So the no-dairy thing is going OK. I’m feeling better each time I opt for dairy-free alternatives, and I’m actually starting to crave my swig of almond milk in the mornings after my obligatory almond butter, banana toast.
I still cannot believe I haven’t had ice cream since December 2012. This is unheard of. But thankfully with options like cinnamon toast ice cream and now this coffee variety, my sanity is still intact, I haven’t strangled anyone, and my sweet tooth is somehow satisfied. Thank the Lerrrd.
This recipe is incredibly simple to throw together, requiring just four ingredients and very little hands-on prep time. I snagged my friend’s ice cream maker again, but it’s not necessary (though it makes it oh so creamy and fluffy). I’ve shared a few tips below if you’re sans-ice cream maker.
The texture of this ice cream is so creamy, the vanilla adds a lovely cappuccino flavor, the bold coffee is offset by the sweetness of the coconut milk, and it’s only slightly sweet thanks to a reduced amount of raw sugar. You can, of course, add more sugar if you like, but I prefer my coffee ice cream like I prefer my coffee – as close to black as possible. Modify as you see fit.
I almost added chocolate chunks or a fudge swirl to this recipe, but I figured I’d be a purist with this first coffee test batch. Watch out, though. More adventurous concoctions are sure to come soon, especially as the weather warms up.
Coffee Coconut Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 13.5-ounce cans of quality full-fat coconut milk (2 cans yield ~3 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup raw sugar (depending on preferred sweetness // I used lesser end of range)
- 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine coconut milk, coffee, and raw sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until well combined – about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to let cool completely in the fridge – at least 6 hours, overnight being preferable.
- Transfer to ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer instructions. Once done either eat immediately or transfer to a freezer-safe container and let harden for several hours. Should keep for 1 week in the freezer. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Notes
*Prep time does not reflect freezing/cooling time.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Mireille says
Just made this! Absolutely delicious!! Thanks for this great recipe! :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mireille! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Kie Miranda says
This recipe is fantastic! I used honey instead of raw sugar, and I don’t have an ice cream maker, so I just put it in the freezer and mixed it every hour or so. It was a little frosty (as opposed to smooth/creamy), but from a dairy-free, sugar-free ice-cream lover, it was still so good. Would totally recommend!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sandy says
Any thoughts or anyone who’s done this recipe with almond milk instead of coconut cream/milk?
Hi Sandy, we’d recommend searching the comments to see what others have tried! Our experience is that on its own, almond milk doesn’t get creamy.
Rozina Fonyo says
Very yummy! I used Savoy brand coconut cream and 1/2 cup sugar, and it was just the right sweetness. It was a little melt-y straight out of the ice cream maker, so I think I will freeze it before serving next time.
Thanks for sharing, Rozina!
ingrid jurek says
This sounds amazing. Could xylitol or monk fruit be used instead of sugar?
Hi Ingrid, sugar offers a structural element, so we aren’t sure. Let us know if you try it!
Sara says
Hi there – has anyone tossed an avocado or 2 in for creaminess?
Nechama says
I found that after heating mixture, pour the cooled ice cream mixture into a 13×8/9 inch cake pan, let nearly freeze, then chop into small pieces with a fork or knife, put the pieces into a good (strong blender or) food processor and whiz til fluffy. Serve and eat the nice cream, putting leftovers into a plastic freezer container for that next uncontrollable binge. I just can’t seem to do the other option and it usually freezes on me before I can keep checking on it.
Thanks for sharing!
Hannah says
Hi! I followed this recipe exactly how you wrote it, but during the cooling process the coconut fats solidified leaving chunks of solid coconut milk with the ice cream mixture – this of course did not work in my ice cream maker. So I started over and the same thing happened, despite whisking the mixture every few hours! I’m so bummed because not only did I waste 4 cans of high quality (and $$$) coconut milk, but I feel like I’m doing something wrong if other people had success.
How strange! WHat brand of coconut milk did you use? That can make a huge difference.
