Toasted Coconut Ice Cream (Vegan)

Learn how to make some delicious homemade coconut ice cream with toasted shredded coconut from scratch. A dessert that is dairy free, vegan friendly using only 4 ingredients.

I am officially on cloud 9 with my latest recipe and once you get the chance to make this ice cream I promise you will be buzzing just like me.

Perhaps I'm the saddest person you know or maybe I'm such a foodie geek that it's the little things that make a difference to my culinary life - I don't know but whatever it is it keeps me content.

Anyway so let me share the details on my homemade coconut ice cream recipe which came about by sheer accident.

If you are lactose intolerant, vegan or just looking for ice cream that doesn't contain conventional milk then you are in the right place.

I'm partial to anything with coconut in it, if you have been following my recipes then you will see that coconut plays an active role in my life.

I couldn't resist the urge to make some homemade ice cream using my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.

This is the type of recipe that is so tasty and yet so effortless to make because you only need 4 ingredients to achieve what is pictured.

Reasons to toast coconut

The reason why I recommend toasting coconut is quite simple really, because toasting yields a much more depth in flavour.

It adds a real taste of nuttiness times by ten and it also adds a much better texture to your ice cream.

Trust me, it is totally worth it to go that extra mile to toast your coconut before adding it to your ice cream.

Don't skip or even scrimp on the toasted coconut because they really enhance the overall flavour of the ice cream.

Alternatively, if you don't feel like toasting any coconut you can find it already toasted in many supermarkets.

Churn vs no churning

Having tried and tested both methods - blender vs ice cream maker, I'm more partial to using my ice maker over the former.

The most important thing to do when making ice cream in an ice cream maker is to freeze the bowl.

If you are slightly impatient this can be a disadvantage, especially since the bowl takes quite a few hours to completely freeze and be ready to use.

On the other hand, the blender is ready and available making it more convenient. However, not every blender is powered the same.

Ideally a high speed blender like a Ninja, Vitamix or Blendtec is what you need. I used my Vitamix for this recipe trial.

I found with the blender method had to be babysat in order to obtain the right consistency along with using the tamper.

I also pre-froze the coconut milk, by pouring it into an ice cube tray first of all.

I personally found it all a bit of a headache so opted for the ice cream machine version which is much more straight forward.

The steps

• Prepare the ice cream bowl first by placing it in the freezer to freeze through (this will take anything from several hours to up to 24 hours).
• Preheat the oven to 180c/356f/gas mark 4.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Spread out the shredded coconut on the baking tray.
• Toast the coconut for several minutes, it should be fragrant and golden (not burnt).
• Once toasted remove from the oven and allow to completely cool down.

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the full fat coconut milk, agave nectar and vanilla until completely smooth then set aside to chill in the refrigerator.
• Fit the frozen ice cream bowl in the machine and switch it on.
• Pour in the coconut mixture and churn accordingly to the manufacturers instructions (Mine took 25 minutes to churn).
• 5 minutes before the ice cream is finished sprinkle in half of the toasted coconut (as you can see in the picture I had to add it after as I almost forgot to do it).
• Transfer the ice cream into a freezer friendly container lined with parchment paper and wrap with plastic wrap.
• Chill for several hours or overnight to get scoopable ice cream.
• Serve the ice cream and sprinkle the rest of the toasted coconut on top.

Notes and tips

• The results of the ice cream will be soft and you will most likely need to transfer the contents into a freezer friendly ice cream tub.
• Feel free to be adventurous by adding additional ingredients such as, berries, nuts, seeds or even vegan chocolate.
• Make sure you are using FULL fat coconut milk, not light nor should the coconut milk have any fillers/extra ingredients.
• For best results, keep the cans of coconut milk chilled before making the ice cream.
• Make sure to wrap the ice cream when putting it in the freezer to avoid freezer burn.
• The amount of sweetener you need may vary, I used about ⅓-1/2 cup, you may use more of less so I suggest doing a taste test when you are whisking the ingredients.

More ice cream recipes to try

• Banana Ice Cream
• Black Forest Ice Cream
• Pistachio Ice Cream
• Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream

More desserts or treats to try

• Vegan Coconut Popsicles
• Mango Chia Pudding
• Mango Tarts
• Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Instant Pot Black Rice Pudding

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