Indulge in the Creamiest 5-Ingredient Vanilla Vegan Ice Cream Recipe

Discover the ultimate secret to rich, velvety, and incredibly easy vanilla vegan ice cream. This delightful recipe, requiring just 5 simple ingredients, will transform your dessert experience! Prepare for a dairy-free treat that rivals any classic scoop, offering a luscious texture and profound vanilla flavor that will surprise and satisfy even the most discerning palates.

Over the years, I’ve had countless adventures in the world of vegan desserts, crafting everything from rich chocolate avocado ice cream to exotic fruit sorbets. Yet, amidst all the exciting flavors and creative combinations, one classic has always held a special place in my heart: vanilla bean. It might seem like a simple choice in a universe brimming with thousands of unique ice cream variations, but there’s an undeniable elegance and comforting familiarity to a truly exceptional vanilla.

And yes, I am absolutely “that girl” who will consistently choose vanilla ice cream. When it comes to this particular vegan rendition, the classic appeal is elevated to new heights. The secret lies in its fabulously rich and creamy base, meticulously crafted from cashews and full-fat coconut milk. This winning combination delivers an unparalleled decadence and a silky-smooth texture that makes every spoonful an absolute dream. You won’t believe how easy it is to achieve such gourmet results at home!

Why You’ll Absolutely Love This Vanilla Vegan Ice Cream Recipe

• Unbelievably Creamy and Smooth: Unlike some vegan ice creams that can feel thin or icy, this recipe achieves a luxurious, decadent texture thanks to the perfect marriage of cashews and coconut milk. The cashews blend into an incredibly fine paste, while the full-fat coconut milk contributes a rich, luscious mouthfeel, creating a scoop that is wonderfully dense, smooth, and utterly satisfying. It truly melts in your mouth!
• Remarkably Easy to Make: Forget complex egg-based custards and tempering. This recipe streamlines the ice cream-making process, making it much simpler and quicker than traditional versions. With just a few basic steps and minimal cooking, you can whip up a batch of homemade vegan ice cream without any fuss or intimidation. It’s perfect for beginner dessert makers and seasoned chefs alike.
• Incredible, Authentic Vanilla Flavor: The star of this show is undoubtedly the vanilla. Using real vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or even whole vanilla beans makes a monumental difference. This isn’t just a sweet frozen treat; it’s an ode to the classic, aromatic, and deeply comforting flavor of true vanilla, shining through beautifully in every rich spoonful.

Essential Notes on Ingredients for Perfect Vegan Ice Cream

Crafting the perfect vanilla vegan ice cream starts with understanding the role of each ingredient. Below, you’ll find a detailed breakdown to ensure your ice cream turns out perfectly every time. For exact quantities and step-by-step instructions, please scroll down to the full recipe card.

• Cashews – These are the unsung heroes of our creamy base. Soaking the cashews overnight is an absolutely critical step. This process softens them completely, allowing them to blend into an ultra-smooth, velvety puree that forms the backbone of our rich ice cream. If you find yourself short on time or simply forgot to soak them, don’t fret! A quick alternative involves boiling the cashews in just enough water to cover them for a speedy 5 minutes. Afterward, drain them thoroughly, let them cool slightly, and then you can proceed with the recipe without compromising on texture.
• Coconut Milk – The secret to a truly decadent vegan ice cream lies in the choice of coconut milk. It is imperative to use full-fat canned coconut milk, specifically the kind found in a can, not the carton variety (often labeled “lite” or for drinking). The high fat content in full-fat coconut milk is essential for achieving that luxurious, creamy consistency and prevents your ice cream from becoming icy. Do not substitute with coconut milk powder or reduced-fat options, as these will result in a significantly less rich and potentially icy texture.
• Vanilla – This ingredient is the heart and soul of our vanilla ice cream. My personal preference, and strong recommendation for an exquisite visual and flavor experience, is vanilla bean paste. It provides those beautiful, visible flecks of vanilla bean that signal authentic flavor. However, you can achieve fantastic results using a few scraped vanilla beans or an equal amount of high-quality pure vanilla extract. Invest in the best vanilla you can find, as its flavor truly shines through in this simple recipe.
• Sugar – Granulated cane sugar provides the necessary sweetness and also contributes to the smooth texture of the ice cream by lowering its freezing point. The specified amount offers a balanced sweetness. If you prefer your ice cream slightly less sweet, you can easily adjust the amount down to ½ cup without significantly impacting the final texture. For a truly vegan dessert, ensure you use organic granulated sugar, as conventional white sugar can sometimes be processed with bone char.
• Sea Salt – A small, crucial pinch of sea salt acts as a powerful flavor enhancer. It doesn’t make the ice cream salty; instead, it beautifully balances the sweetness, deepens the vanilla notes, and brings out the overall richness of the other ingredients, creating a more complex and satisfying flavor profile. Don’t skip this essential touch!

