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
*There's something magical that happens with sugar in this recipe, so I wouldn't recommend subbing it for maple syrup or coconut sugar, as it will likely lack creaminess. But, if you give it a try, let me know how it goes in the comments! *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.