Hannah says
First tried the Trader Joe’s canned coconut milk then the Chaokoh brand.
So Trader Joe’s is notoriously chunky and oily – I don’t recommend. And I’ve never heard of the second brand. See this post for our favorites!
jen says
How do I make a chocolate swirl to add to this? I swear I saw you post about this and can’t find it:-)
Hi Jen! You could try melting dark chocolate with coconut cream and swirling it in at the end. Or you could make our vegan chocolate syrup and swirl that in!
matt says
Hello,
Is there a type of coffee do you recommend for the recipe or is it just a personal choice.
Thanks
Just personal choice!
Khanh Quynh says
Hi Ms.Dana,
Thank you for all of your vegan ice cream recipes, they’re totally helpful and inspired me.
Wish you all the best as your kindness ^^
Yvette Aldama says
Hi, me again. I used the recipe to a “T” and the finished product was icy, with little flavor. I was hoping for a creamy texture. Would using half Coconut CREAM and half Coconut MILK and seeping ground coffee in teabags give me that?
*The Breville Smart Scoop is a compressed ice cream maker and a game changer.
Yvette Aldama says
I have a breville smart scoop, go long do I let it churn?
We are not familiar with that particular machine, so I recommend following the manufacturer instructions!
Sheri Z says
Has anyone tried it with honey instead of raw sugar?
I’m sure that would work!
Gabbi says
So that it stays creamy instead of turning rock hard, you need a thickener like cornstarch, agar agar or xanthan gum. I used 1 1/2 tsp of cornstarch, let it sit for like 5 mins out of the freezer and it’s perfectly creamy! I made this recipe with brownie chunks mixed in and it was delightful :) Rating 3 stars bc the thickener is rly important.
md says
I loved it! I got ice cream maker just to try out this recipe!
To make it even richier, I grounded coffee from whole beans to keep good aroma, and put that in paper tea bags and put in the pot when I cook the mixture. The result was great!
Thank you for this recipe!
Marietta says
What would happen if you added an egg yolk to this? Even more delicious?
I just got an ice cream maker and I’ve already made your coconut/mango/raspberry sorbet and it is marvelous. I’ll be working my way through all of your recipes over the summer, so thanks!
Brookecooks says
How do you keep the fat from separating and hardening at the top when you stick the mixture in the fridge to chill?
Korrin says
I’m not sure, but I plan to whisk or blend the separated mixture to combine it again right before pouring it into the ice cream maker. It’s been a while since you posted your question; Did you have any success with it?
Paayel says
Hello
How to whisk the mixture if i do not have the ice cream maker. By hand or hand blender?
Hi! Every hour remove from the freezer and whisk vigorously to incorporate air – this will make the ice cream less dense/more fluffy, creamy. Repeat until desired consistency is achieved. I think either would work!
babes says
hello.. may i ask if instead of coconut milk, can i use coconut cream ? if ok, then how about the quantity?? still the same? thanks
Hi! Yes, I think that would be even better! Same quantity!
Renee says
Your gluten-free vegan pumpkin pie recipe made Thanksgiving without dairy, eggs or gluten perfectly okay. It is something I look forward to every November now and my husband prefers it to regular pumpkin pie. (I may even make some vegan pumpkin ice cream to have a pumpkin pie blizzard for breakfast on Black Friday.) So, stumbling onto this recipe just made my day. If it is even half as good as your pumpkin pie, it will be amazing. It has been snowing here and ice cream sounds SO cold, but I just printed the recipe and hope to try it out this weekend. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes on-line.
xm123 says
I’ve tried this twice and ended up with an icy mess both times. I noticed the vanilla bean ice cream recipe calls for a can of coconut cream where this one doesn’t. Is that a typo? I have a feeling the coconut cream might change the texture in a way that’s needed. I chilled the mixture overnight (because I had to have the bowl in the freezer overnight, anyway) and I hit it with my stick blender right before churning (this cuts down on the icing issue when I make full-fat dairy ice cream) and store it in a fancy ice cream holder from Sur La Table but I still have a block of granita instead of ice cream. What am I doing wrong?