How to Make This Heavenly Vanilla Vegan Ice Cream

• Prepare Ahead: This step is crucial for success. Ensure your raw cashews have been thoroughly soaked overnight (or quick-boiled, as per the ingredient notes). Equally important, make sure your ice cream maker’s freezer drum has been frozen for a minimum of 7-24 hours. The colder the drum, the better your ice cream will churn and solidify.
• Craft the Creamy Base: In a high-speed blender, combine the drained, softened cashews, rich full-fat coconut milk, exquisite vanilla bean paste (or extract/bean), cane sugar, and that essential pinch of sea salt. Blend diligently until the mixture is exceptionally smooth and completely free of any cashew grittiness. This might take 2-4 minutes on high, depending on your blender’s power. Patience here guarantees a silky final product!
• Thoroughly Chill: Transfer the beautifully blended ice cream mixture into a bowl or container, or simply leave it in the blender pitcher, and cover it tightly. Refrigerate this mixture for at least 4 hours. Chilling is vital as it allows the flavors to meld and the mixture to get very cold, which is essential for efficient churning and a superior creamy texture.
• Churn to Perfection: Once thoroughly chilled, set up your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pour the cold ice cream mixture into the frozen drum and churn for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until it reaches the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. The mixture should be noticeably thick and smooth.
• Freeze for Firmness: Gently scoop the soft-serve ice cream into a freezer-safe container, such as a loaf pan. Smooth the top evenly. To prevent ice crystals from forming (the nemesis of creamy ice cream!), press a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream. Then, cover the entire container with a lid or another layer of wrap. Freeze for a minimum of 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow it to firm up to a scoopable consistency.
• Serve and Savor: When ready to enjoy, remove the container from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. This brief resting period allows the ice cream to soften slightly, making it much easier to scoop. Then, portion out generous scoops and revel in your homemade vanilla vegan masterpiece!

Expert Tips for Unbeatable Vegan Ice Cream

• Prioritize Freezing the Ice Cream Maker Drum: This cannot be overstated. For optimal results, aim to freeze your ice cream maker’s drum for at least 24 hours, though a minimum of 7 hours can work in a pinch. The colder the drum, the faster and more efficiently your ice cream will churn, resulting in a creamier texture with fewer ice crystals. My personal hack? I simply store my ice cream maker base permanently in the freezer, so it’s always ready for a spontaneous ice cream craving!
• Do Not Skip Chilling the Ice Cream Mixture: This step is just as vital as freezing the drum. Through extensive testing, I’ve found that a well-chilled mixture (at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or even overnight) significantly improves the final product. It ensures the vegan ice cream is not only creamier and freezes faster during churning but is also remarkably easier to scoop straight from the freezer. A warm mixture will take longer to churn and result in a less desirable texture.
• Maintain a Cool Environment: If you reside in a warm climate, like I do, the ambient room temperature can affect your ice cream’s consistency. I highly recommend preparing and churning your ice cream in the coolest part of your home. If you have air conditioning, consider turning it on to create an optimal environment. A cooler room helps the mixture solidify properly and maintain its creamy structure.
• Get Creative with Add-ins: Once your ice cream has churned to a soft-serve consistency, it’s the perfect canvas for customization! Before transferring it to the storage container for final freezing, swirl in your favorite mix-ins. Think vibrant fruit jams, luscious homemade vegan caramel sauce, finely chopped vegan peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, cookie crumbles, or toasted nuts. Gently fold them in for pockets of delicious surprise!

Delightful Ways to Serve Your Homemade Vegan Ice Cream

This vanilla vegan ice cream is so versatile, it pairs perfectly with almost anything! Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy a scoop (or two):

• Drowned in a generous drizzle of warm, silky easy vegan caramel sauce, creating a heavenly sweet combination.
• Topped with a sprinkle of crunchy healthy pumpkin spice granola for added texture and a hint of spice.
• Sandwiched between two soft, chewy air fryer chocolate chip cookies for the ultimate vegan ice cream sandwich.
• Scooped decadently on top of a warm, comforting slice of vegan apple pie, allowing the flavors to beautifully melt together.
• Served alongside a vibrant fruit salad, letting the cool creaminess complement the fresh, juicy fruits.
• Enjoyed simply on its own in a bowl, allowing the pure vanilla flavor to shine through.

