No Churn Vegan Ice Cream Recipes To Try (2024)

Beat the heat without the dairy with these 25+ mouth watering vegan ice cream recipes

By Neesha Gill

Ask anyone around the world how they like to cool off in the summer heat, and chances are they’ll answer one of two ways: swimming, or ice cream. But what to do if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant? Or, just find dairy kind of gross?

Luckily, vegan ice cream is now ‘a thing’. And thank goodness for that! It’s more refreshing, isn’t full of hormones and antibiotics, usually has less sugar, and still has all the flavour.

In fact, it’s getting so popular that Ben & Jerry’s are even making vegan ice cream, and you can find all kinds of vegan ices in most supermarkets.

Why you should make vegan ice cream recipes

Vegan ice cream recipes use far healthy ingredients than mucus-inducing dairy. For example, you can use any of these as a base:

almond milk
coconut milk
avocado
bananas
coconut cream
cashews

You might think you’ll need a fancy ice cream churner to make some of these. But no! A simple blender, or even a hand blender, will do.

You can use these dairy free ice cream recipes in many ways, too!

make them the centre of ice cream sandwiches
serve them up with vegan birthday cakes at parties
add a dash of booze for a more adult version (alcohol also prevents the hardening of water particles, allowing for a creamer dessert)
add a scoop to your favourite soft drink or sparkling water to make a float
make a few of these, and put them between two halves of bananas. Top with nuts, syrup, berries and other toppings for the perfect banana split

And so much more!

Here below, I’ve found loads of no churn vegan ice cream recipes, ranging from cooling sorbets to decadent, creamy indulgences. Now you can still enjoy one of life’s greatest pleasures, but without the guilt!

No Churn Vegan Ice Cream Recipes To Beat The Heat

1. Vegan Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

My Darling Vegan has created an alternative to everyone’s favourite Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey creation… and no doubt a much healthier version too, since it’s packed with fruit and nuts! Of course, there’s also the usual yummy chocolate, too.

Get the recipe here.

2. 4 Ingredient Watermelon Sorbet

The goodness of watermelon is enough to make this tasty, easy recipe. Seriously, this couldn’t get simpler! Want to make this now? All you need are 4 ingredients.

Get the recipe here.

3. Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream

This recipe is exactly what it says on the tin and it could not be simpler. Edible Perspective’s Ashley McLaughlin created a simple, velvety coconut vegan ice cream recipe. This will leave you hankering for more after the first bite!

Get the recipe here.

4. Fresh Lemon Sorbet

Think making lemon sorbet is tough? Think again! You actually don’t need an ice cream machine to do this. Just freeze the mixture overnight, thaw a little bit the next day, blend with a hand blender and serve it up!

5. Vegan Peach Ice Cream

Oh, peaches! What other flavour just screams ‘summer’ as much as this soft fruit? And speaking of soft – you can keep this recipe from getting rock hard in the freezer by adding vodka! (just a wee bit!)

Get the recipe here.

6. Vegan Cookie Dough Ice Cream

You can’t beat a good cookie dough dessert – all those chunky textures offset by the creaminess of the ice cream…yum! The healthy twist to this vegan friendly recipe? The fact that the ‘cookie dough’ is based on walnuts and dates.

Get the recipe here.

7. Dairy Free Nutella Ice Cream

Who doesn’t love Nutella!? Smeared on toast, muffins, or eaten on its own (don’t judge!), it’s a favourite treat for many. If it’s all a bit dense and sweet for you from the jar, rejoice! It’s super easy to make a simple, healthy ice cream that tastes just like the popular Italian spread. Mainly because it has Nutella in it. But if you really care about the animals, buy a cruelty-free brand. Nutella is famous for using rainforest (and orangutan) destroying palm oil.

Get the recipe here.

8. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

PB and C is such a classic combination, and this recipe by hot for food really makes the most out of these decadent flavours by blending them with the fruit that best suits them both: banana!

Get the recipe here.

9. Grapefruit Sorbet

The tanginess of grapefruit is super refreshing on a hot summer’s day, and this sorbet is one of the best vegan ice cream recipes for cooling off. Easy to make, too!

Get the recipe here.

10. Salted Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream

Apple pie is always best with a hit of ice cream. So why not just combine the flavours of the two desserts into one? That’s basically what this recipe does, with delicious results. And this is one of those vegan ice cream recipes that comes with a gorgeous, salted caramel sauce to drizzle on top, too. YUM!

Get the recipe here.

11. 10 Minute Strawberry Ice Cream

Strawberry ice cream is one of the easiest vegan concoctions to make, ever. And this recipe proves it beyond a doubt – all you need are three ingredients and ten minutes, and voila! Just be sure your berries are organic – did you know strawberries are one of the most heavily sprayed food crops? Sad but true!

12. Vegan Blueberry Ice Cream

Blueberries are possibly the most delicious of all the superfoods, and are made all the sweeter when you know their season is pretty short. As it involves some cooking, this recipe may be a bit more complicated than most vegan ice cream recipes, but just look at the result!