Edi | SunCakeMom says
Coffe with coconut sounds like a wild idea to me but I know someone who absolutely loves both. I must omit the sugar though and find something else to sweeten it as we are on zero sugar.
Joyce says
I love coffee ice cream. Will try your way. I go the simple way with cool whip and strong coffee. Thank you for sharing! Joyce
Sharon says
Hi, Dana.
Which ice cream maker do you recommend?
Sharon
Emily says
Just finished eating a bowl of this with my housemates! It was delicious, however even with 3/4 of a cup of undrinkably strong coffee, we could barely taste the coffee flavour. We thought next time we might use a couple of shots of espresso instead. We made it in an ice cream ball like so:
and it took about 15 or twenty minutes. Worked great, very delicious and successful! Thanks!
Darlen Korjen says
Can I use maple syrup instead of sugar?
Brooke says
If I wanted to substitute the coffee with cocoa powder to make chocolate ice cream how much cocoa powder should I use?
Check out our newest post for a guide!
Katie says
Hi, the 2nd time making this wonderful recipe. This time I switched out sugar for honey, and sprinkled a bit of cinnamon and raw cocoa powder to enhance the coffee. I hope it turns out as good as my last batch.
Wendy says
Do I drain off the liquid from the creamier part of the canned coconut milk?
Kathleen says
I followed the directions precisely and used a good ice cream maker, but the fat in the coconut milk separated from the other ingredients. I tried to re-incorporate them without success. The end product was a sorbet-textured sort of thing with rather unappealing chunks of coconut fat in it. I suspect that when the fat separated, the remaining ingredients were too watery and so became icy rather than creamy. I see that some others have had the same problem. Has anyone found a way around this?
Sanam says
Amazing flavour! One of my favourites recipes up to now. But the consistency didn’t work for me. It became a solid icey block, rather than a fluffy creamy ice-cream. Any suggestions for where I might have gone wrong? I did follow the instructions….
Maybe eggs or cream? That’s the only difference between this recipe and my past successful ice creams…
And you used an ice cream maker? Let it set out for 15 minutes before scooping. Also, you can try using coconut CREAM instead of just full fat coconut milk, which has little to no liquid. That should help!
Lynda says
Ever tried frozen banana ice cream? Peel and chop chunks of banana and fre4eze. That’s all then when you need it, put it in a processor and hey presto! you have really creamy ice cream. You can then add sugar free maple syrup, coconut cream (I leave the can in the fridge to get the solids quite firm) nuts, and any fruits, spices or nuts that also go with banana.
Also try coconut cream, sugar free cocoa, and avocado for a dairy free dessert. I use Xylitol if I need to sweeten anything.
Jourdan says
Hi ya
I was just wondering if once I get the consistency I like can I then return it to the freezer until serving or do I need to keep whisking at intervals until serving?
Susan Jones says
My experience is my cuisinart freezer will take it to a soft serve consistency. I then freeze in the freezer for more hardness. CmKes great Popsicles. Pumpkin is a great fav as well as banana.
Kate says
Love the recipe. Going to give this a go with my brand new ice cream maker. Was just wondering, if I was to use honey instead of sugar, how much honey should i use please?
Thank you. Love your recipes btw.
Carol says
My mixture is cooling in the refrigerator right now. I bought a cuisinart ice cream maker for thanksgiving and my first batch was vanilla bean. I am excited for the coffee and added some espresso powder for more coffee flavor. Can’t wait.
Joannie says
Hey,
I was wondering if I can do this recipe with normal Silk coconut milk. The thing is, I brought a 8 liters from my work the other day (reason: they were getting expired). I’m not going to drink them all on time and my idea was to make Ice Cream out of it. Is it possible ?
