I’ve been on a mission to create creamy, rich vegan chocolate ice cream, and it almost stumped me.
My first attempt lacked depth of dark chocolate flavor.
My second attempt came closer, but lacked creaminess.
And my third attempt? Total winner.
Creamy, insanely rich chocolate flavor that’s somewhere between ice cream and gelato. Get your ice cream maker, kids. We’re doin’ this.
This recipe requires just 6 ingredients and simple methods. If you can whisk, blend, and pour into an ice cream maker, you can master this easy recipe.
The base is comprised of water, cocoa powder, rich coconut cream, and organic cane sugar, which is whisked together. Then comes the deep chocolate flavor: from plenty of vegan dark chocolate.
The last ingredient is vanilla extract, which enhances the flavor and helps prevent ice crystals (because of the alcohol content). Then simply blend, chill, and wait patiently until it’s time to churn.
This ice cream is insanely creamy and so, so rich in chocolate flavor. It satisfied that craving I had for the chocolate ice cream I enjoyed back in my dairy-eating days.
This will make the perfect treat to have on hand this summer for snacking or for hosting. I highly recommend serving this with fresh strawberries and coconut whipped cream. And whoops, what if a raw brownie falls in the bowl? Bliss.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
NOTE: Recipe updated 10/04/19 to improve texture and simplify.
Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups lite coconut milk
- 2/3 cup organic cane sugar*
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 6 ounces vegan dark chocolate (finely chopped // ~1 cup chopped per 6 ounces)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- The day before, add your ice cream churning bowl* to the freezer to properly chill.
- The same day, prepare your base. Add the water, coconut milk, cane sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to a large saucepan and whisk to combine. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Once it reaches a low boil, continue cooking and whisking for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla. Whisk until melted.
- Then transfer to a mixing bowl and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or until room temperature or cooler. Optional: To remove any graininess, add to a blender and blend for 30 seconds on high.
- Add your chilled base to the ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions – about 30 minutes or until it looks like soft serve (see photo).
- Enjoy as soft serve, or transfer to a parchment-lined dish or loaf pan, cover securely, and freeze for 4-6 hours, or until firm.
- Let thaw 10-15 minutes before serving to soften. Use a hop scoop to ease scooping. Enjoy within 7-10 days. This is excellent with ripe strawberries and coconut whipped cream!
Video
Notes
*If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still make this ice cream, but it won’t be as creamy. Follow the instructions up until churning, and instead add it to a mixing bowl or loaf pan and cover with foil. Freeze for a total of 8 hours, and remove from the freezer once an hour to whisk/stir to incorporate air and prevent ice crystals.
*Recipe loosely adapted from David Lebowitz.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 9 servings)
RuthAnn Funderburk says
Hello! Looking forward to making this recipe.
I’m a little confused… I watched the video, and it appeared that you only added the coconut *cream* and not the watery coconut liquid (I’m assuming we’re talking about the coconut milk that comes in a can?).
It also didn’t look like it was 1-1/4 cups of the coconut cream as called for in the recipe.
I use my churner so rarely … just don’t wanna be sure I’m doing this right :)
Thanks for any responses bc I’m planning to make this later today for a weekend dinner party.
Hi RuthAnn, sorry for the confusion! We originally made it with coconut cream (video), but updated the recipe because we found canned light coconut milk works better. Hope that helps!
Georgina says
I love your posts.
So simple & the videos are easy to follow.
Thank you so much.
Love the ice cream recipes.
🙌🌸♥️
We’re so glad to hear it, Georgina! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Gretchen Wolf says
Curious as to why you used lite coconut milk rather than the full fat version?
Thank you!
Hi Gretchen, If the coconut milk is too rich/thick it can end up more like a ganache and not freeze properly. Hope that helps!
kristin says
This was delicious! Super rich and yummy. Seems to freeze well too. Question though — do you have any tips of how to add peanut butter to the ice cream? I tried to add some near the end of churning (in a machine) and while it went *okay* I’m not sure it was the best method. I’d love to hear tips because the dark chocolate is SO good with peanut butter!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kristin! We haven’t experimented with adding peanut butter to the ice cream, but think using a sweetened peanut butter might prevent it from freezing solid. We have added peanut butter to cookie dough and put that in the ice cream (recipe here)!
Dana Chiu says
This is amazing! I used Savoy Coconut cream the second time I made. Also added a couple teaspoons vodka although I don’t think it needed it. It is so silky and scoopable, don’t even have to wait 10-15 minutes. I did add 1 t. decaf ground espresso beans.
