Here’s a dairy-free, vegan Strawberry Coconut Nice Cream recipe that is perfect for warm weather. This is a healthy and delicious treat made using wholesome ingredients.

two bowls of strawberry ice cream

Recipe Highlights

This easy homemade vegan ice cream recipe is full of rich strawberry flavor. It also has an excellent texture and mouthfeel because of the coconut milk. Best of all, this Strawberry Nice Cream recipe is made using wholesome ingredients that makes it perfect for a healthy treat.

This recipe is:

  • vegan,
  • dairy-free,
  • gluten-free,
  • sweetened with dates or maple syrup (your choice),
  • and made without any preservatives.

Recipe Steps

Step One

The first step to making this homemade ice cream is to gather up all of your ingredients. There are many ways to make a vegan ice cream base, but one of my favorite methods is to blend soy or almond milk with coconut milk for optimal creaminess. 

If you don’t want to use soy milk, you can use a whole can of full-fat coconut milk OR one cup of coconut milk and one cup of unsweetened almond milk (see the recipe card below for exact measurements).

ingredients for ice cream in a blender

Step Two

Blend your ingredients in a high-speed blender like a Blendtec or a Vitamix. to make them smooth. Then, pour the mixture into an ice cream maker (I use a Cuisinart ice cream machine).

Or, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, read about how to make ice cream without a maker.

strawberry ice cream ingredients blended in a Vitamix

Step Three

Next, you’ll need to churn the nice cream mixture for at least 20-30 minutes, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The strawberries make the ice cream base so pretty and pink!

What you’ll get is a frosty mixture that is soft and yummy. 

strawberry ice cream in an ice cream machine

Step Four

Either transfer your strawberry ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for an additional 30 minutes, or serve directly out of the ice cream maker.

The strawberry ice cream will be firmer the longer you freeze it.

bowl of strawberry nice cream

FAQs

Why is it called nice cream?

Nice cream is a play on words. Since it’s dairy-free, it’s not made from animals. Many people consider it to be kinder to animals not to take their milk for consumption. Not to mention, many people are intolerant or allergic to dairy foods, resulting in unpleasant symptoms. Read more about the reasons to go dairy-free.

Can I leave out the soy milk to make this recipe paleo-friendly?

Most definitely! Just make sure you use about two cups in total of dairy-free milk. For this recipe, you can make it paleo by using two full cups of coconut milk (1 13.5-ounce can) with no soy milk. Or, you can use one cup of coconut milk and one cup of unsweetened almond milk.

As I mentioned above, I like the combination of coconut milk and soy milk for dairy-free ice creams, but please feel free to make whatever adaptions you need. I don’t eat a lot of soy foods, but I make a special exception for cases like this.

How do I keep the ice cream from sticking to the inside of the freeze bowl?

Sometimes the ice cream mixture can stick to the inside of the frozen bowl of the ice cream maker. To prevent this, you can always spray the inside of the bowl with nonstick cooking spray before you pour in the mixture. This is an optional step.

Can I keep this recipe in the freezer for a long time?

My experience with dairy-free ice creams is that they are best consumed on the same day you make them. Otherwise, they freeze very hard. That said, if you freeze this recipe more than a few hours, you’ll just need to let it warm up a bit before you try to scoop it. 15 minutes on the countertop before serving should do it.

scoop of strawberry nice cream with fresh mint on top

Other Frozen Vegan Desserts You Might Like

And, don’t miss my round-up of the 25+ best vegan ice cream recipes!!!

Watch me make this Strawberry Nice Cream recipe on YouTube.

Here is the printable recipe:

Print

Vegan Strawberry Coconut Nice Cream

bowl of pink ice cream with fresh mint on top

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Here’s a dairy-free, vegan Strawberry Coconut Nice Cream recipe that is perfect for warm weather. This is a healthy and delicious treat made using wholesome ingredients.

  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Ice cream maker
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened soy milk or almond milk*
  • 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup pitted Medjool dates or 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 3 cups frozen strawberries (about 24 strawberries or the amount in a 10-ounce package)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or seeds of 1 vanilla bean
  • 1/2 teaspoon beet juice powder (for a natural food coloring, optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine the dairy-free milk, coconut milk, dates or maple syrup, strawberries, vanilla extract or vanilla seeds, and beet juice powder in the base of a high-speed blender.
  2. Process the ingredients for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
  3. Pour the mixture into the base of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  4. Ideally, you would freeze the ice cream an additional 1-2 hours after it’s done in the ice cream maker so it gets really firm. Then, about 15 minutes before serving, take it out of the freezer so it is then scoopable.

Notes

*If you want to make make this recipe even richer, just leave out the soy or almond milk and increase the coconut milk to 2 cups.

 

Keywords: how to make vegan strawberry ice cream, dairy free ice cream, strawberry vanilla ice cream recipe

 

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