Thank’s for your tips. :)
Phoebe says
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I have made it twice already. It is perfect! Easy to make with ingredients I usually have on hand. And it solves the issue of finding coffee ice cream in the store that has pure ingredients. I used maple syrup for the sweetener and I love the taste. I also add a touch of sea salt. This time I put the ice cream in multiple small cups to keep me from eating it all. I just can’t stop, it is sooooo goood!! And so easy!
Summer says
When you say coconut milk, do you mean the coconut cream from a can or the cream part and the liquid?
Lorri says
Made this with a few adjustments. Used Maple Syrup in place of sugar – NO COOKING! LOL Added 1t of salt and 1/2t caramel flavoring. The mix tasted soooo yummy. Its in the ice cream makers right now!!!!
Rosemary says
Would it make any difference if the coffee was left out as I can’t take caffeine? Presume other flavours could be used to the same proportions. Thanks.
Yes!
Marta says
Yes I can try with cream. I thought the % of fat was written on every can like in Europe.
marta says
Dear Dana, I tried this recipe Saturday: the taste is very good but the consistency very different from your pictures, way more icey. I am sure it was the coconut milk, not fat enough. As I do not have access to the same brands you use, could you please indicate the % of fat of the milk you employed? Thanks a lot!
Hmm, I just know it was full fat. But perhaps next time you could even try coconut cream?
Avni says
Is it necessary to refrigerate for 6 hours? Mine is already cold and it’s only been 2 hours! I have the kitchenaid ice cream maker which requires me to put the ice cream maker in the fridge for 15 hours already, so I’m wondering if the ice cream is chilled enough to put it in?
GO for it1
Andrea says
Thanks so much Dana. I’m on an elimination diet for eczema, and it’s working great. I’ve googled at least 4 allergy-free recipes in the past several weeks and your blog always turns up. This recipe is a perfect solution for my ice cream craving, and your writing tells me you know your audience well. Keep it up.
Elle says
Do you find that using coconut cream omits the need for some type of emulsifier? Does it dish up smoothly or end up with some ice-crystal formation? Thanks!
It does! Be sure to use an ice cream maker to incorporate air. To help it become even creamier, you can also add 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight in cool water or for 1 hour in very hot water, then drained). Hope that helps!
Elle says
Oooh, thanks! Nice response time, btw.
xcntryskiing says
What brand of ice cream maker would you suggest?
Also, I will be infusing the coconut milk with cardamom pods!!!! This suggestion comes from a ‘Cooking with Deadheads’ FB page… NUMZ!!!
Thank you!!
This one!
krystal says
I made this over the weekend and it is DELICIOUS. Instead of adding coffee to the mix, I steeped coffee beans in the warm coconut milk. I also used brown sugar and added cinnamon. (Why not combine my two favorite ice cream flavors!??!) I used my homemade (in bourbon!) vanilla extract. IT’S SO CREAMY!!
Hanna says
This looks so great, I can’t wait to try it! Maybe this is a silly question but is it possible to use maple syrup or honey in place of the raw sugar?
neha hoon says
i dont have ice cream maker so how can i make it
Katsy says
This is amazing. So easy to make and tastes very good. I made it with hot chocolate instead of coffee. one of my new fav summer snacks.
Francesca says
Hello, I wonder if perhaps you could help me then since it went so easy for you. My attempts are described above and for the life of me I can’t figure what is wrong. Its my first attempt EVER to make ice cream and I’d like to get it right :)
krystal says
I steeped coffee beans in my coconut/sugar mixture instead of adding coffee (less water = less crystals = better texture, in my experience). That is the technique you’ll find with Jeni’s Ice Cream recipes.
I also added homemade vanilla extract (I make mine with bourbon) and the alcohol keeps it from freezing too solidly – saw that in a frozen yogurt recipe (I think there it was just a tbsp of vodka).
I used full fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand) and brown sugar and heated it just enough to be warm to the touch and dissolve the sugar. It may be the initial mixture was heated too much???
Dora Daley says
Same thing happened to me, kept separating into hard chunks of coconut fat/butter. Do understand how this could possibly work.
