Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Ice cream made without a machine using coconut cream, vanilla bean paste, and sweetened condensed coconut milk. Whipped just right for fluffy texture. Freeze till firm. Scoop softens slightly before serving. Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free. Substitute coconut cream with heavy cream and condensed coconut milk with regular condensed milk for non-vegan version. Folding gently to maintain airiness is key. Watch for stiff peaks but not overwhipping. A quick treat when ice cream cravings hit, no churn sorbet, freezer magic with familiar flavors twisted with tropical notes.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
0 min
Total:
Servings:
1.3 litres
#vegan dessert
#no machine ice cream
#coconut recipes
#dairy-free
#tropical flavors
Ice cream without a machine? Yeah, been there, painfully scraping frozen lumps after failed attempts with too watery cream or not enough whipping. Coconut cream changed the game for me — richer fat, whips like an alpine snow. Tweak quantities, toss vanilla bean paste instead of extract, and skip egg yolks or custards. Sweetened condensed coconut milk replaces dairy versions, makes sweetness sharp but mellow. Fold instead of beat or you lose all air. Freeze six or seven hours — patience pays off. Warm a spoon before scooping, tastes better when slightly softened. Use any chopped nuts or skip altogether for creamy simplicity. Learned over repeats — timing, temperature, textures. Chunky bits add contrast, swirl caramel and watch fridge envy build.
Ingredients
- 475 ml coconut cream chilled
- 15 ml vanilla bean paste
- 250 ml sweetened condensed coconut milk
- Optional: pinch of salt
- Optional: 30 ml toasted chopped macadamia nuts for crunch
About the ingredients
Coconut cream is essential to get that thick whip texture; regular canned coconut milk often too runny unless very chilled and cream separated. Substitute heavy cream 500 ml plus 300 ml sweetened condensed milk for non-vegan, but texture shifts—less tropical and silkier in a different way. Vanilla bean paste preferred over extract for visible specks and robust flavor. Sweetened condensed coconut milk found in most specialty stores; if hard to source, homemade by reducing coconut milk and adding sugar carefully. Add tiny pinch of salt to counterbalance sweetness and emphasize vanilla and coconut. Nuts optional but toasted macadamias add crunch, complementary to coconut’s natural sweetness. Keep everything chilled to whip best — this also prevents separation during freezing. Avoid adding sugar separately, not needed.
Method
- Start cold. Chill bowl and beaters too if possible. Pour coconut cream and add vanilla bean paste into bowl. Whip on medium-high. Listen for thickening sounds. Stop as soon as soft peaks form but still shiny; this stage traps air for lightness. Too much and it turns grainy—bad news.
- Add sweetened condensed coconut milk in increments. Fold with spatula, slow and steady. Don’t rush or it'll deflate. Keep folding motion sideways, scraping sides, until combined. A couple pulses with electric mixer on low speed at end smooths out folding marks but careful not to overmix, or it goes soupy.
- Add a small pinch of salt if you want to pull flavor forward; coconut cream can be mellow.
- Add toasted macadamia nuts now if using. Folding them in last keeps nuts crunchy, texture contrast is nice here. Feel in the bowl; mix enough to distribute evenly, not pulverize.
- Transfer everything to a plastic or glass container with tight lid. Smooth the surface but don’t pack too tight; air pockets get trapped and help texture.
- Freeze for minimum 6 hours but I find 6.5 hours best. A couple times check by gently pressing surface with finger — firm but still springy means ready. Ignore cravings, wait for that velvet touch. If you go too hard, let sit at room temp 5-8 minutes before serving. Too cold dulls flavors and causes brain freeze faster.
- No ice crystals if folded right and frozen evenly. Frequent interruptions during freezing lead to ice crystals forming. I skip stirring halfway; folding air in initially is enough here, and coconut fat smooths texture naturally.
- Use a warm spoon or dip scoop in hot water between scoops; that helps clean edges and keeps shape neat.
