An easy recipe for homemade, rich, and creamy vegan vanilla ice cream you’ll love! This silky-smooth, delicately flavoured treat contains no nuts and no bananas.
You only need a few simple ingredients and an ice cream machine or churn to make it and it’s perfect for cooling down on a hot summer day or enjoying as a treat at any time of year.
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I've recently re-discovered my ice cream machine and don't know why I had it sitting in the cupboard doing nothing for so long. I'm so glad I'm paying more attention to it now because of the endless number of delectable things that can be made with it!
The latest recipe in the line, right behind my vegan chocolate ice cream and vegan peach ice cream, is this vegan vanilla ice cream.
It's smooth, rich, and creamy, and I think it's better than the store-bought stuff. Plus, it has the perfect deep, warm vanilla flavour you'll crave and it's SO easy to make, easier than you may think!
Want more rich and creamy treats? How about vegan eggnog or vegan butterscotch pudding? Two very different recipes but both are simple to make and, of course, delicious!
Ingredients You'll Need
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
Unsweetened Vegan Heavy Cream or Vegan Whipping Cream (NOT vegan whipped cream) - You’ll need dairy-free heavy cream or whipping cream (they’re the same, though brands may label them differently), which is the vegan substitute for traditional heavy cream. Because of its higher fat content, it helps to make a creamy ice cream and also helps to reduce ice crystallization. This ingredient is essential and cannot be replaced.
I use Silk Dairy-Free Whipping Cream (if you click that link, you will see the Canadian packaging, this is what it looks like in the US). If you can't find this brand, Country Crock, Califia Farms, Violife, Flora and Elmlea (Double) are just a few other brands that make it.
Dairy-Free Milk - Use one that's naturally creamy and not thin and watery. I usually use soy milk but oat milk will work as a second choice, and almond milk as a last choice. Make sure the type you use is unsweetened and unflavoured.
Sugar - I use organic cane sugar, but you can use granulated white sugar as well—just make sure it's vegan. Sugar plays a few important roles in this recipe. Primarily, it sweetens and adds flavour, but it also plays a big role in the texture and creaminess.
Don’t change the amount of sugar the recipe calls for! Using less will leave your ice cream icy, crumbly, hard to scoop, and lacking creaminess. More will result in ice cream that does not freeze. Through testing, I found that the amount called for in the recipe is necessary for making the perfect dairy-free vanilla ice cream. Read this article about the importance of sugar in homemade ice cream for more info.
Vanilla Extract - You can't have vanilla ice cream without vanilla! Use a high-quality pure vanilla extract. You can make it vegan vanilla bean ice cream by using vanilla bean paste (the same measurement) if you want to see those little vanilla bean specks in your ice cream.
Salt - Salt helps to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavour of the ice cream. Just a little is needed, don't skip it.
How to Make It
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
You will need an ice cream maker; it cannot be made without one. I have the 2-Quart Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and I highly recommend it.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to freeze the ice cream maker's bowl for at least 24 hours before making this recipe to ensure the ice cream turns out properly.
Make the ice cream base by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk well until all sugar granules have dissolved. (I recommend using a mixing bowl with a spout so the mixture is easy to pour into the machine.)
TIP: Make sure the vegan cream and milk are both very cold. If the mixture happens to warm up while preparing it, place the bowl in the fridge until it cools back down.
Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and churn.
NOTE: The amount of time it takes to finish churning will depend on your machine, how cold your mixture is, and the amount of time you kept the mixing bowl in the freezer before starting.
When the ice cream reaches soft-serve consistency, stop the machine, this happens around the 15-minute point for me. If you prefer this softer texture, you can serve it right away, but if you like it firmer, go to the next step.
Quickly transfer the ice cream to a container or a long rectangular pan (like a bread pan). Place plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream, cover it, and place it in the freezer for 4-6 hours to firm up completely.
TIP: You can use any airtight container for storage, but I prefer freezing my ice cream in a bread pan. Its rectangular shape makes it easier to glide the scoop along the longer surface for nice, round scoops.