The first time I made with TJ cocoa powder. Second time I used 3 T. worth of dutch processed cocoa and the rest TJ’s. Used TJs 72% dark chocolate chips. Very good, dark chocolate flavor. I will definitely be making this regularly!
Dana Chiu says
Second time I used half sugar/half agave. I prefer this combo!
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing! xoxo
Dana Chiu says
Reporting back that using half sugar and half maple syrup is divine! Creamy, smooth, perfect texture. I have not tried all sugar version but am sure it is great. Will definitely make again soon! Thanks for another great one!
Ohh, that’s great! Thanks so much for sharing, Dana!
Janine says
Absolutely delicious! Chocolate beyond chocolate. You must love chocolate. I made a slight modification that I used almond milk replacing the water and coconut milk. I am sure it’s even better the original way but I wanted to cut down the fat. I try to eat coconut milk rarely otherwise I would eat it every week in recipes. I save if for the curry :-) I love this recipe. Decadent and definitely impressive. Suggest serving to friends who love chocolate.
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Janine! xo
Edam Åme says
This, like another MB ice cream, was really easy to make. Hardest part was waiting for my ice cream maker to chill.
I substituted full fat coconut milk, and jagarey( for sugar). The result was extremely rich, almost like Dove or Magnum brand chocolate ice cream.
This will certainly be added to my repertoire of desserts.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Edam! Thank you for sharing! xo
Alena says
TASTES SO GOODDDDDD! I added xanthan gum (slightly more than 1/2 tsp) to keep it shelf stable and avoid iciness, but I don’t think the recipe even needed it. Coconut milk made it super creamy, and the rich chocolaty taste was incredible. I added only half the amount of granulated sugar (67 g) as the chocolate I used was vegan caramelised white chocolate.
Would make again, as it was fairly simple and hands off.
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Alena!
Carola says
So delicious, I’m making this recipe for the second time! The only change I’ve made is to half the sugar (1/3 cup), as I use semi sweet chocolate chips. Still sweet, rich, and creamy. My family finds most coconut-based ice cream too coconutty, but not this one. Love it!
Amazing! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it, Carola! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Oria says
Made it and it was amazing! Did substitute coconut sugar and maple syrup and definitely was creamy…
Yay! Thanks so much for the review, Oria!
kayleen says
Hello minimalist baker, i notice you wrote “lite coconut milk” in this recipe. is it still the same coconut milk like the ones you use in other recipe (Aroy-d). Thank you so much
Hi Kayleen! Our favorite light coconut milk at the moment is the 365 whole foods brand. Hope this helps!
Fabienne Jaulin says
Hi !This recipe looks delicious but I rezloy can’t stand coconut mixed with chocolate… Is it possible to use almond like instead ?
Thanks !
Hi Fabienne, It won’t be quite as creamy, but it might work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Rebecca says
Would you say the same for soy milk?
Yes
Gemma says
This ice cream is absolutely amazing, I’ve been on a mission to find a vegan chocolate ice cream recipe that’s creamy and doesn’t turn out icy, I’m so pleased that I’ve finally found the one! Super excited to experiment with different mix ins too.
Amazing! We LOVE to hear this. Thank for the lovely review, Gemma. We’re so happy you enjoy it! xo
Mr. Mick says
Thank you! I made this with cashew milk and it provided a delectably rich creamy chocolate ice cream heaven, “I can’t believe its vegan” moment.
With rating…
Amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Dawn Marie says
This recipe is super easy and fun to make. I won’t lie…it was “too chocolately” for me and I only added 4 ounces of 72% dark chocolate. When I make this again, I am going to dial down the chocolate. Half of my dark chocolate was with espresso beans, the other half plain. That said, I like the idea of layering both the cocoa powder and the dark chocolate to give it some depth. So I might try switching up what chocolates I choose.
Love that! Thanks for sharing your experience, Dawn!
Hope says
Delicious! Mine turned out more like gelato than ice cream, but that’s fine by me! I think I may have boiled the mixture a bit too hard (thus reducing the mixture more than yours). Or perhaps it was because I used full fat coconut milk instead of lite. Either way, I’m really happy with the result.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Hope!! This is definitely a thick, rich ice cream. Glad you enjoyed!
Gliza says
I just made this ice cream and OMG!! So delicious so creamy and rich wow thank you thank you, I used coconut sugar and it did not lack creaminess trust mee!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Gliza!
Samihah says
Can you remove the cane sugar ?
