This is our family's go-to homemade dairy free vanilla ice cream recipe. Perfect for summer, or any time of year!
Last weekend I was chatting with a friend who just bought an ice cream maker. When I mentioned I use mine all the time, she asked for some recipes and like the boring friend that I sometimes am, I replied, "I only have one recipe and I use it every time."
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
My Personal Feelings about Ice Cream
I get really serious about ice cream. I like it a lot. Maybe more than I should. My family knows not to try to steal a bite of my ice cream or they'll get a spoon to the hand.
While not an ice cream snob (I'll pretty much eat any ice cream offered to me), I was born and raised on Blue Bell, the pride of Texas.
So when I set out to make my own dairy-free ice cream for my daughter a couple of years ago, I had pretty high standards. I tried a few variations, and hit upon this one. It's so good, I keep going back to it.
You can add all sorts of things to it, or just eat it plain and creamy, right out of the machine.
Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream
Dairy Free Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut milk (The kind you buy in the ½ gallon containers, not the cans)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 2 cups Silk vanilla soy creamer
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- Ice Cream Machine like I use or Kitchenaid Attachment
Making the magic happen:
Make sure the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker has been frozen for about 24 hours. I leave mine in my freezer since I use it so often.
1.Whisk the coconut milk, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl or pitcher until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the soy creamer and vanilla and stir till combined.
3. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so. (I make my ice cream mixture before I start dinner prep. Then when we're done eating dinner, it's ready to make fresh ice cream for dessert.)
4. Set up and turn on your ice cream maker.
5. Pour the mixture in and let it run for 15-20 minutes, depending on the model of your ice cream maker.
6. Fend off impatient children and husband with the whisk.
7. After 15-20 minutes, serve immediately from the ice cream maker, and store the rest in an airtight container in the freezer for later. I won't judge you if "later" means later that night for round two.
Tips for making the best homemade ice cream
Ingredients:
Use only high quality real vanilla extract. The imitation stuff is sometimes made with propylene glycol, which is basically antifreeze. Not good when you're trying to freeze ice cream. And kinda not good on any level, when you think about it!
In fact, The Joyful Foodie has a great recipe to make your own vanilla extract, if you want to really know what you're eating.
Timing
Letting the ice cream maker run a bit longer than you think is necessary (I mean, who doesn't want to get at that ice cream as soon as possible!) will help it be creamier and fluffier.
This is really helpful if you're storing the leftovers to use later, so you don't end up with a brick of vanilla ice (ice baby).
If you're planning on gobbling it up in one sitting, then maybe this isn't so important.
Get Creative with Toppings
If you're adding extra goodness like Oreo bits or chocolate chips to your ice cream, wait until the last couple of minutes before you drop them in. That way, the add ins will be mixed through, without pounding them to oblivion.
Substitutions
You could substitute almond or soy milk for the coconut milk, but I think the coconut milk mixed with the soy creamer gives it the most balanced flavor.
If you love the taste of coconut, then you could use coconut milk creamer as well. For me, that's just a little too coconutty.
Enjoy!
So there you have it: this dairy-free vanilla ice cream stands deliciously on its own, and it creates the foundation for all my other ice cream recipes. While it may be an exaggeration to say this is the only recipe I make, it's pretty much the basis for all the other ones.
If you like this one, you may want to try my Pink Lemonade version or even fancier, my Mint Chocolate Chip recipe. They're perfect for summer, or any other time of year!
Sandey says
Step 6 - HA!
Sandey says
and props for the Vanilla Ice reference. Word to your Mother (or should that be "Mutha"?).
Meredith says
Ha! THANK YOU for getting that! I was worried no one would, and they would all just think I've gone crazy. 🙂
Julia says
I'd like to make a mint version. Have you tried this? Should I omit the vanilla and sub with half the amount of peppermint extract? Or do I keep the vanilla in there? Thank you!!
Meredith says
Yes! I tried it because mint chocolate chip is my favorite! Here's that recipe: https://thepalettemuse.com/homemade-mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream/
It's written for dairy, but you can adapt it to this version easily.
jacquiegum says
That must be some whisk! Strong enough to stave off impatient husband and children! LOL Looking at this makes me want to buy an ice cream maker:) We made ice cresam all the time when I was a kid....fun times !
