Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream {with how-to video!}

By Amanda Paa – Updated July 27, 2021
5 from 2 votes
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Last year I set out on a mission to perfect dairy-free ice cream, and I quickly fell in love with this Salty Honey Coconut Milk Ice Cream. I’m not vegan, nor intolerant to dairy (I’ve healed from the issues I had last year), I just really love the taste and the ease of making coconut milk ice cream – no eggs to worry about curdling! The base recipe I created has a few secrets to make it creamy and rich, unlike many icy store-bought vegan pints. You’ll see those in the how-to VIDEO above, but basically it comes down to three things:

  1. Instead of using all coconut milk, you’ll use coconut cream AND coconut milk, for a higher fat content, similar to what full-fat dairy would be.
  2. Using a liquid sweetener (maple syrup) and a tablespoon of vodka (optional) helps keep the ice cream scoop-able and soft, which has to do with reducing the chance of ice crystals developing.
  3. A slurry of tapioca starch + coconut milk helps thicken and stabilize the liquids, similar to what eggs do in regular ice cream.

With a really good bar of dark chocolate hand, I decided to go the way of Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream this time. But it’s actually chocolate shards that I finely chopped, similar to stracciatella (italian for “rags or shards”), because chunky chocolate chips freeze hard as a rock in ice cream. No bueno.

Instead, the delicate flakes fuse with the ice cream and literally melt in your mouth.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream {with how-to video!}
Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream {with step by step video!}

So velvety and lush, holding a richness I can only compare to custard. And it scoops like a dream, not one bit icy even after being re-froze several times while taking photos.

Whether you’re an omnivore, vegan, or different every day , I hope your summer sees a cone stacked high with this chocolate chip delight. 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream {with step by step video!}
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Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream {with step by step video!}

Vegan Dark Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream {with how-to video!}

Super creamy, vegan chocolate chip ice cream made with coconut milk.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time :5 hours
Cook Time :30 minutes
Total Time :5 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 4 cups
Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Add coconut cream and 3/4 can of coconut milk to saucepan. Mix 1 tablespoon tapioca starch with the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk, right in the can, to dissolve. Set aside. Bring liquid to a boil, and add maple syrup, salt, then tapioca starch mixture.
  • Turn heat down to simmer, and cook for 8-9 minutes, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of spoon. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and vodka. Let cool for 10 minutes, then add to a ziploc bag and submerge bag in an ice bath.
  • Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
  • Pour cold mixture into ice cream maker and begin to process. When nearly finished churning and ice cream is consistency of soft serve, add in chopped chocolate, just to mix throughout.
  • Then spoon into pan and freeze for 4 hours, until ready to eat. Let sit for 5 minutes before scooping.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream {with how-to video!}
Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream {with step by step video!}

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July 14, 2016

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26 comments

  1. Gina

    Hi! I love citrus-flavored ice cream. If I added extra liquid, say 1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice, should I adjust the amount of tapioca starch?

    • Amanda Paa

      Hi Gina!
      I’m not sure how this would turn out with lemon juice. I’ve never tested it that way. Sorry!

  2. Danilo Massarone

    My daughter is vegan, but not the extreme however, we try to keep it extreme every time we cook or her. So I found this recipe. Well, she loved it of course, BUT now, even our non-vegan friends are requesting it. Personally, as a non-vegan, I was TOTALLY IMPRESSED with the texture and flavor. This recipe is a keeper and thank you for sharing this wonderful treat!
    Danny

    • amandapaa

      Yay, I love hearing that! One of my favorite ice cream recipes, and so easy to make. Glad your family and friends are enjoying!

  3. pamela thoring

    Made this for my hubby’s birthday–turned out amazing!! I have tried other recipes for coconut based df ice cream recipes but this one worked flawlessly. I added mint essential oil and made a “magic shell” sauce to go over it and it was perfect. Thank you for the great recipe.

    • amandapaa

      Oh wow, I can imagine that the magic shell was amazing with this dairy-free ice cream!
      So glad you liked the recipe, and your hubby too!

  4. bella

    the texture of this vegan ice cream looks really dreamy! I will have to try vodka next time I make ice cream!

  5. Connie

    I made this tonight a day my husband couldn’t stop eating it…..and neither could I..is it still healthy if you eat the whole thing in one sitting?

    • amandapaa

      so glad you and your husband liked the recipe Connie!

  6. Marie

    Love the video & as a novice I want to try but I do not own an ice cream machine. Could I just freeze it in a loaf pan???

    • amandapaa

      Hi Marie!
      Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend making it without an ice cream. It needs the air whipped into it in order to stay soft and scoopable. But if you do try it, let me know.

      • Niyati

        Can we beat it with an egg beater till nice and fluffy and then store it to freeze? I also donot own a ice cream churner. Would this method work?

        • amandapaa

          Yes, it will work! Will probably just freeze a bit harder because it won’t get as much air incorporated into the batter as you would with an ice cream maker.

  7. Michelle

    I used your previous recipe for the salty honey ice cream and your base recipe is the best. I’d like to use your base to make a mint choc chip ice cream using avocado. I’m wondering if I should eliminate the coconut cream since avocado has fat and also wondering at what point I should add the avocado. Not sure what it would do if I put it in the pan to boil. Thoughts?

  8. Traci | Vanilla And Bean

    Delicious recipe, Amanda! And Yaaaas! to adding invert sugar (maple syrup is favored) and alcohol – just a bit will do! Both work magic on reducing those pesky ice crystals. Your video is just fantastic, captured beautifully!

  9. Emily

    Oh I love this! You are too much fun in that video! I love coconut milk ice cream too and find adding that extra cream totally worth it. And I didn’t even know that coconut milk without the gums existed… such a great tip. Thanks :)

    • amandapaa

      Hi Emily! Ugh, yes, I get so frustrated trying to find things that seem to be real, but then have unnecessary added ingredients – like coconut milk. I can find the one I listed at Whole Foods now, which is awesome!

  10. Cassie

    The ice cream looks just like what would come straight out of an Italian gelato creamery! I can’t believe it’s vegan too! Coconut lends the best texture, doesn’t it? I just want to dig in!

  11. Sara @ Cake Over Steak

    Congrats on the video, gf!!!! I really want to try this out. Your method for the dairy free ice cream sounds totally legit.

    • amandapaa

      do it! and then sandwich it between some of your rockin’ chocolate chip cookies. :)

  12. rebecca | DisplacedHousewife

    This sounds positively divine Amanda!! I love how you outline why certain ingredients are included and what they do — it’s the food nerd in me…love it!! xo

    • amandapaa

      i’m an ice cream lover through and through – all year round! but especially summer. :) and yes, a few explanations into the why is always so interesting to me too!

  13. Tessa | Salted Plains

    This sounds divine and I am loving these tips! The coconut cream + milk make so much sense. Love this video too! So well done, my friend! xoxo

  14. Alison @ Food by Mars

    YES! This looks perfect. I had to take a little break from ice cream experiments… as my jeans stopped fitting :x LOL

  15. Meg @ Beard and Bonnet

    You are SO good!!! I am loving those dark chocolate shards in that coconut base. Brilliant!

  16. Abby @ Heart of a Baker

    I’m not 1000% in love with my method for ice cream, so I’m TOTALLY trying this ASAP. That chocolate and a little bit of booze is really calling my name :)