This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
I’ve created numerous dairy-free ice cream recipes since launching this website. Coffee ice cream, pistachio ice cream, mint chocolate chip, and even avocado ice cream, to name a few.
But this Strawberry Ice Cream might be my favorite. It’s made without dairy or refined sugar, but you’d never guess just by tasting it!
I imagine you could use any other fruit in this recipe, such as peach or raspberry, so feel free to use this as a jumping-off point for any other fruity flavors you enjoy.
I also recently tested this in the Ninja Creami machine, in case you want to try that, too!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Ice Cream
- It’s vegan & Paleo friendly. Because this ice cream is made without milk or white sugar, it’s perfect for those following a special diet.
- No tree nuts required. The creaminess here comes from coconut milk, which is technically a drupe. I don’t think the coconut flavor is significant here, either. (My kids didn’t notice!)
- It’s naturally sweetened. Maple syrup is the perfect sweetener here, without adding a noticeable maple flavor. All you will taste is classic strawberry ice cream.
- It’s easy. Just blend 4 ingredients together, and run it through your ice cream maker. It will be ready to eat in less than 1 hour.
- It tastes like the real thing. Seriously! Coconut milk based ice cream usually turns out a little more “icy” in texture than one that is made with heavy cream, but flavor-wise this ice cream is perfect.
Want to make ice cream without an ice cream maker? Check out my instant Peach Ice Cream, which uses a food processor instead. You can swap the peaches for frozen strawberries to make an instant strawberry version.
How to Make Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
- Plan ahead. If your ice cream maker requires starting with a frozen bowl, be sure to place it in the freezer at least 24 hours prior to use. My ice cream bowl stays permanently stored in our freezer during the summer months!
- Blend. Add the strawberries, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla to a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Process. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and process until thick and creamy, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Enjoy! Serve this ice cream immediately for the creamiest texture, or transfer it to an airtight container and store in the freezer for a firmer consistency.
Note: This vegan ice cream is the most “scoopable” within 2 to 4 hours of freezing. After that, it will develop a harder, icier texture. It’s still delicious, just a little more crumbly to scoop. Let it thaw on your counter for 10 to 15 minutes if you’ve frozen it overnight, to help it soften slightly.
Ninja Creami Note: I tested this recipe in my neighbor’s Ninja Creami recently, and this works great! Pour this mixture into the Ninja pint container and don’t fill it past the “max fill” line. Freeze 24 hours, then process on the sorbet setting, followed by 1-2 re-spins.
No Ice cream maker?
You can also pour this mixture into an airtight container and freeze until firm, stirring every hour or so to help incorporate air, just as an ice cream maker does. The resulting ice cream is usually slightly icier, but still delicious.
Vegan Ice Cream Tips
- Use fresh or frozen fruit. Frozen berries tend to be more affordable and are already prepared for you– no slicing required! I use slightly thawed frozen strawberries here, but you can use fresh if you have them on hand. It may take somewhat longer to process the ice cream in that case, since the base won’t start as cold.
- Don’t use “lite” coconut milk. The fat from the coconut milk is what provides the creaminess here, so using lower-fat coconut milk will result in a more-icy texture.
- Make it even creamier. You can add raw cashews to this recipe to make it even creamier. I’d start with just a 1/2 cup, but you can add a full cup for even creamier results.
I hope you’ll love this vegan strawberry ice cream as much as we do! For an extra-decadent treat, try topping it with Peanut Butter Magic Shell, for an ice sundae that tastes like a PB&J.
Here’s what I use
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries , hulls removed
- 1 (14.5 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Be sure to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker at least 24 hours in advance, if your ice cream maker requires it. In a blender, combine the strawberries, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Blend until very smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the frozen bowl of your ice cream machine, then process until thick and creamy, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Once the strawberry ice cream is thick, it's ready to serve right away. You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. It will become harder to scoop when you freeze it overnight, but it will soften if you let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes first.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too.
Can I use light coconut milk? Thanx!
This recipe was great, I also added a bit of strawberry vegan protein powder and the flavor really popped.
My only question is- What can I do to prevent graininess from coconut milk. I buy these cans of full fat coconut milk from Costco and it doesn’t have any additives. It still caused graininess even at room remember. Any tips?
Thank you so much
One tip I have used to make the ice cream easy to scoop is to add 1 tablespoon of Vodka to the mixture in the ice cream maker. It doesn’t change the flavor at all but it keeps high water content plant-based milks from freezing so hard. It works for any kind of ice cream in my experience.
This recipe is soooo easy and it tastes sooooo good!!! I’m going to try it with peaches next!! Since I had to switch to dairy-free, I’m excited to find recipes like this! Store-bought dairy-free ice cream is expensive!!
Can I use freeze dried strawberry powder to sun fresh strawberries?
We made this today and it was DELICIOUS!
On a side note, only use fresh strawberries – not frozen & coconut milk that has not been frozen. (If you do, the mix becomes too clumpy even after Vitamix) The recipe is so simple yet so creamy and hits the spot! Will def make it again! I think we added more strawberries than the recipe called for. YUM!