Francesca says
I am also hoping for help. I tried this 3 times but still ended with separation. Chilled it all as you said and whipped it. First time the coconut ‘fat’ solidifed separately in the fridge, rock hard- thawed it and tried it again, whipping away but again once it was in the ice cream maker after 20 mins it separated again. 3rd attempt I thawed and whipped and poured it slightly less chilled. I poured slow and whipped and poured and whipped. Same result tho’ after 30 mins. The mic=x is sitting on my bench, smells delicious but not ice cream. I’d love some suggestions please.
Cindy says
Hoping for some help. We made half a recipe to try it. It was more like a coffee slushy, although the ice cream maker (cuisinart) is now frozen solid with the remnants that we can’t scrape out. Not an ice cream texture really. We did change the proportions though. We tasted it with half of everything and my husband thought it tasted too much like coconut (and he likes coconut). So he added more coffee to it, probably twice what it should have been, maybe even more. Would that extra liquid have created a very “off” texture? He does think the recipe has promise, so hoping for some guidance. We also found it a tiny bit grainy, but maybe he didn’t let our sugar dissolve enough? We did use full-fat coconut milk, Thai brand.
H Bondar says
I had exactly the same outcome with my first batch — for the same reason — too much coffee (which really means too much water). I am the husband, I thought it tasted too much like coconut, so I added more coffee, and it turned into a slushy. Next batch I made with the exact proportions of ingredients called for in the recipe (actually, I didn’t do any math –I just used the exact amounts in the recipe and made two batches of ice cream) but this time I used cold-brewed coffee, which is about twice as concentrated as regular coffee, so I got more of the coffee flavor into the ice cream with the same amount of coffee liquid. Here’s how to make the cold-brewed coffee (easy): put 1/4 cup of coarse ground coffee and 1 cup of water in a glass bowl, stir, cover and refrigerate for 12-14 hours. Next day, pour the stuff through a strainer into another bowl. Now you have a cup of twice-as-strong coffee. Use it in your ice cream recipe. :)
Jessica says
This was my first go using my brand new ice cream maker. Went smoothly, so easy! I added 1/4 tspn xanthan gum because, well, i heard that was a good thing to do. I would call this ice cream “Coffee with cream & sugar” because it’s pretty light on the coffee flavor. Next time I think I’ll add ground coffee beans to try and get even more coffee flavor, but I take my coffee black… so I’m sure this is the perfect for others.
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be making that bourbon caramel ice cream here soon!
Jordan says
Hey I would love to make this! Can you substitute the sugar for dates??? Dates are a natural sweetener to a lot of the nut milks I make.
Ann says
That looks really good, I’ve been making a chocolate mousse out of 1 can coconut milk, 7 oz 70% dark chocolate (melt together, whisk, refrigerate), thinking I would really like to throw that in the ice cream maker. Didn’t even think about ice cream, so looking forward to trying it with coconut milk now :)
Thanks for the inspiration!
Lisa says
Oh my this is delicious!!!!! I did add dark chocolate chips. Every time I make it everyone loves it.
Yay!
juliette says
Since pure fat coconut milk has a lot of saturated fat, I substituted half of coconut milk measurement with creamy almond milk. And it turned out creamy and delicious. Here’s my “modified” ingredients.
1 13.5 ounce cans of quality full-fat coconut milk (roughly 3 1/2 cups)
1 13.5 creamy almond milk
1/2 – 3/4 cup raw sugar, depending on preferred sweetness (I used 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup strong brewed coffee or 1/2 cup Rum
1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
Hannah says
Your experiment is right in line with my recent thinking to lighten the end results by substituting half the full-fat coconut milk with another milk variety. Thus far I’ve tried half full-fat coconut milk and half light, though I’m hopeful pairing full-fat coconut milk with an almond milk would reduce the coconut’s flavor dominance. What do you mean by “creamy” almond milk?
Xm123 says
My assumption is a thicker almond milk. Some brands are thicker than others (I use them to do things like bake) and some are thicker (I use those for cereal).
xm says
Meant *thinner*.
