Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Finished ice cream in a white bowl with coconut

A rich and creamy Coconut Milk Ice Cream made with just 5 ingredients for an easy homemade vegan and gluten-free ice cream treat.

4.91 from 22 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Freeze Time: 4 20

Total Time: 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

2 (15oz) cans full-fat coconut milk, divided
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

The night before place the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer to freeze all the way through.
Measure out ½ cup of coconut milk and set aside.
Add remaining coconut milk, 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 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cornstarch is completely cooked and ice cream base has thickened. Transfer to a shallow container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
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 the freezer.
Serve with toasted coconut, optional

Video

Notes

Serving and Storing - Store the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. I store my ice cream in these pint-sized ice cream tubs to keep them fresh and avoid freezer burn. 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.

Variations - If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can still make delicious ice cream at home. 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.

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