Hi Samihah, we prefer cane sugar for texture in this recipe. But a couple other readers have subbed dates or coconut sugar and reported success. Let us know if you try it!
Sofia says
Quick Question, in the video it says to use coconut cream but the recipe calls for lite coconut milk. Which one should we use?
Hi Sofia, sorry for the confusion! We’d recommend lite coconut milk.
HM says
Can you still use coconut cream instead of lite coconut milk to give it a creamier texture? Fat is not really an issue for me, but sugar is (I may experiment with the coconut cream, unless you already have!). I think the trouble I’ve been running into is from reducing the sugar in some recipes by up to half, which leads to it freezing solid in the freezer.
Hi, we originally used coconut cream with success, but upon retesting, it had more of a ganache consistency and wouldn’t freeze. So we did some more experimenting and switched the recommendation to lite coconut milk. It may also have to do with the fat percentage of the chocolate.
Lynn Cano says
Oh
My
Yumminess!!
My husband and I had this and it’s better than any store bought! It’s the best one out there that we have tried! It’s perfect!( but my husband loves peanut butter In His chocolate ice cream, so I’m going to try and throw some frozen peanut butter in it at the end of our freezing, I use a ice cream maker)
It’s great! Thank you for sharing!
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Lynn! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Claire says
THE BEST chocolate ice cream ever! I make this with Trader Joe’s Coconut milk (full fat) and Hu Chocolate Gems. My go-to recipe for special occasions. Thank you!
Yayyy! Thanks for sharing, Claire!
Bel says
Hi,
I can’t get sugar cane where I am (I’m in the middle of nowhere, Australia) can I just use a simple syrup or regular, granular sugar or does it have to be sugar cane?
Also, due to allergies, I can’t do cocoa powder or chocolate of any kind.
I’d like to use tropical fruit flavours like lychee, peaches, passionfruit, and some others.
I have a mix of fruits and syrup/juice I usually make into ice lollies, but I really miss ice cream (dairy anaphylaxis). Will skipping that cocoa powder and chocolate cause an imbalance in the “wet” ingredients?
I’ve only ever made traditional creme englase ice cream before with the egg, cream and milk, but I developed anaphylactic, life threatening allergies to lots of foods after ending up in a wheelchair and having a brain injury.
This is by far the best recipe I’ve found online for dairy free and egg free without too much fuss.
Thank you.
Regular granulated sugar is fine! Sorry to hear about all the allergies, but hope this is able to help =) We do think omitting the chocolate and cacao powder could impact the texture. This recipe might be a better base for a fruit-infused ice cream.
April Dwyer says
Love this recipe, it was easily some of the most delicious icecream I’ve eaten. Do you have a white chocolate variation to this? What could I substitute the coco powder with for something more vanilla? Would love to try a white chocolate with a salted caramel swirl made from dates.
So great! Thanks for sharing, April. We don’t but that’s a great idea. In the meantime this is probably the closest recipe!
Amelia says
I used almond milk instead of coconut milk, works fine! I have not frozen yet, it is chilling, I am excited. I am going to add choc chips at the end so it has some chunks.
Thanks for sharing, Amelia!
Mili says
Why do you use light coconut not the usual coconut cream? It’s hard to get coconut cream. Can i substitue with coconut cream.powder?
Hi Mili, some readers reported issues with the texture using full fat coconut cream. It ends up more like a ganache and doesn’t freeze properly. We’d recommend sticking to light coconut milk for best results.
Ashley says
Can I sub Raw Cacao Powder for the Unsweetened Cocoa Powder?
Sure! It may not be as sweet, but if that doesn’t bother you, we’d say go for it or add more sweetener to taste.
Marie says
First time making any ice cream ever and this was delicious and SO easy. Highly recommend. I read the comments and advice about not using anything but cane sugar, however I wanted to see if it came out NOT using it. It worked! I used about 9 pitted dates in place of any added sugar, I cut them up in very small pieces and boiled with the other ingredients and then blended it. Followed all other instructions to a t. I used a kitchen aid ice cream maker attachment. Turned out perfectly creamy and flavorful. Thank you!!
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thanks so much for sharing, Michelle! xo
Emmaline says
This is such an amazing recipe! The ice cream was so thick and fudgy that even a small serving was plenty decadent. I did however add a packet of instant coffee, which amplified the already extremely chocolatey flavor. All around great recipe for hot summer nights
Love that addition! Thanks so much for sharing, Emmaline!
Lils says
I would like to try this but don’t have an ice cream maker. Now I feel like it is an essential machine to have during the quarantine all summer w my kids! Do you think I can make this using a Vitamix?