Raquel says
Would you be able to eliminate a step by dissolving the sugar in the coffee, cooling the coffee and then whisking all the ingredients?
Emma says
I’m dying to try this out as I’m allergic to dairy. However, I’m also allergic to aluminium so that rules out cans of coconut for me. Is it possible to make it using coconut milk from a carton?
I think it would actually be better to buy raw coconuts and scrape out the meat and then add a little coconut beverage from the carton and a little coconut oil. Hopefully the combination of these will make it creamy enough. Hope that helps!
Regan says
I know this comment is a bit late, but I was wondering if you have access to coconut milk/cream powder sold in individual pouches (small bags)? You simply reconstitute with water. Which is great because you can determine how creamy (or thin) you want your coconut cream/milk to be. You can get it at health food stores and Asian markets. The pouches are good because they’re not aluminum cans.
xm says
I didn’t know this existed! Now I want to try it on principle. Experiment time!
Sue says
I have seen this at a local Asian market. I was happy to find coconut cream that was not in a can…but I never did use it. I will try to find out how much to add to coconut milk to make it thick and creamy….maybe it will work!
Stephen says
I tried your recipe, but I used honey as a substitute for less raw sugar – it worked well.
To make it slightly more creamy, if the coconut milk is too diluted, add 1/2 cup of heavy cream.
This recipe got me thinking…. perhaps, if we use coconut juice (with bits of young coconut flesh) with bit of lemon juice, we can create coconut sherbet?
Smart! Try it out and send me a photo! that sounds amazing for summer :D
Breanne says
Is there a substantial difference between using full-fat coconut milk from a can versus from a carton?
Yes. The beverage is very watered down and full fat in a can is 75% cream.
Nina says
I’m trying to figure out what exactly to buy for the “full-fat coconut milk”. Is that just a can at the store that says “coconut milk”? Did you use an unsweetened version or normal? Thanks :) !
Hi Nina! You can buy full fat coconut milk in a can at the store!
Nina says
Thank you :) making this tomorrow!
Katie says
This was delicious, and I have found that you can use the recipe to make other flavors as well.
Dan Pundak says
hey, very heavy and full of fat
can you bring some recipes with low fat?
and please write an answer for those of asking you regarding this recipe.
thank you
Ice cream isn’t an area I ever see myself making “low fat” versions of. Sorry!
Corrie says
Dana, do u think I can use agave instead of sugar for my dairy-free, sugar-free friend?
Yes!
Corrie says
I made it with honey and it was approved by my dairy-free friend! Thanks for the recipe!
Of course! Glad she enjoyed it!
kokimasak says
You dont use any heavy cream? and did you use whole coffee bean? (my opinion) it’s gonna be more exciting if you use lil bit coffee powder to make the color of ice cream more “coffee” like this.
Michi says
Trying this tonight! I’ve been working in Port-au-Prince for the past year and JUST discovered an ice cream machine stowed away in our apartment (…thank you random previous resident). Can’t wait to try this with Haitian coffee, sugar, coconut milk, and vanilla (all locally produced!).
Yay! let me know how it turns out, Michi!
Michi says
It was PERFECT. You are an ice cream genius. I added a tablespoon of cocao powder and it was very subtle and nice.
Your recipies and this ice cream maker are game changers. Finally some sweet relief from the heat!
Laura says
Just made this with Trader Joe’s Coconut Cream, and have my fingers crossed that it will turn out nice and creamy! Thanks for the recipe, I’ll let you know how it works out with cream instead of milk!
Please do! I bet it’ll be even better!!
Laura says
The taste turned out delicious, but since I didn’t have an ice cream machine handy it did turn out a little more on the icy side. Next time I will steal my moms ice cream machine and hopefully the consistency will turn out better. LOVE that this is dairy free and so easy to make though!
Seth says
I’ve been trying to find dairy-free soya-free coffee ice-cream here in the UK and have had no such luck, so I’ve been looking around to find a vegan recipe to make at home without a ice-cream maker. So thank you for this, as it seems extremely simple and not time consuming.