TIP: If any solid, frozen ice cream sticks to the sides of the churning bowl, use a hard plastic, rubber, or silicone spatula to scrape it off gently—avoid metal to prevent scratches. Let the scraped ice cream soften in a separate bowl before mixing it to a soft-serve consistency, then combine it with the rest of the ice cream.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve it plain in a cone or a bowl and it will be wonderful, but if you want a little something extra, drizzle it with chocolate syrup, maple caramel sauce, or a fruit sauce like peach sauce, blueberry sauce, cherry sauce, or strawberry sauce.
It can also be topped with sprinkles, fresh berries, chocolate chips, crushed cookies and more!
You can serve a scoop on top of brownies, crisps, cobblers, galettes or pies and it can also be served alongside birthday cake. You can use it as the filling for ice cream sandwiches, too.
Homemade ice cream freezes harder than store-bought, so about 15 minutes before you serve it, remove it from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature so it will soften making it easier to scoop. You can also heat your ice cream scoop in hot water to get perfect scoops!
Storing Leftovers
Homemade ice cream will become icy and the overall texture will deteriorate over time, so use up what you have within 2 weeks or less.
Always store it in an airtight container or use containers specifically made for homemade ice cream.
Tips for Success
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. Accurate measurements are crucial to your ice cream (and all recipes!) turning out properly.
- Before making this homemade ice cream, read this article for helpful tips on making a perfect batch every time.
- Pre-plan when you will be making this recipe so you have time to freeze your ice cream maker's bowl for at least 24 hours before starting.
- Store your ice cream in an airtight container. Air can lead to extra crystallization, giving the ice cream an icy texture and potentially causing freezer burn. If your container doesn’t have a lid, cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap and then cover. If there is no cover, place the container in a freezer bag before freezing.
- Keep in mind that the ice cream maker will not fully freeze your ice cream, it will only reach soft-serve consistency, for it to fully freeze, it needs to sit in the freezer for 4-6 hours.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve included many tips and tricks gathered while testing this recipe. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
If You Make This Recipe...
Please let me know by leaving a comment and star rating below and/or by posting a picture on Instagram and tagging me so I can see it! I am @delightfuladventures on Instagram.
If You Like This Recipe...
Then you may like these other easy vegan treats:
Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 2½ cups (625ml) unsweetened vegan heavy cream or vegan whipping cream
- ½ cup (125ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk (see note below)
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- 24 hours before starting, place the ice cream maker's bowl into the freezer.
- Add vegan heavy cream, dairy-free milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk well. Make sure sugar granules have fully dissolved into the mixture before proceeding.
- Transfer the ice cream bowl from the freezer to the ice cream maker. Set the mixing paddle and cover into place, and turn the machine on. Carefully pour the vanilla ice cream base into the machine.
- Once the ice cream reaches soft-serve consistency, roughly 15 minutes, turn the machine off.
- You can enjoy it at this point as soft-serve, but if you prefer firmer ice cream, using a rubber spatula, immediately transfer it to a freezer-safe container, cover it, and place it in the freezer to firm up for 4-6 hours.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read the helpful info above and below before making this recipe to ensure success.
- Use unsweetened, unflavoured dairy-free milk so you can control the flavour and sweetness. Use a naturally creamy milk like soy or oat for the best results.
- Churning time will vary, depending on your ice cream maker and how long you freeze your ice cream bowl. Aim to freeze it for at least 24 hours before starting this recipe.
- Store your ice cream in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. To ensure it lasts this long, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream before covering the container.
- If any solid, frozen ice cream sticks to the sides of the churning bowl, use a hard plastic, rubber, or silicone spatula to scrape it off gently—avoid metal to prevent scratches. Let the scraped ice cream soften separately in a bowl before mixing it to a soft-serve consistency, then add it to the container with the rest.
- Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving so it's easy to scoop.
- Nutrition info is based on 1 serving (½ cup) and the recipe is made exactly as written using unsweetened, unflavoured soy milk for the dairy-free milk. Nutrition info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
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