Meredith says
Ice cream always makes for a good time, especially when it's homemade!
lenie5860 says
This recipe looks wonderful - I am sitting here wondering if it would be foolish for me to buy an ice-cream maker. The old time makers took forever but this seems pretty easy. I'll have to ponder on this one.
Erica says
Ok, if my husband's car wasn't blocking my car, I would go out and buy an ice cream maker right now. I totally want to make my own ice cream. My exuberance may have something to do with being in the last 8 hours of a 1 week cleanse, but this seriously looks amazing!
Meredith says
Ha! Maybe once you're done with your cleanse, you could celebrate with a little "healthy" ice cream...
Phoenicia says
I love ice cream. I could eat it daily but don't because of my waistline!
Meredith says
Me too! Ah, the good old days when I could eat it whenever I wanted...
Catarina Alexon says
Sounds like a delicious vanilla ice cream. Meredith. Dairy is so bad for us so I'm glad you removed that. Have to try it.
Meredith says
Thanks Catarina, I removed it because of my daughter's dairy allergy, but it seems like coconut milk is better for a lot of reasons anyway.
Donna Janke says
I don't have an ice cream maker, but this recipe certainly looks worth trying if I did. I never realized before that one could use an ice-cream maker to make dairy-free ice-cream. Good to know.
Meredith says
Yep, that's why I got mine. I was buying super-expensive dairy-free ice cream for my daughter and I figured I'd save money doing it this way. What I didn't know at the time was how good and easy it would be!
heraldmarty says
I don't own an ice cream maker and haven't had homemade ice cream since I was a kid but the memory is still vivid. We used to drive up to my uncles house in the upper desert and he would set the ice cream maker (a hand crank job - ancient even then) up in the garage and all the kids took turns cranking that darn thing as we played outside. Nobody complained of course because we knew what was coming. He only made vanilla ice cream and to this day it's still my favorite. Thanks for sparking that special memory. 🙂
Meredith says
Glad to bring back happy memories, Marty. We had a hand crank one too when I was a kid. It seemed like it would take forever to freeze! Always worth it though.
Anita says
I'll have mine with chocolate chips, please.Wonder if this would work with Splenda instead of sugar??
Meredith says
Let's try it sometime!
Ken Dowell says
I've always thought the best way to discover the quality of a brand or type of ice cream is to taste the vanilla. It is definitely my favorite flavor of home made ice cream.
Meredith says
I agree, Ken! Although I do love chocolate too!
Beth Niebuhr says
It's almost summer and time to get out our ice cream maker. I'm definitely going to try your recipe. Sounds really healthy and delish!
Meredith says
Thanks Beth, it's definitely time for ice cream!
andleeb says
I am on diet now a days.... I have to ask if I can eat this or not. Seems delicious and I can understand why the kids and husband were so impatient.
The ice cream seems delicious. Thanks for an easy recipe.
Meredith says
Diets are tough! Maybe when you're done you can celebrate with a little ice cream. 🙂
SafariOnTheBlog says
I love Ice cream. This looks so yummy and the recipe is easy.
I will definitely try it and let you know how it went.
I tried the Spring Green Smoothie a couple of weeks ago. It was lovely!
Thanks for the recipe x
Meredith says
I'm so glad you liked the smoothie! Hope the ice cream is just as yummy. 🙂
Pamela@haartfelt says
I'm all over this recipe Meredith. I love, love, love ice cream. I can't eat it though and the lactose free I've tried ...ick! I'm definitely making this over the week-end. Thank you so much for sharing it, just in time for summer too!
Meredith says
Yay! I hope you love it as much as we do!
Susan Cooper/findingourwaynow.com says
I LOVE this recipe. I am a huge fan of any kind of ice cream and this recipe looks amazing. with the heat coming on sooner than is normal for this spring, I'll have to break out my ice cream freezer and give this a go. 🙂
Meredith says
Thanks Susan, I hope it helps cool things down a bit!
Jeri Walker (@JeriWB) says
I love ice cream as well, but tend to get my summer fix at Dairy Queen. This looks intriguing though as a dairy free version. I did have an ice cream maker, but it never got used. Now I kind of am wishing I still had it 😉
Meredith says
You can't go wrong with Dairy Queen!
Tim says
Big ice cream fan here but one with a problem. I love ice cream and most things sweet way too much. If i had one in the house along with a recipe I could potentially be as big as that same house. I know I have a problem but your ice cream looks so delicious, hmmm, must not dwell on this (telling myself). Thinking of something gross.