Just one question though: I’m allergic to coconut (which is quite annoying when vegan and trying to avoid soya as much as possible), so I was wondering if I could substitute almond milk to it? Or would almond/oat cooking cream be better (as I saw the problem of low fat coconut milk posed)?
Seth, almond milk on its own won’t create a creamy texture like coconut milk, so you need something else. I would recommend trying a cashew base. Use this recipe as a starting point, then sub almond milk for the coconut milk, and olive oil for the coconut oil. Hope that helps!
Jade says
I’m wondering what the reasoning is for the 6-hour cool down time. I didn’t read the recipe through, and was hoping to make it right away…. my bad…
Jade says
Well, I made this recipe. And after 4 hours in the ice cream machine I decided it was far too loud and I was turning it off as it wasn’t really becoming ice cream. I’m disappointed to report that after puttin g it in the freezer to solidify it just became a giant coffee ice cube. So I boiled it down and added gelatin to see if I could make more of a gelato type of product. Still an ice block.
None of our coconut milk here says full fat or otherwise, it just says coconut milk. I’m assuming this one was too much water, since it froze the way it did. I want to salvage what I made, since any parts I can manage to chip out of the block it now is are absolutely delicious. The only other way I can think to salvage it is to melt it down and freeze it again in ice cube and Popsicle molds. Any suggestions?
Hmm, it’s probably because it’s not full fat coconut milk. Next time, do you have access to just coconut cream? That’s the full fat cream of the coconut milk. I don’t know if this is salvageable or not! Sorry you had such trouble but the issue definitely seems to be the coconut milk fat content.
Tameika says
I have a question, I do not do coffee can I omit the coffee and just have coconut ice cream or will the calculations be completely off?
Just omit it, that’s fine :D
real troll face says
Your style is unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from.
Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.
judith says
Has anyone tried low fat coconut milk? Results? Thanks!
Judith, I have tried making a low fat version and it’s simply not as good. But if you don’t mind it being a little icy go for it!
Jin Ah says
Easy and delicious. My results came out grainy. I’m guessing its from the layer of fat that collected at the surface while cooling. I used thai coconut cream. I wanted full fat. The guests at my dinner party who I made this for raved. Thanks for the recipe!
Sue says
you have to cover the surface of the cooled liquid with plastic wrap to keep the fat from forming a film at the top, before you put it in the fridge to cool
All for Teddy says
OHH! Thank you I will try that next time all the oil made a shell and I did not want to take it out so I blended again and now that its frozen there are tiny granules of coconut oil, not the worst thing but def messes up the consistency of a creamy treat.
Caitlin says
This looks amazing- planning to make it this weekend! Do you refrigerate overnight to get the mixture to thicken? If so, could I just add a bit of xantham gum?
You actually refrigerate it so it freezes faster and more evenly – so it’s more of a texture thing. Even if you add xanthan gum for thickness, I would still recommend letting it chill for at least 4 hours before churning. Hope that helps!
Lauren says
So delicious and creamy!
Niki says
I missed coffee ice cream so much after attempting Veganism, and I’m hoping this keeps me on track. Just popped it in the refrigerator, but after trying the liquid form I just know it’ll be fantastic. I replaced the vanilla with cacao powder, and the flavor is still amazing. Thank you!
Lauren says
Made this tonight and it was so delicious, and creamy! Thanks for the recipe!
Tiffany says
I saw this recipe last week and it looked so wonderful I was asking around to find an ice cream maker I could borrow to make it, and someone graciously gave us a new one! I made this today and i’m IN LOVE!!! It’s so creamy and decadent, and the flavors are so simple and wonderful. Needless to say I will be making this often.
Has anyone tried to make this with lite coconut milk to cut out some of the fat?