How to Properly Store Your Vegan Ice Cream

To preserve its delightful creamy texture and prevent the formation of ice particles, it’s essential to cover this vegan ice cream very tightly. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream before placing the lid on your container. When stored correctly, it will maintain its delicious quality in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. For best results, allow it to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping after prolonged freezing.

Explore More Delicious Vegan Ice Cream Recipes

If you loved this vanilla creation, you’re in for a treat! Here are more fantastic vegan ice cream recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth and explore new flavors:

• Creamy Vegan Peanut Butter Ice Cream
• Grilled Peaches with Rich Coconut Ice Cream
• Super Simple 3-Ingredient Vegan Mango Ice Cream
• Effortless 2-Ingredient Vegan Blueberry Ice Cream
• No-Churn Vegan Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

I hope you enjoy creating and savoring this incredible vanilla vegan ice cream, my friends! If you whip up a batch of this recipe, please capture a photo and share it with us by tagging #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! Your creations inspire us all. We would also be incredibly grateful if you could take a moment to leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating. Thank you so much for your support and happy churning!

Vegan Ice Cream

Servings: 16 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Resting Time: 8 hours hrs

Total Time: 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

This vanilla vegan ice cream recipe is rich, creamy, and incredibly easy to make with only 5 simple ingredients. You’re going to love it!

5 (from 73 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight or boiled for 5 minutes*, drained
• 2 (13.4 ounce) cans full fat coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste , or extract or 1 vanilla bean
• ⅔ cup cane sugar , or other organic granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 

Instructions 

• Ensure your cashews are completely soaked from before. Also ensure your ice cream maker freezer base is in the freezer for at least 7 to 24 hours before (preferably 24 hours) . If you just keep it in your freezer, then it’s always ready! 
• In a high speed blender, blend the soaked cashews, coconut milk, vanilla bean paste, cane sugar and the sea salt together until completely smooth, about 2-4 minutes on high speed depending on your blender. You want to ensure it’s 100% smooth, so feel free to blend longer until you’re sure all the cashews are blended out. If that means you need to blend longer, definitely blend until fully smooth.
• Pour mixture into a bowl, container or leave in the blender and cover. Sometimes the mixture can get hot while blending. Place it in the fridge for 4 hours in the coldest spot, up to 2 days if you don’t plan to make the ice cream immediately.
• Remove from the fridge. Set up your ice cream machine and place the ice cream maker freezer base into the machine and pour the ice cream mixture in. Prepare according to manufacturer settings, for about 20-25 minutes of churning. The mixture should be thick and smooth. If you’re not using an ice cream maker, check out my chocolate avocado postfor no churn instructions.
• Scoop the soft serve ice cream into a container (I use a loaf pan) and smooth down. Place plastic wrap or a reusable wrap or parchment or wax paper flat against the ice cream, then wrap the outside of the pan too. You want to ensure it’s all protected from ice crystals. Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours to set up, even overnight if you desire. You can also enjoy it immediately like soft serve!
• After at least 4 hours in the freezer, remove container from freezer and allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes on the counter (like you would store bought ice cream). Scoop, serve and enjoy! 

Notes

Ice cream making Tips & FAQ

• You can easily boil your cashews with just enough water covering them for 5 minutes. Drain, let cool, and proceed! This way you can make the recipe the same day.
• I used an ice cream maker to make this recipe. Ensure your ice cream maker base is ready! It can be tempting to shorten this time but it’s necessarily to get the mixture cold enough to turn it into ice cream. I just leave my base in the freezer, which means it’s always ready! 
• It’s important to use full fat coconut milk. Don’t use lite. Also remember we are using the full can of coconut milk. Also, do not substitute coconut milk powder. It isn’t creamy enough and will result in icy ice cream. 
• Don’t rush your ice cream base (the actual mixture) chilling time. I made it after 10 minutes in the freezer,  and after a few hours in the fridge and after whole night in the fridge. The last two were far more creamy, set much faster in the ice cream maker, and were much easier to scoop. I highly recommend chilling the cashew cream for the right length of time. 
• If you live in a hot climate (like I do) I recommend doing this in the coolest part of your house or turning on your AC if you have one. This ensures the mixture solidifies properly. 
• Always cover your finished ice cream as per the recipe, otherwise ice particles will form in it and result in some small ice chunks. 
• If you’re not using an ice cream maker; follow my tips from my chocolate avocado ice cream to get the best texture. 
• Cover this vegan ice cream very tightly to prevent ice particles from forming. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Calories: 170kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Sodium: 80mg, Potassium: 160mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Cuisine: American, Universal

Course: Dessert, Desserts

Author: Jessica Hylton