You’re going to love this round-up of the best homemade dairy-free ice cream recipes, including popsicles, sorbet, soft serve and more, all made vegan, creamy, and so delicious. From mango to strawberry to peanut butter and chocolate flavors, there’s something for everyone!

chocolate avocado ice cream served in cones.

With warm weather underway, I’m so excited to share the best vegan and dairy-free ice cream recipes that you can make at home.

I’ve been making vegan ice cream for over a decade and love how easy it is. You’ll never miss the dairy that’s used in regular ice cream!

You can also skip questionable ingredients such as guar gum and xanthan gum that are often included in store-bought ice cream.

How to Make Dairy-Free Ice Cream

  • You don’t even need an ice cream maker or ice cream machine to make homemade ice cream. Instead, you can use the freezer method with a food processor or blender as I’ve detailed in this post on how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker. This is also known as the no churn method which means you have to stir the mixture occasionally as it freezes to prevent too many ice crystals from forming.
  • However, if you prefer to use a machine to churn your ice cream mixture, then the ice cream maker that I use is this Cuisinart frozen yogurt-ice cream model that sells for less than $70 on Amazon. I’ve probably used my Cuisinart ice cream maker at least a hundred times.
  • Feel free to get creative, experiment with different flavors, and enjoy the results. Don’t miss these yummy gluten-free waffle cones either.

Now, onto the recipes! I hope you love these delicious ice cream recipes as much as I do.

Best Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes

You're going to love this round-up of the best homemade dairy-free and vegan ice cream recipes, including popsicles, sorbet, pies, soft serve and more, all made vegan, creamy, and so delicious. From mango to strawberry to peanut butter and chocolate flavors, there's something for everyone!

1

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

This Vegan Chocolate & Peanut Butter Soft Serve Ice Cream recipe is an easy and healthy way to enjoy frozen dessert with no added sugars. Make this dairy-free treat in 10 minutes or less! This is my favorie one that uses cocoa powder for amazing flavor.

2

Vegan Mango Ice Cream Recipe

This is one of the most popular recipes on Clean Eating Kitchen. This dairy-free mango ice cream is a winner. It's not only beautiful, but it is absolutely delicious and one of my favorites too.

3

Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream

You're going to love this lovely Strawberry Ice Cream recipe that uses coconut milk as the base. Everyone loves this one that is full of strawberry flavor.

4

Vitamix Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream

Learn how to make Vanilla Ice Cream using coconut milk right in your Vitamix high speed blender. It's easy and so delicious to make vegan vanilla ice cream at home.

5

Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream

Yep, you heard me right, you can make ice cream out of avocados! The creamy mouthfeel of avocados replaces dairy products in this chocolate delicious delight.

6

Cookies and Cream Nice Cream

This banana-based soft serve is a perfect replacement for traditional cookies and cream. You can make this in just about 10 minutes!

7

Vegan Peach Ice Cream (4-Ingredients)

You can use fresh or frozen peaches in this delicious recipe. It is creamy and such a nice creamy summer dessert.

8

Vitamix Mango Sorbet

You only need three simple ingredients to make sorbet that is light, sweet, and totally yummy!

9

Peanut Butter Nice Cream

This is a super easy 3-ingredient vegan soft serve recipe that can be made in 10 minutes or less. This is one of my favorite recipes as well!!!

10

Best Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream

You don't have to wait for fall for the delicious flavors of pumpkin pie spice. This vegan ice cream recipe includes pumpkin puree and coconut milk.

Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipe FAQs

Can I use light coconut milk to make dairy-free ice cream instead of full-fat?

Yes, but the fat in the full fat coconut milk (for the recipes to make coconut ice cream) is what adds mouthfeel and that creamy texture that is reminiscent of dairy ice cream. If you use lower-fat versions for your ice cream base, then it your ice cream will be less creamy (but the good news is that it will still work). For the best creamy vegan ice cream, be sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk and follow the ingredients in the recipe card for each recipe.

Can I use plant-based milks like almond milk or oat milk to make dairy-free ice cream?

Yes, but the result will be more like ice milk than ice cream. You would ideally use a plant-based milk like full-fat canned coconut milk to get the right texture. If you don’t like coconut milk, you could also use blended cashews instead (see my recipe for Vegan Fudgesicles below that uses blended cashews).

How long does homemade vegan ice cream keep in the freezer?

Homemade vegan ice cream does not freeze well long-term. It will freeze very hard when stored in an airtight container or loaf pan. If that happens, just let it sit on the countertop for a few minutes (or up to 10 minutes) to warm up and soften. Then scoop your nice cream and serve as usual.

What are the best vegan substitutes for cream and milk in ice cream?

Vegan ice cream can be made with a variety of plant-based milks, such as almond, soy, oat, or rice milk. However, full-fat coconut milk is often the best substitute for cream because of its rich and creamy texture. You can also use cashews or avocados to give a creamy texture to your ice cream.

How can I make my vegan ice cream creamy and not icy?

The creaminess of vegan ice cream is often achieved by the use of high-fat ingredients, like full-fat coconut milk or soaked and blended cashews. Using a bit of alcohol, like vodka or a flavored liqueur, can also help since alcohol doesn’t freeze and it can help keep your ice cream from getting icy.

Carrie’s Final Tips

When I first stopped eating dairy more than a decade ago, I was pretty worried that I would never be able to enjoy a frozen ice cream dessert again. Then, I took a vegan ice cream course at my local library and I’ve never looked back.

Turns out, it’s not that hard to make your own dairy-free ice cream using ingredients like coconut milk, coconut cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract, oat milk, cashew milk, coconut sugar, frozen bananas, chocolate chips, dark chocolate, cookie dough, soy milk, and other dairy-free alternatives.

So, with everything from chocolate and strawberry to fancy vegan ice cream desserts, there is literally something for everyone in this homemade dairy-free ice cream recipe round-up. You can also get creative and make up your own recipes once you get the hang of it.

I can’t think of anything better on a hot summer day than a dairy-free and creamy ice cream using simple ingredients.

Don’t Miss These Dairy-Free Resources!

65+ Easy Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Snack Ideas

9 Non-Dairy Sugar-Free Creamers

25 Easy Gluten & Dairy-Free Breakfast Recipes

Best Paleo Protein Powders (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)

Conclusions

Whether you’re looking for dairy-free ice cream recipes or other frozen treats, then I hope you found this round-up helpful. Even if you’re on a restricted diet, you don’t have to miss your favorite frozen treats.

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is studying to be a holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.