Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream (Churn or No-Churn)

This Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream is made with coconut cream and will remind you of real malted ice cream! Easy to make with or without an ice cream maker.

Making homemade Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream is fun, easy, and exciting. And I have good news for you: you don’t need an ice cream maker to do it! I’ve included both the churn and no-churn methods in this recipe, always leaving you with creamy, decadent non-dairy ice cream every time.

While this chocolate nice cream recipe is made with coconut cream, you don’t taste the coconut at all. Instead, every bite is rich, chocolatey, and divine. One scoop on top of my Raw Vegan Brownies or a slice of Vegan Chocolate Cake is enough to take these vegan desserts way up a notch!

Jump to:

• Ingredients needed
• How to make vegan chocolate ice cream
• Adding mix-ins to homemade ice cream
• Tips for success
• Store:
• Hungry for more chocolatey vegan desserts?
• Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream (Churn or No-Churn)

Ingredients needed

This ice cream recipe features a coconut cream base, plenty of cocoa, and 4 other easy ingredients. Here’s what you need:

• Coconut cream - Not coconut milk! similar to the creamy white part at the top of the can to make this recipe. Coconut cream is the secret behind the creamy, smooth texture and doesn’t contribute to the flavor at all. I use 2 full cans of Savoy brand coconut cream ( I buy at Walmart)
• Barley malt syrup - Because this is vegan malted ice cream, you need barley malt syrup for that authentic sweetness. It can be found in most health food stores and kept in your fridge for at least 2 years. While it isn’t a gluten free product, maple syrup or agave syrup can be used instead.
• Maple syrup - Feel free to reduce the amount if the ice cream is too sweet for you.
• Cocoa powder - Because it just wouldn’t be vegan chocolate ice cream without the cocoa.
• Instant coffee - Or instant espresso. Both will enhance the rich chocolate flavor without contributing to the flavor or caffeine level.
• Vanilla extract - To help round out the sweetness and flavors.

How to make vegan chocolate ice cream

I made this vegan ice cream recipe in a 2-quart ice cream maker. If you don’t have one, all you need is a blender or food processor instead. Both methods are foolproof:

With an ice cream maker (churn method):

1. Blend the ingredients: Place all of the ice cream ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. The mixture will be warm after blending, which is why I recommend letting it chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Churn the ice cream: Pour the blended mixture into the frozen base of the ice cream machine. Prepare according to manufacturer settings (about 25 to 30 minutes of churning) until you have soft serve-looking ice cream.
3. Freeze: Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and smooth out the top. Place it in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours or overnight to set.
4. Enjoy: Serve the ice cream in bowls or ice cream cones and enjoy! Full ingredients and instructions in printable recipe card below.

Without an ice cream maker (no-churn method):

1. Blend the ingredients: Place all of the ice cream ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Freezing and stirring: Pour the mixture into an airtight container or loaf pan and place it in the freezer. Stir it every 30 minutes until it’s frozen solid (or just freeze 😊)
3. Enjoy: Lastly, enjoy a scoop or two when the ice cream is frozen!

Adding mix-ins to homemade ice cream

There’s nothing like a scoop of ice cream that’s jam-packed with fun mix-ins, from chocolate chips to brownie pieces! Simply add the mix-ins of your choice to the ice cream when it’s just about done churning or stir them into the half-frozen blended mixture.

There are plenty of mix-ins to choose from:

• Chocolate chips
• Fresh fruit (like strawberries, raspberries, or peaches)
• Crushed nuts
• Broken chocolate chip cookie pieces
• Candy
• Brownies
• Vegan peanut butter cups
• Vegan mini marshmallows
• Leftover chocolate cake pieces 
• Chocolate sauce*
• Caramel sauce*

*If you want to add sweet sauces, swirl them in by hand once the ice cream is in the container.

Tips for success

• I recommend chilling the coconut cream in the fridge overnight if you want your ice cream to freeze faster.
• If the barley malt syrup is hard to pour, heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften it up.
• If you’re worried about ice crystals forming on top of the ice cream, place a layer of plastic wrap directly on top before sealing the lid on top and freezing.
• This recipe has a fair amount of sugar, which means ice crystals are less likely to form. It also means the frozen ice cream won’t be rock hard and will be easier to scoop.
• You can reduce the sugar if you want but use the tip above to avoid ice crystals.
• Let the ice cream sit on the kitchen counter for 10 to 15 minutes before eating.
• Instead of making ice cream, freeze the mixture in popsicle molds for amazing vegan fudgesicles!

Store:

Wondering how long will this vegan ice cream keep? You can store this ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. 

Hungry for more chocolatey vegan desserts?

• Vegan Chocolate Pudding
• The Best Vegan Chocolate Bars
• Chocolate Banana Bread
• Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

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