Hi Lils, we’d recommend this recipe for a no-churn version.
Brenda says
Fantastic recipe! I was skeptical about using light coconut milk, but it came out so creamy and silky. I definitely ran it through the blender after it cooled down. The only thing I changed was I substituted the water with unsweetened, vanilla flavored almond milk and I added only 3 oz of dark chocolate chips. I also chopped up some chocolate chips into little pieces and added them at the end for a little crunch. My family couldn’t even tell that it wasn’t made with milk!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Brenda! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Ivy Yera says
This recipe was delicious! I would 100% make it again. It doesn’t even taste dairy free. I didn’t add chocolate chips because I thought it was chocolatey enough. Instead of cooking it for 2 hours I put it in a bowl and in a bigger bowl I did ice and a little water and in 15 minutes it was 100% cooled to room temperature.
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Ivy! xo
A. Underwood says
Prepared recipe exactly as written and it turned out perfectly! Definitely will make again.
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jason says
Made it exactly as noted. Turned out amazing. This was the first step in the quest for the perfect dairy free banana split. Now on to figuring out the two remaining scoops/flavors. Thank you for the recipe!
We’re so glad it turned out well, Jason! Thanks for sharing! Here’s our vanilla ice cream: https://minimalistbaker.com/vanilla-bean-coconut-ice-cream/. Hope that helps!
Gabriela Perales says
I tried this recipe substituting cane sugar for a monk fruit-erythritol blend and it did not turn out like ice cream. I used an ice cream maker but the mixture was very thin even after 30 min in the ice cream maker. It still tasted really good but next time I will use cane sugar.
Danielle says
So sorry but this was a big fail for me. The combination of cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips made for a bitter flavor. Plus I followed all the direction plus the directions of my ice cream maker and it never set up past pudding thickness.
Hi Danielle, so sorry to hear that was your experience! It sounds like something went wrong since it remained a pudding thickness. Did you make any modifications? Did you use lite coconut milk? We’ve found that if the coconut milk has too high of a fat content, it will end up more like a ganache/pudding than ice cream. Feel free to add more sweetener to adjust for bitterness.
Caitlin says
Hi, this recipe looks amazing!! I really want to try it but have a few questions. Do you use canned lite coconut milk? Can you recommend the brand you are using please? Thank you :)
Hi Caitlin, yes, canned! We like Whole Foods 365 brand for lite coconut milk.
Polly Burke says
This is a perfect blend of ingredients. Didn’t need to change a thing. I will make this again & again. If you love chocolate, and you love chocolate gelato, you will put this on your list of favorites. For anyone new to ice cream, make your base well ahead & don’t start to churn until 30 minutes before you want enjoy.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Polly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Caitlin says
Last summer we made this recipe several times and it was perfect! Rich, smooth and creamy. Better than any store brand. The updated recipe was a disaster. Our first attempt ended up like an ultra intense fudge soft serve, it was so sweet it burned my throat. I tried it again, thinking maybe I did something wrong and the second batch was even worse. It never really became ice cream or even soft serve, just a cold chocolate syrup goop. I used an ice cream maker and the bowl for the maker was in the freezer for several days before trying to make the ice cream, the ice cream mixture was thoroughly chilled before going in the machine. Very disappointing, I would skip this recipe and try another one.
Hi Caitlin, we’re so sorry that was your experience! It’s strange that happened as the change we made was switching out full fat coconut milk/coconut cream for lite coconut milk to prevent it from ending up as a fudge-like texture. Is it possible that you used a different brand of chocolate this time?
Amy says
Hi, the recipe says to use light coconut milk, but the video says coconut cream. Which do you suggest?
Thanks,
Amy
Hi Amy, sorry for the confusion! We recommend light coconut milk.
Sandra Coulson says
First attempt at dairy free ice cream. Turned out nicely. The texture of mine was a bit dense and the flavor was very intense. Not sure if I used the wrong kind of chocolate? I probably won’t do this one over. The bourbon salted caramel one I made today is a different story. Definite do over.
Thanks for sharing, Sandra! The bourbon caramel is my fave, too!
Rhea says
Hi, I have not tried this recipe as yet but I noticed that you have at the bottom that it “doesn’t not keep”, are you suggesting that after 5-7 days it is not good for human consumption?
Hi Rhea, we just mean that the texture isn’t as desirable.
Jacinta says
Simple recipe that was easy to follow and resulted in a tasty dish. I used maple syrup instead of the sugar (as that was all I had) and still found the ice cream had a creamy consistency.