Meredith says
Me too, Tim! But I find that if I know I can make more tomorrow then I don't feel the need to gobble it all up tonight. 🙂
Andy says
You mention chocolate chips. Summer is not so far away, and mint chocolate chip is the quintessential summer ice cream flavor - I encourage you to try your hand at making some mint chocolate chip ice cream and tell us how it goes.
Meredith says
Challenge accepted Andy! I'll report back once I've perfected it. 🙂
William Rusho says
What a great recipe, and thanks for sharing it. Seems simple enough that I can even try it.
Meredith says
It is! 😉
Jason @ TheButlerJournal.com says
That ice cream looks delicious. The recipe looks very easy.
Meredith says
I'm all about easy when it comes to recipes!
kareen liez datoy (@blessedliez) says
I'd definitely try this! Thanks for sharing this with us at Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party! Pinned this to our board!
Meredith says
Hope you like it, thanks for stopping by!
Life With Lorelai says
Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty - We hope to see you again next week!
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Meredith says
Thanks Lorelai, I'll definitely be there!
trish @ tagsthoughts.com says
I miss the days of having an ice cream maker. You've inspired me. This recipe sounds delicious and is right up my alley. I might just be in the market for an ice cream maker! Summer Bucket List Item!!! Thank you for sharing at the Creative Inspiration Link Party. Join us again Monday 8pm CST.
Meredith says
Yes, that's the perfect thing for a summer bucket list! So glad to find your party!
Elizabeth R says
Does the coconut milk need to be sweetened or unsweetened, or does it matter? Thanks! I am eager to try this!
Meredith says
Hi Elizabeth, I'm glad you brought up that question - I need to specify in the recipe! The answer is you can use either. This recipe uses sweetened vanilla coconut milk, so if you use unsweetened, you may need to increase the sugar in the recipe by 1/4 cup or so, to taste.
Kiera says
Would Cashew milk work well for this recipe? I'm the only one who likes coconut in our family lol but the rest love cashew milk
Meredith says
I've never used cashew milk (my daughter is allergic) but I've heard great things about it. I know a lot of vegans use it for plant based cream sauces, so it seems like it would work here too. I'd love to hear back from you if you try it!
Lisa LaMunyon says
Can you use a creamer that us not soy?
Meredith says
You can! There are lots of good plant based creamers out there now, but I haven't tried them yet. I'd love to hear about it if you do!
T says
Can you leave out or substitute the soy vanilla creamer ?
Meredith says
I would not recommend leaving it out, but you can try substituting it with another vegan creamer. There are so many more available now than when I first wrote this recipe. I'd love to hear if you find one you like!
Hope says
I’m an ice cream snob and grew up eating only vanilla but the with a very selective taste palate. When I became vegan I was having a hard time finding a substitute that wasn’t too sugary or heavily influenced by coconut or whatever ingredient was the base. This recipe is simple and INCREDIBLE. I cannot thank you enough for sharing this. I followed everything to a tie including buying that ice cream maker 😋 and it came out fantastic. I was afraid it might taste too coconut like but you don’t even recognize the coconut at all. I LOVE this recipe and will make it my new go to.
Meredith says
I can't tell you how happy that makes me! Thank you for sharing!
Jill says
Just made this in my new ice cream maker. The coconut milk and creamer have it’s own sweetness so we found it to be too sweet. Will try again and cut the sugar in half.
Anna says
Oh my gosh! I just made this and am eating this right now. I never usually comment on recipes, but this is DELICIOUS! I am lactose-intolerant. Do I still eat dairy-filled ice cream? Of course! But now that I found this! I might be making this ALL the time! My stomach is going to be a lot happier with this recipe!! Thank you so much! This is so delicious and you wouldn't even know that it's dairy free. Also, I used almond creamer instead of soy and it still turned out great! And I added strawberries. YUM!! This is wonderful!!!
Meredith says
This makes me so happy, thanks for sharing! And strawberries added in sounds delicious!
Becky says
I don’t like coconut flavor can I sub almond milk & creamer? I can’t do soy either in addition to gluten & milk protein.
Meredith says
Hi Becky, yes you can substitute anything you like but the consistency might be a little different. I will say that I really don't like coconut flavor either, but I don't taste it in this recipe. I don't think almond milk has enough fat in it to give you a good creamy consistency. I think I would try coconut milk and almond creamer, but you'll have to see what you think of the flavor. I'd love to hear back from you if you find a good combo!