Friends! The fluffiest, most satisfying, Nutella lover’s dream dessert is here: vegan ice cream made with chocolate and hazelnuts. It’s creamy, dreamy, oh-so delicious, and kind of perfect! Especially when craving a sweet treat on a warm summer day.
Just 6 ingredients required for this (dare we say) MASTERPIECE. It’s going to be on repeat in our ice cream maker all season long. Grab your cones. Let’s make Nutella ice cream!
Just like our 4-Ingredient Nutella, this Nutella ice cream starts with roasting hazelnuts to warm up their natural oils, loosen the skins, and enhance the hazelnut flavor.
Then we blend the roasted hazelnuts with melted chocolate, and ta-da: you’ve got easy homemade NUTELLA with better-for-you ingredients! It’s also a seriously amazing base for ice cream. Just be sure to set some of the “Nutella” aside for swirling into the ice cream later!
Next, we start turning most of the nut butter into ice cream by blending it with canned light coconut milk, cane sugar, vanilla, and salt. After blending, we refrigerate for at least an hour to cool the mixture down. This chilling step also allows you to prep for this recipe ahead of time, meaning summer ice cream parties, coming up!
When you’re ready for ice cream, add the creamy, dreamy mixture to your ice cream maker and churn for about 30 minutes. Then gently fold in the reserved “Nutella,” creating swirls of rich, chocolaty, hazelnutty goodness (hubba hubba)!
We can’t wait for you to try this ice cream! It’s:
Creamy
Chocolaty
Nutty
Fluffy
Perfectly sweet
Light yet satisfying
& SO delicious!
It’s the perfect dessert to make for anyone who loves Nutella, or is dairy-free/vegan and loves ice cream! And speaking of loving Nutella, be sure to check out our Creamy Chocolate Hazelnut Milk, 1-Bowl Nutella Banana Bread (Vegan + GF), 1-Bowl Chocolate Hazelnut Cake (Vegan + GF), and Grilled Nutella Banana Sandwich.
More Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
- Vegan Brownie Chocolate Ice Cream
- Creamy Vegan Chai Ice Cream
- Cherry Pie Ice Cream
- Creamy Vegan Mint Brownie Ice Cream
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Nutella Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (we like Enjoy Life)
- 2 (14-oz.) cans light coconut milk (we like Whole Foods 365*)
- 1/4 cup cane sugar (ensure organic if vegan)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- The day before use, place your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer to ensure a proper chill.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and add the hazelnuts to a bare baking sheet in a single layer. If raw, roast for a total of 10-12 minutes. If already roasted, roast for 8-10 minutes just to warm the natural oils and loosen the skins. This will make them easier to blend into butter. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer to a large kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around to remove most of the skins. You want to get as much as possible off because doing so yields a creamier result. But it doesn’t have to be perfect!
- Transfer the hazelnuts (skins removed and disposed of) to your high-speed blender and blend starting on low and working your way up to high, breaking down the hazelnuts as much as possible. They should wind up looking like small crumbs.
- Next, melt your chocolate. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until about half of the chocolate chips are melted (~1 minute). Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. You could also do this in the microwave, melting the chocolate in 30-second increments.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the blender. Begin blending on low, working your way up to high until the hazelnut butter is completely smooth and combined. The smoother the better! This should take about 3 minutes. Once completely smooth, remove 3 Tbsp of your freshly made "Nutella" and set aside for later!
- To your blender with the remaining "Nutella," add the light coconut milk, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt and blend on high until smooth, creamy, and completely combined.
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Add the slightly chilled mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions — ours took 30 minutes. It should look like a thick soft serve (see photo). Pour the reserved Nutella on top of the ice cream and gently fold it in to create a swirl, being careful to avoid fully mixing it in. You can enjoy your ice cream now if you prefer a softer, less frozen ice cream (similar in texture to gelato)! Or transfer the ice cream to a large freezer-safe container and smooth it with a spoon. Top with parchment paper and freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm.
- Set out for 10-15 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Store in the freezer well covered for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Elizabeth Campbell says
If I wanted to skip some steps and use Nutella, how much would I use?
Hey Elizabeth! We’re not quite sure, but we’re guessing somewhere around 1.5 cups! Let us know how it goes!
Jenny Buie says
I’ve been following the Minimalist Baker for almost 10 years now – you never fail me! So thanks for all the wonderful recipes.
This sounds delicious. Can you sub hazelnut flour for the hazelnuts? (i.e. skip the roasting, etc and go straight to the blending with chocolate) If so, how much hazelnut flour would you sub? And would you try toasting it first?
Hey Jenny! Thanks so much for the kind words and support! We wouldn’t suggest using hazelnut flour over hazelnuts because we don’t think they will blend into a butter as well! Hope this helps and we hope you enjoy. xo
Lana says
This looks so good, I can’t wait to make it. Do you lhave any recommendations for a substitute for the sugar?
We haven’t tried it, but maple syrup or honey might work! Honey will make it less icy than maple syrup. Hope this helps. xo
Dana Chalamet says
Hubba Hubba, is right! 😋 Don’t have an ice cream maker (have always wanted to get one) … do you have a recommendation for a process not using and ice cream maker? Also, LOVE your measuring spoon (Amazon?).
Thanks in advance and as usual, appreciate all that you do! 💛🙌🏼💫🙏🏼✨🌿
Thanks, Dana! You might be able to make the mixture and freeze it into ice cube trays. After the mixture is frozen you can try blending it! Hope this helps! Also we think the measuring spoon is from Williams Sonoma (it’s been a while)!
Dana Chalamet says
Great idea. I’ll give that a try. And for future, I just might have to look into purchasing an ice cream maker since I’ve been wanting one anyway. Also, so sorry you have to keep repeating yourself answering the same question since people don’t think to scan the comments for possibly finding the answers they’re seeking. 🙄 In my defense, I was the very first commenter asking the “popular” question, lol. As always, thanks for your time and input, it is much appreciated! 💛💫🙌🏼✨🙏🏼🌿
Amazing! You might just need a little milk to get it going! Check out this recipe. No problem at all! We’re always happy to help. xo
eln says
What would be a good replacement for the coconut milk? Coconut has so much saturated fat that I don’t consume it not use it.
Also, would almonds or walnuts be adequate replacement for the hazelnuts? And monk fruit for the sugar?
I have a Ninja Creami that I rarely use because I cannot find a healthy recipe that doesnt have too many bananas. Suggestions, please!
We haven’t tried any substitutions for this recipe but another nut would work instead of the hazelnuts. Also you could use a thicker homemade cashew milk for the coconut milk, we have a recipe here. Sugar helps with the texture, but let us know if you do any experimenting!
Clara M Pelfrey says
Can a non-coconut milk (almond milk? almond yogurt?) be used as a substitute? A member of my family is allergic to coconut. Thanks!
Hey Clara! You could try cashew milk! We have a recipe for it here. We would just suggest using a thicker milk to avoid it getting icy. Hope this helps. xo
Becca says
What if you don’t have an ice cream maker? If you’re a minimalist you don’t have extra appliances sitting around that you don’t use that often.
What about the old fashioned way? Put it in a blender, put it in the freezer.
Hey Becca, we haven’t tried it, but you might be able to make the mixture and freeze it into ice cube trays. After the mixture is frozen you can try blending it! Hope this helps!
Mady says
Do you think this would work in a Ninja Creami machine?
We think that might work!
MJ says
Don’t have an ice cream maker. Options??
Hey MJ, we haven’t tried it, but you might be able to make the mixture and freeze it into ice cube trays. After the mixture is frozen you can try blending it! Hope this helps!