Dairy-Free Coconut Ice Cream

This Dairy-Free Coconut Ice Cream is about as easy as it gets when it comes to ice cream recipes! It comes together quickly and tastes really good! Once you try it, I promise you will be hooked just like we are!

While you can top this with simple toasted coconut, you can also use my homemade coconut clusters as well. They are so good!

What Makes This Coconut Ice Cream So Good?

While many ice creams have a super sweet flavor, this one is mildly sweet. I much prefer this style of ice cream.

It is really simple to make. Most ice creams call for a custard base, you can skip that on this recipe. You give the ingredients a quick stir then right into the ice cream maker.

It is dairy-free and gluten-free, but also vegan as well. It really works for most food lifestyles and can be customized to accommodate most allergies as well.

Ingredients

• Coconut Milk- Make sure you use the full-fat version. I promise the low-fat will not be as creamy or as good. This is the one that comes in a can, not in a carton. It is not the same thing.
• Granulated sugar- If you are opposed to refined sugars, you can always use any granulated sweetener of choice.
• Vanilla- A must in ice cream.
• Toasted Coconut- The combo of the coconut milk and the toasted coconut is what makes this ice cream so good!
• Chocolate chips or chocolate chunks- you don't have to add these in, but I promise it is really good! I love dark chocolate, but if that isn't your thing, you have other options. You can use dark, semi-sweet, milk, or even white chocolate.

How To Make The Coconut Ice Cream

1. Start by toasting your coconut. If you haven't toasted coconut before, it totally changes the flavor and makes it so much better! You can do this 2 ways- in the oven and on the cooktop.
2. If you are toasting in the oven, spread the coconut on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 until it is golden brown. Keep an eye on this, as it can go from golden to burnt really fast.
3. If you are toasting on a cooktop, add the coconut to a skillet. I like to use my small nonstick pan for this. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the coconut is toasted.
4. Once your coconut is toasted, mix it with coconut milk, vanilla, and sugar.
5. When they are mixed well, add them to your ice cream maker and mix until the ice cream is the desired consistency.
6. In the last few minutes add in your chocolate. Mix until it is dispersed evenly.
7. I really love to eat this right away, but if you are storing it, move it to an airtight freezer-safe container.

Notes About Making Dairy-Free Coconut Ice Cream

• I mentioned it above, but I will repeat it for emphasis. Make sure you use full-fat coconut milk. It is canned coconut milk, if it is low-fat, it will be labeled as such. You don't want this.
• If you are storing the ice cream, scoop it into a freezer-safe container. When you pull it out, it won't be as smooth. If you want, through it into a blender to make it smooth again.

Variations

Don't limit yourself to just coconut and chocolate. Coconut makes the perfect base for a lot of other flavors! You can even leave out the toasted coconut if you want a more neutral flavor.

Add in your favorite nuts. I love macadamia nuts with coconut ice cream.

You can also cut up fresh fruit and add in too. Make sure and do this at the same time you add it into the ice cream maker. Mango is a favorite. Also, cut the fruit into smaller chunks, you don't want to have huge chunks of frozen fruit to bite down on.

You can also mix in your favorite candy bar cut into chunks. Or if it is a party, top it with some fun sprinkles.

There are a lot of ways to dress this up! Think of your favorite coconut combos in other foods and go for it!

Other Dessert Ideas

• Berry icebox cake
• Lemon chiffon layer cake
• Strawberry sugar cookie bars
• No-bake lime cheesecake with blackberries
• Strawberry mini donuts
• Blood orange shortbread cookies
• Lemon drizzle cookies

• Desserts