Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Who doesn't love chocolate ice cream? Vegans and omnivores alike will love this vegan chocolate ice cream recipe from recipe developer and registered dietitian nutritionist, Kristen Carli, MS, RD. To make our beloved chocolate ice cream vegan-friendly, Carli uses coconut milk instead of cow's milk. This addition makes a lovely subtle coconut flavor that adds to the sweetness of the ice cream.

If you are a chocolate lover, this recipe is for you. We love this served as dessert with a scoop of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. If you really want to up the chocolate flavor, you can serve a scoop of this vegan chocolate ice cream with some chocolate sauce, chocolate sprinkles, and chunks of vegan brownies. Ummm... yes please!

Follow this step-by-step guide below to make vegan chocolate ice cream at home. We know it will become a new household favorite for you and your family.

To make this vegan chocolate ice cream, start by gathering the ingredients. For this recipe, you will need unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, and water. These four ingredients will make up the ice cream base. If you would like to add in chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, we won't stop you. We've also added a teaspoon of peppermint extract and have found it to be rather delicious as well. You don't need peppermint extract or chocolate chunks, but they're great additions.

Let's get started making the ice cream base. In a medium bowl, add in the unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, and water. Using a whisk, combine these ingredients until smooth and well-incorporated. If you plan to add chocolate chips, wait until after the ice cream has been churned in the next step to stir them in. However, if you want to add peppermint extract, now is the time to stir it in with the other ingredients.

Get out your trusty ice cream maker. In the chilled bowl, pour in the ice cream base you just mixed up. Set the chilled bowl inside the ice cream maker and turn it on, churning the ice cream base for at least 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, turn off the machine. Check the consistency of the ice cream by scooping out a spoonful. The consistency should be like soft serve ice cream.

Now that your ice cream has been churned, remove the bowl from the ice cream maker. Scoop out the ice cream and put it in a loaf pan, if desired. Store this loaf pan in the freezer. Allow it to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. This helps create a thicker ice cream instead of the soft-serve consistency. When time is up, you are free to enjoy. Keep it stored in the freezer until it's all been eaten.