Tiffany, you can try to make it with light but it will turn out more icey. But if you’re OK with sacrificing some of the creaminess, I say go ahead!
vivian says
I have an ice cream maker that requires no ice or salt. It makes a quart. so handy. will be making this in that, so hoping it works. vivian
Christine says
This looks scrumptious! My favorite coffee is Barnie’s White Christmas, which is a coconut coffee. So I think this recipe is genius, pure genius!
Jenny @ Paleofoodiekitchen says
Oh my, i love the simple ingredients. I will definitely be making this :)
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says
I am totally playing catch-up with my blog reading…this ice cream looks amazing! I love the short ingredient list – can’t wait to try it!
Kait says
Umm ice cream that isn’t made of fruit and doesn’t require an ice cream maker?
Let me profess my love for you right here and now.
That is all. :)
Lauren Woolsey says
When you say ‘coconut milk,’ are you referring to canned Asian style coconut milk, or the cartons of coconut milk more often used as a dairy substitute?
Amy B says
Sounds sooo delish! Which brand of coconut milk do you use? I have tried a few but the milk always seems to taste like… the can. ?
Amy, good question. I’ve tried generic (Kroger) brands and didn’t like them. So now I either go for an organic variety (which is usually more expensive) or the Thai Kitchen (?) full fat brand. It’s very creamy, contains only the necessary ingredients, and doesn’t taste like can (in my opinion). Hope that helps!
Agus says
Hi! It’s my first stop here.
Have you tried home-made banana ice-cream? It’s the easiest dairy-free and completly vegan ice-cream of all!
You only need a few bananas (with no brown or green on the outside). You chop them and put them in the freezer.
Once the chunks are frozen, you just blend them.
You’ll get a creamy, healthy banana ice-cream that everyone will love.
You can top it with nuts and chocolate… delicious!!!
That one lady says
YES GIRL YES GIRL YES. If this keeps me up at night I’mma hitchhike to Kansas and get you!
I love that you named yourself “that one lady” in this comment. This, is why I love you. Send me chocolate, kthanksbye!
Sarah says
Your photos are too good. TOO good! They make me want to dive in.
Thanks friend! You’re always so complimentary! Boosting my esteem left and right :D
Tricia C says
I just stuck the unfinished product in my fridge, but the little taste I snuck was amazing! I also made a discovery while trying to find something to replace my usual creamer and experimentally dropped a spoonful of the mix into the coffee. I can definitely see doing something with fat-free coconut milk as a coffee creamer in the future. Thanks for this recipe!
Ashley M. [at] (never home)maker says
Stephen LOVES coffee . . . I love coconut. This sounds like a valentine’s day match in heaven. Might try it out this weekend <3
Mimi @ Culinary Couture says
You are perfect.
Monica says
Dairy free ice cream is such a treat and coffee flavored anything sounds soo delicious.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Gorgeous images and I love making ice cream or frozen things with coconut milk…and coffee is an automatic win!
Joan Purcell says
I do not drink coffee, so wonder what could be substituted for that. Do you think pineapple juice would work to make piña colada ice cream? I love your recipes!
I do!
Natasha says
I never thought I’d say this when it’s so cold outside, but–I need an ice cream maker!! This combination sounds perfect. And I think the addition of chocolate chunks next time would be so good!
Billy says
holy crap this looks amazing, and I love that it’s completely vegan so no crazy time with tempering eggs.
Julia says
oh my goodness!!!! 3 of my favourite things.. coffee, coconut & ice cream. as SOON as my cleanse is over, i will be making this!! thanks:)
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says
I absolutely love that you made this with coconut milk! I will be trying this soon!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I am so so happy you included instructions for those of us sans ice cream maker, although I think I’ll have to break down and buy one here soon : ) Beautiful pictures as usual!
Sincerely Jill says
Oh my goodness! I can’t wait to try this! I have been dairy-free since December 2011, and my lucky with dairy-free recipes haven’t been so wonderful… let’s just say solid as a rock was more literal than figurative. Thanks Dana!
Linda says
hard to find a dairy free cracker, I found a great one Vans brand Perfect 10 found at Dierbergs
tamara says
Ryvita makes great dairy-free crackers