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Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream

Dairy free vanilla ice cream with a silky, scoopable churned texture and clean vanilla flavor. Made by gently thickening coconut milk with arrowroot, chilling until cold, then churning and freezing for a smooth non-dairy frozen dessert.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Coconut milk base
  • 27 oz full-fat coconut milk Use canned, full-fat coconut milk for best creaminess.
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar Or substitute maple syrup 1:1 for a lightly caramel tone.
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot or tapioca starch Helps thicken for a smooth churn.
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract For clean vanilla flavor throughout.
  • 0.25 tsp salt Balances sweetness.
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil Adds richness and improved mouthfeel.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Cook and thicken
  1. Whisk full-fat coconut milk, granulated sugar, arrowroot or tapioca starch, pure vanilla extract, salt, and coconut oil together in a saucepan until smooth.
  2. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens very slightly, about 5 minutes.
Chill
  1. Cool completely over an ice bath, then refrigerate at least 4 hours until thoroughly chilled.
Churn and freeze
  1. Churn the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until thick and creamy.
  2. Freeze until scoopable, about 2 hours, for a firm yet spoonable texture.

Notes

For the smoothest scoop, chill the base until very cold (no warmth left in the center) before churning, then freeze just until scoopable rather than rock solid. Store leftovers covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; texture softens after resting 5–10 minutes at room temperature. Freezing is yes—avoid repeated thaw-and-refreeze. To make it nut-free and dairy-free, this recipe already uses coconut milk and requires no dairy or eggs.