.
- As the base chills, whisk or stir the mixture every 30-45 minutes until it is fully set. This movement will help to break up any potential ice spots that try to form since the machine is not churning it.
- When the mixture is thick (like soft-serve), you can lightly cover it and let it finish chilling for at least 4 hours or overnight for a firmer ice cream.
More Dairy-free Frozen Treats
Homemade Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
Equipment
- ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 1 Can Full Fat Coconut Cream
- ¾ C Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 TBS Powdered Gelatin unflavored
Instructions
- Prepare your ice cream maker per its instruction manual. If you need to freeze the bowl before making ice cream freeze it. If you are doing the no-churn method, proceed to step 2.
- In a blender, combine all of the ingredients to make ice cream. Puree the mixture until it is completely smooth, about 2 minutes or so.
- Pour the mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and stir it frequently just until the gelatin is fully dissolved. DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl and place it in the fridge to cool for about 4 hours or until it is no longer warm. You want the mixture cold before you put it into the ice cream maker.
- Once the ice cream base is chilled, place it in the bowl of your ice cream maker and churn per your machine's directions. (If you are not using an ice cream maker, place the chilled base into the freezer. Whisk or stir the mixture every 30-45 minutes to help keep it smooth and reduce the mixture from forming ice crystals as the ice cream base chills. Leaving it lightly covered in between. Continue until the mixture is thick.)
- Place the churned ice into a freezer-safe container and let it chill for 4-6 hours to let it entirely set up. If you like more of a soft-serve consistency, you can eat it straight from the machine.
Notes
- Follow the instructions until it’s time to chill.
- Once the base is chilled, place it in a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer.
- As the base chills whisk or stir the mixture every 30-45 minutes until it is fully set. This movement will help to break up any potential ice spots that try to form since the machine is not churning it.
- When the mixture is thick (like soft-serve), you can lightly cover it and let it finish chilling at least 4 hours or overnight for a firmer ice cream.
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.