This recipe reveals all our secrets for the creamiest vegan ice cream. We use full-fat coconut milk, cornstarch to thicken, and coconut oil for a bit of richness. The final trick is blending the mixture before freezing it, which helps to prevent ice crystals. The resulting ice cream is supremely creamy and stays scoopable even after freezing overnight. Our unique method for adding chocolate chunks is based on one of our favorite brands of ice cream, Graeter’s. The irregular fudgy bits are suspended in the ice cream, perfect for hunting and digging out the biggest ones.
Ingredients
- 2 15-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup agave syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon dried ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ounces high-quality dark chocolate*
How to Make It
- Freeze the ice cream maker base overnight.
- Make the ice cream: In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of the coconut milk with the cornstarch and set it aside. Add the remainder of the coconut milk to a medium saucepan. Warm the coconut milk over medium-low heat for a few minutes,
- whisking to incorporate the solids. Add the agave syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and kosher salt, then whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Simmer gently until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend the mixture for 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Line a large bowl with a layer of ice cubes and place the bag with the ice cream on top. Top with another layer of ice cubes and allow to sit for 30 minutes until the mixture is cool. (Alternatively, refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.)
- Make the chocolate chunks: Place the chocolate in a glass measuring cup with 2 teaspoons water. Fill a large skillet halfway with water and bring to a simmer; once the water is simmering, turn off the heat and place the measuring cup in the water, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spread the chocolate in a thin layer onto the parchment paper and freeze for 10 minutes. Quickly break the chocolate into large chunks with your fingers or a knife, and then return them to the freezer until ready to churn.
- Churn the ice cream: Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker until it thickens to the consistency of soft serve. Once the ice cream is fully frozen and fluffy, add the chocolate chunks, if using, and churn until fully incorporated.
- Freeze the ice cream (optional): Eat immediately for a soft-serve consistency, or freeze for 3 hours for a hard ice cream texture. Press a piece of parchment or waxed paper into a sealable container and scrape the ice cream into the container. Freeze until hard, about 3 hours or overnight.
