This Creamy Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream is simply divine! It is a rich homemade ice cream made with melted dark chocolate, coconut milk, and brown sugar for the perfect hot weather treat.
It's my first ice cream recipe for the season!
I made it all the way through May and over a week into June before breaking out my ice cream maker and friends, it wasn't easy. It's been hot (since, like, April), schools been out (since, like, FOREVER), and life has been stressful.
Don't you all think we could use some homemade ice cream right about now?
The ice cream recipes on this website are some of my most popular recipes of all. Everyone loves my 5-Ingredient Coconut Ice Cream. Try it and you'll see why. And since we are at the height of strawberry season, this Classic Strawberry Ice Cream has been trending hard.
Now, I'm adding a new classic flavor to the mix.
Chocolate!
Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream, to be exact.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You're going to love this rich and decadent vegan ice cream. Best of all, it's made with just 7 simple ingredients, that you likely already have on hand.
Here is everything you need.
- Dark Chocolate - Look for high-quality vegan chocolate. Either a chocolate bar or chocolate chips will do.
- Coconut Milk – I have experimented with a lot of different bases for vegan ice cream. When coconut enhances the flavor of the ice cream it is my one of my favorite option for a vegan ice cream base. Full fat coconut milk is rich, thick, and similar in consistency to the heavy creamer. Therefore, it has the most similar texture to that of cow milk ice cream. This recipe calls for full-fat canned coconut milk. Do not mistake this with coconut milk that comes in a carton.
- White & Brown Sugar – Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar.
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One - Make the Ice Cream Base
To begin, chop the chocolate into small bite-sized pieces. Because this recipe relies so heavily on the chocolate flavor, it is important to use high-quality vegan chocolate.
Pour ½ cup of coconut milk into a small bowl and set aside. Add the remaining coconut milk to a heavy-bottomed saucepot along with the white and brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
While the coconut milk heats up, whisk together the cornstarch and reserved coconut milk, making a slurry. Add the slushy to the warm milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil the custard for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let the custard cool for 2-3 minutes before pouring over the chopped chocolate.
Pro Tip: It's important to let the custard cool down so that it doesn't burn the chocolate but don't let it cool down so much that it can't melt the chocolate. 2-3 minutes is perfect.
Whisk together the chocolate and coconut custard until it is smooth and shiny.
Step Two - Chill the Custard
Transfer the custard to a shallow container, such as a 9x5 loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours, until the custard is chilled all the way through.
Step Three - Churn it into Ice Cream
Once your custard is chilled, add it to the frozen ice cream bowl and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Church the ice cream until it becomes thick and resembles soft serve. Once it is thick enough to spoon out, you can serve immediately or transfer it to loaf pan and store in the freezer until ready to serve.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Serve your ice cream slightly thawed. Allow the ice cream to thaw 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve it in a bowl, in cones, or as part of an ice cream sundae.
Storing - Store the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. I store my ice cream in pint-sized ice cream tubs to keep them fresh and avoid freezer burn.
Tips and Tricks
- Boil your coconut ice cream base for at least 2 minutes. The custard should become thick, fully coating the back of a wooden spoon.
- Freeze your ice cream maker base for at least 8 hours before using it. This is to freeze the center of the base which is essential in getting thick vegan ice cream.
- Chill the ice cream base for at least 4 hours before churning. If the ice cream base is too warm, it will melt the center of the ice cream maker and never harden.
- Do not overfill your ice cream maker. It should be no more than ⅔rd full.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the ice cream maker that I use. I love my ice cream maker. It is compact and makes the perfect creamy ice cream every time! I’ve had it for years and it’s still running great. If you plan on making a lot of ice cream, also recommend picking up a few reusable pint-sized ice cream freezer containers. They keep your ice cream fresh much longer. (<<affiliate links)
While I totally recommend getting an ice cream maker ASAP, you can make a creamy custard without the machine.
To do this, make your ice cream base as outlined above. Once it’s ready, transfer it to a baking sheet and place in the freezer. When the ice cream is frozen, break it into chunks and blend it in a food processor until it becomes smooth and creamy. This may take up to 10 minutes. Transfer to a loaf pan refreeze. You won’t get quite the same creaminess, but it works in a pinch!
Every once and a while I have a reader who cannot get their ice cream to thicken. There are a few reasons your ice cream never gets thick and creamy.
Make sure to (1) Boil your coconut ice cream base for at least 2 minutes. The custard should become thick, fully coating the back of a wooden spoon. (2) Freeze your ice cream maker base for at least 8 hours before using it. This is to freeze the center of the base which is essential in getting thick vegan ice cream. (3) Chill the ice cream base for at least 4 hours before churning. If the ice cream base is too warm, it will melt the center of the ice cream maker and never harden.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- Raw Chunky Monkey Ice Cream
- Vegan Snickerdoodle Ice Cream
- Salted Cashews Ice Cream
- Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 8 oz dark chocolate (about 1 ¼ cup), finely chopped
- 2 (15oz) cans full-fat coconut milk, divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- The night before place the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer to freeze all the way through.
- Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Measure out ½ cup of coconut milk and set aside. Add remaining coconut milk, white and brown sugar, and salt to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla extract.
- Stir in the cornstarch to the reserved ½ cup coconut milk until well combined. Add cornstarch/coconut milk mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cornstarch is completely cooked and ice cream base has thickened. Remove from heat and let the custard cool for 2 minutes before pouring it over the chocolate pieces.Note: It's important to let the custard cool down so that it doesn't burn the chocolate but don't let it cool down so much that it can't melt the chocolate.
- Vigorously whisk together the coconut custard and chocolate until you have a smooth and shiny custard. Transfer to a shallow container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until the custard is chilled all the way through.
- Add chilled ice cream base to frozen ice cream bowl and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Churn until it becomes thick and resembles soft serve.
- You can serve now or transfer to a pint-size container and store in the freezer until ready to serve. Allow 5-10 minutes to thaw when removing from freezer.
Notes
- Boil your coconut ice cream base for at least 2 minutes. The custard should become thick, fully coating the back of a wooden spoon.
- Freeze your ice cream maker base for at least 8 hours before using it. This is to freeze the center of the base which is essential in getting thick vegan ice cream.
- Chill the ice cream base for at least 4 hours before churning. If the ice cream base is too warm, it will melt the center of the ice cream maker and never harden.
- Do not overfill your ice cream maker. It should be no more than ⅔rd full.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Camilla says
Whoops. Forgot to leave a rating last comment.
Amazing!! Made about a week ago, and I did 1/4 less (granulated sugar) and used for an “icecream cake” layer. It was perfect. Creamy and fudgcicle-like. Making another batch now cause it was that good.
Camilla says
Amazing!! 👌🏻 I did 1/4 cup less (granulated sugar) and it was perfect. Also didn’t freeze too icy. Almost like a creamier fudgecicle. Making again! 😋
Amanda says
Do you think plant milk, or plant heavy cream could be used in place of the coconut milk?
Sarah McMinn says
I would recommend plant heavy cream over plant milk. You want something that will be thick and creamy.