- Common issues: If coconut cream not cold, won’t whip. If condensed coconut milk too watery, ice cream will be icy. Substitute regular heavy cream at 500 ml and sweetened condensed milk at 300 ml if not vegan, but coconut gives that silkiness and subtle tropical scent.
- Vanilla bean paste wins over extract — real flecks, aromatic. Pick good quality stuff; cheap ones turn waxy. Poke seed pod and scrape if you want to upgrade further.
- Store leftover ice cream wrapped airtight and use within 3 days maximum or get freezer burn. If freezer is warm (like summer) wrap container in extra freezer bags.
- For a playful twist, swirl 100 ml good quality salted caramel or fruit coulis halfway through freezing by gently dragging spoon to marble effect. Let freeze again fully.
- Don’t add sugar separately; sweetness balance comes from condensed coconut milk naturally.
- Remember cream is delicate. High-speed whipping fast but watch carefully. I sometimes overshoot just by one second and end up with grainy mess.
- Taste cold cream mixture before freezing, adjust vanilla if weak, or add few drops lemon juice for brightness before folding in nuts or caramel swirl.
- Always freeze container flat and shallow for uniform freezing; thick layers freeze unevenly with ice crystals on sides.
Cooking tips
Whip coconut cream and vanilla bean paste cold; soft peaks matter. Too much whipping? Gritty texture, not creamy. Fold in condensed coconut milk carefully to keep air bubbles intact — that’s the secret to a scoopable treat without ice crystals. Slow and steady folding, sideways spatula motion. Don’t rush. Once combined with nuts or swirls, freeze flat and shallow. Patience here — at least 6 hours solid freeze time. Check firmness by gentle press, too hard? Let sit a few minutes. Spoon warmed in hot water slices through ice cream like butter. Add caramel swirls or nuts after first folding to keep texture distinct. Using cold bowl and beaters helps speed whipping and prevents overwhipping. Don’t skip salt, it makes flavors pop. Frequent stirring during freezing brings ice crystals, so skip that. Storage advice: airtight container or wrapped lid, freezer burn lurks in careless containers. Test mixture taste before freezing; adjust vanilla or acidity with lemon juice for edge. Texture cues and timing outweigh exact minutes.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Whip coconut cream cold, bowl chilled too. Listen for soft peaks sound, thickening but not overwhip - abrupt stop or grainy mess. Folding gently with spatula sideways traps air. No beating here.
- 💡 Add condensed coconut milk in small amounts; fold slow and steady. Folding is sideways scraping sides with spatula. Ending with low speed pulses smooths marks but don’t overmix or soupy happens.
- 💡 Use pinch salt to bring out vanilla and coconut essence; subtle but vital. Toasted macadamia nuts fold in last for crunch. Don’t pulverize - texture contrast matters. Mix evenly by feel, not smashing nuts.
- 💡 Freeze flat in shallow container. Checking firmness means gentle press with finger; ready when firm but springy still. If too hard, wait 5–8 min room temp; softens flavors and stops brain freeze.
- 💡 Warm spoon or dip scoop in hot water between servings for clean edges and neat scoops. Avoid stirring during freezing - interrupts crystal formation. Folding air initially is enough; coconut fat smooths texture naturally.
Common questions
How to prevent grainy texture?
Stop whipping soft peaks, no overwhip. Watch cream thickening sounds. Overwhipped turns gritty fast - happens easily. Salt pinch helps flavor balance if bland.
Can I swap ingredients?
Heavy cream 500 ml plus regular sweetened condensed milk 300 ml if not vegan. Texture changes - silkier, less tropical smell. Vanilla bean paste better than extract; visible specks show quality.
Why ice crystals form?
Frozen unevenly or frequent stirring during freeze breaks smooth texture. Skip midway stirring; fold air well at start. Chilled cream crucial for whipping. Watery condensed milk causes icy bits too.
Best way to store leftovers?
Airtight container or wrap tightly in freezer bags; freezer burn if careless. Use within 3 days max. Warm climates—double wrap container. Flattening container layers speeds uniform freeze.