Ella Varley says
I subbed cane sugar for coconut sugar and it still turned out delicious. Super creamy and very chocolatey. Stoked with this recipe, can’t wait to make some other flavours!! All the recipes on this website are delicious, thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification, Ella. We are so glad you enjoy our recipes! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Sarah says
I made this recipe last night after the kids were in bed, and used 160g of lindt baking chocolate (the internet told me this was 6 oz). Omg, this is the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had in my life; far too good to share with the kids! My husband did not believe that it was dairy free. It’s positively orgasmic.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing!
TAM LEE says
I’ve made this twice now and it’s delicious! Very rich, like a dark chocolate bar made into ice cream, so good.
I have 2 questions, is it ok to use caster sugar instead of cane sugar, and if so should I adjust the amount? Also can I sub cacao powder for cocoa powder and again, should I adjust the amount if yes?
Thanks for the great ice cream!
Hi there, it should work to sub caster sugar and cacao powder 1-1. It will have a more intense chocolate flavor. Enjoy!
Ruta says
This recipe is legendary !!!!! It turned out amazing!! I have never tried ice cream so delicious – I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT’S DAIRY FREE !!!:)Thank you so much for sharing and existing!!!! I just have discovered your website and I am so excited to try out other recipes !THANK YOU AGAIN
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Ruta! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Sally says
Is it possible to use almond milk or oat milk instead of coconut? Thanks!
It won’t be quite as creamy, but it might work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Irma says
In the Youtube video, it says coconut cream (which as a European, is very confusing?! What exactly is coconut cream supposed to be? There is either coconut oil or coconut milk…) and in the recipe it says light coconut milk.
I ended up using coconut oil since that seemed to be what was used in the video. The ice cream (with an ice cream maker!) did not turn out well and I am very disappointed.
Irma, sorry for the confusion! Coconut oil is very different from coconut cream and light coconut milk. We retested the recipe recently and suggest you follow the written recipe as it is now, which recommends light coconut milk for best results.
CI-B says
This wound up very rich and tasty, BUT I had to make changes so it would work. The first time, the base became a paste after cooling – it was WAY too thick. I wound up warming it up just enough to whisk in almost a full cup of almod milk to get it to a flowable, but still thick, chocolate pudding that my ice cream maker could handle.I thought 6 oz of chocolate did sound like alot (most of my dairy ice creams have around 3 oz), and I think that was the issue.
I’m actually making it again right now with half the chocolate to see if that fixes the base thickness issue ( looks promising so far, and is still super chocolatey).
Thanks for sharing! We actually retested recently and found the light coconut milk to be what helped! We previously recommend full fat. But yes! Less chocolate would also probably help thin the texture a bit! Let us know how it goes!
Erin says
I thought this recipe was great! I have made a lot of regular (dairy) ice cream, but my goal has always been to make dairy-free.
I used Trader Joe’s Coconut cream and it worked fine! I saw on MB that they changed their formula and they don’t recommend TJs anymore, but it is what I had on hand, so I decided to go for it. I bought it in March/April, so maybe it was from before the reformulation, but it worked fine!
I also put the mix in an ice bath for about a half an hour instead of overnight in the fridge. That worked great! (That is what I do with my dairy ice creams before churning). It *IS* quite thick, but I like it that way! The ice cream maker had no problem churning it into a great ice cream.
I finished my batch the other day and came back to this page to see if I have all ingredients on hand to make it again (!) and figured I should probably leave a raving review. :)
Thanks, MB!
Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Diane says
I’m sooooo disappointed! I should have read the comments from others about the problems they had before trying this. I cooked up all the ingredients yesterday, sat overnight in the fridge, and tossed in the ice cream maker today. And what I got was a thick syrup. It will NOT freeze. (Ice cream bowl was in freezer for days prior). Put it all in a bowl and popped it in the freezer, thinking I would just hand whisk it… nope. Still a cold sauce after 3+ hours in the freezer. It will NOT solidify at all. WHY??? So sad.
Diane, so strange! Thanks for the feedback. It seems most people have had success but a couple others have had concerns with texture. I’ll revisit the recipe asap. Did you make any other changes? What brands of chocolate / coconut cream did you use? Would love to help troubleshoot!
Laura C says
I’ve just put the bowl of vegan chocolate in the fridge until tomorrow when I’ll churn it in the ice cream maker. I could have eaten it with a spoon. In fact it might become my new hot fudge sauce. Can’t wait until tomorrow.
MommaShell says
Best ice cream I’ve ever had!