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Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

Homemade coconut ice cream with toasted coconut flakes folded through for a silky, ivory, deeply creamy texture. Coconut milk custard is cooked to 175F and then chilled, churned, and frozen until firm.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Coconut ice cream base
  • 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk Use two cans of full-fat coconut milk.
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar Stir until dissolved.
  • 4 egg yolks Whisk until smooth before tempering.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp coconut extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Toasted coconut
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut Toast until fragrant and lightly golden, then cool.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Warm coconut milk and dissolve sugar
  1. Heat the full-fat coconut milk and granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture steams and the sugar dissolves completely.
  2. Continue heating just until you see steady steam rising from the surface, then remove from heat for tempering.
Temper and cook custard
  1. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth, then slowly whisk the hot coconut milk into the yolks to prevent scrambling.
  2. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175F and coats the back of a spoon.
Flavor, strain, and cool
  1. Strain the custard, then stir in the vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt until fully combined.
  2. Cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate until very cold (at least 4 hours) before churning.
Churn and freeze with toasted coconut
  1. Churn the chilled coconut custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
  2. Fold in the toasted shredded sweetened coconut during the last 2 minutes of churning, then transfer to a container and freeze until firm.

Notes

Pro tip: cook the custard patiently and keep stirring so it thickens smoothly—when it hits 175F it should coat the back of a spoon without looking grainy. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks; for best texture, let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before scooping. If you want a dairy-free coconut ice cream, keep the recipe as written (it already has no dairy).