Get the recipe here.

13. Vegan Coffee Ice Cream Recipe

Sometimes, when the heat is on, you need a pick-me-up. Ice cream does the trick. But so does coffee! And when you combine them? You’ve got the most refreshing vegan treat, like, ever!

Get the recipe here.

14. 5 Minute Double Chocolate Ice Cream

Hey, chocolate lovers! You didn’t think I’d forgotten about you, did you? This double chocolate vegan ice cream recipe will be your new favourite thing, ever! Unless you prefer the choco-brownie recipe, below…

Get the recipe here.

15. Almond Milk Ice Cream, 5 Ways

Not a fan of avocados and coconut? Never fear – vegan ice cream recipes can use almond milk, too! Chocolate Covered Katie offers 5 different (and very tempting!) flavours you can make with commercial or homemade almond milk. Oh, and btw – these are all keto friendly, too!

Get the recipe here.

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FAQs

Which vegan milk is best for making ice cream? ›

Kaminsky says that you'll get the best results from dairy-free counterparts that are higher in fat such as canned coconut milk. She typically uses almond milk as her base, but other non-dairy milks can work (steer clear of rice milk because it tends to be too watery).

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What replaces dairy in vegan ice cream? ›

As well as being used to mimic the taste and texture of dairy milk, coconut oil and syrup is also commonly used, along with raw sugar cane as a natural sweetener in dairy-free ice cream. Another common replacement for dairy in vegan ice cream is cashew nuts!

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How do you stabilize vegan ice cream? ›

Additives that contribute to a smoother texture in both traditional and vegan ice creams include fats (such as coconut oil), sweeteners (like agave nectar or maple syrup) which lower the freezing point of water molecules, stabilizers (e.g., xanthan gum), emulsifiers like lecithin, and proteins from nuts or seeds for ...

Get More Info Here ›

How to give vegan ice cream that creamy taste minus the milk? ›

Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream

The reason so many vegan ice cream recipes turn to coconut milk is that the high-fat content replicates the creaminess and mouth feel of ice cream better than any other option. If the goal is to faithfully replicate a dairy ice cream with vegan ingredients, coconut milk is hard to beat.

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What is the closest vegan milk to real milk? ›

The demand for soy milk comes from its creamy texture and slightly nutty flavor, making it an excellent cooking and baking ingredient. It's the closest drink that resembles cow's milk, per a taste test and online public sentiment.

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Is oat milk or almond milk better for ice cream? ›

Among plant-based milk options, oat milk is among the creamiest. This makes it a great choice for adding to coffee and, in our case, making ice cream. (We're working on an oat based coffee product by the way!)

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What can I use instead of heavy cream for ice cream vegan? ›

Coconut cream is a versatile ingredient that makes an excellent vegan substitute for heavy cream. While it can be purchased pre-made, it's also simple to make at home using coconut milk. Simply chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight, open it and pour the liquid contents into another container.

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What is a substitute for coconut oil in vegan ice cream? ›

Blends of vegetable oils (60% to 80% coconut oil or palm kernel oil with 20% to 40% of a liquid oil such as sunflower oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, or olive oil) are often used in vegan ice cream production to obtain the optimum amount of solid fat.

How do you add fat to non dairy ice cream? ›

Vegan Ice Cream 101

Coconut milk (either canned or in the carton) and soy milk are higher in fat than the majority of commercial nut milks, but some newer nut milk brands are creating richer and higher fat blends. Adding non-dairy creamer to an ice-cream base is an easy way to up the fat content, too.

What is the best thickener for vegan ice cream? ›

Plant-based fats are the best way to thicken vegan ice cream. Coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil will give the creamiest and thickest results. Cornstarch and tapioca starch can also be used to thicken but the end result will be a little more icy and a little less creamy.

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What is the best emulsifier for vegan ice cream? ›

A common - and better - emulsifier for ice cream is soy lecithin, which can be derived from soybeans, sunflowers and rapeseed. Soy lecithin has a neutral taste, and also allows you to make egg-less ice cream.

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Why is my vegan ice cream icy? ›

My ice cream is icy. This is probably the most common problem with home made ice cream. And it's caused by large ice crystals forming in the mixture as it freezes. Large ice crystals are usually the result of either too much water in the mix or excessively long freezing time.

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What does evaporated milk do in ice cream? ›

Dense, Fudgy Ice Cream

On top of all that, evaporated milk also happens to be the key to our super-chewy New England–style ice cream. For that you can thank its high protein content, which delivers a superior, fresh-churned texture while simultaneously limiting iciness once the ice cream is stored.

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What milk makes the creamiest ice cream? ›

Serve and enjoy your delicious homemade vanilla bean ice cream! You can certainly experiment with different types of milk, such as heavy cream, half-and-half, or a combination of milk and cream, but in my experience, whole milk produces the best results.