Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe with No Coconut! (2024)

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By Alisa Fleming on Alisa's Favorite Dairy-Free Recipes, Dairy Free Desserts, Dairy-Free Recipes

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July or Canada Day! We went up to Lake Tahoe on the 3rd to see the fireworks at Kings Beach with a good friend. The 4th was actually a mellow day for us, so I decided to take advantage of the downtime and whip up a recipe that had been on my bucket list for a while, dairy-free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream without coconut! It’s adapted from the Purely Vanilla Ice Cream recipe in my flagship book, Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe with No Coconut! (1)

It’s funny, but ice cream, not cheese, was my biggest fear when I went strictly dairy free. I refused to settle for sorbet, and wanted to enjoy sweet, creamy bliss just like everyone else. Over the years, some delicious dairy-free ice cream brands have emerged to keep my cravings at bay. But it wasn’t until I started making my own dairy-free ice cream that I finally found my food freedom.

Suddenly, it wasn’t about picking between the small selection of pints my local store carried, some with questionable ingredients. And “all natural” didn’t mean settling for just one type of base, with the same underlying flavor and consistency. Yeah, coconut, I’m talking about you. I love you, but vanilla coconut ice cream is never really vanilla. And although coconut cream delivers on richness, sometimes I want something a little less heavy.

At home, I can use a range of ice cream bases, and have total control over the ingredients. For this Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, I chose a simple unsweetened milk beverage and neutral-tasting oil to let the vanilla and chocolate shine. And to keep with the allergy-friendly and additive-free theme, I used Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips. They’re certified vegan, non-GMO, made in a top allergen-free facility, and contain just cane sugar, natural chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic), and cocoa butter (yes, it’s dairy free!).

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe with No Coconut! (2)

I actually use Enjoy Life chocolate almost exclusively in my baking, snacks, and treats. Although my milk allergy is no longer highly sensitive, I’ve still had symptoms from a few of the “may contain milk” chocolate brands. Rather than fret, I declare my food freedom by picking up a brand that I can trust.

And to help all of you eat freely, I’ve made this Chocolate Chip Ice Cream recipe completely vegan, coconut-free, and top 11 allergen-free. The base is even quite flexible. You can use your favorite milk beverage and choose the oil based on your flavor and nutrition choices. So grab some gluten-free cones and get scooping. It’s time to enjoy a taste of food freedom on this hot summer day.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe with No Coconut! (3)Thanks to Enjoy Life Foods for sponsoring this post, and helping so many of us enjoy our food freedom. You can #EatFreely with them on Instagram and Twitter. As always, the honest opinions, stories, photos, recipe, and product love are my own.

Special Diet Notes:Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, coconut-free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and top food allergy-friendly.

5.0 from 7 reviews

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Prep time

Total time

This cool, sweet chocolate chip ice cream has a delicious vanilla base that's like a cross between ice milk and traditional ice cream. I didn't use additives, so small ice crystals do form. But I decided to embrace it since we actually loved the refreshing creamy finish! This recipe is adapted from my flagship book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook 2nd Edition.

Author: Alisa Fleming

Serves: 1½ quarts (6 cups)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cold unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage (I used Ripple pea protein milk; see Milk Beverage Note below)
  • ¾ cup organic cane sugar (can substitute part agave nectar)
  • ½ cup rice bran oil, non-GMO canola oil, or other neutral-tasting oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or pure vanilla flavoring (can substitute vanilla extract or the seeds from 1 whole vanilla bean)
  • Pinch salt
  • ¾ cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life Chocolate)

Instructions

  1. Put the milk beverage and sugar in your blender. Blend until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.
  2. With the motor running, very slowly drizzle in the oil. Continue to blend until creamy and emulsified, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the vanilla and salt and blend briefly to combine.
  4. Churn the mixture in your prepared ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions or use one of these methods. If churning, it will take longer than coconut-based ice cream since there is very little saturated fat in this blend. Expect at least 45 minutes.
  5. During the last few minutes of churning, add the chocolate chips. They will stir in as they churn.
  6. Pack the soft ice cream into a chilled, freezer-safe container and freeze for 4 hours for a soft-set ice cream or overnight for hard-packed ice cream.

Notes

Milk Beverage Note: I use pea protein milk beverage because it is an emulsified beverage (water, oil, protein). This means it will easily emulsify with oil added. Please note that some types/brands of milk beverage might not properly emulsify, and I haven't tested them all! Make sure you get a fully emulsified mixture before attempting to churn.

Nutrition Information

Serving size:½ cup Calories:228.5 Fat:15.5g Saturated fat:3.8g Carbohydrates:21.5g Sugar:19.5g Sodium:65.8mg Fiber:1.0g Protein:3.0g Cholesterol:0mg

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Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe with No Coconut! (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of coconut milk in ice cream? ›

9. Heavy cream. Heavy cream is made by scraping fat from fresh milk and is especially common in high-fat foods like creamy soups, sauces, and ice cream. It's much higher in fat than coconut milk and can replace it in equal quantities in most recipes ( 12 ).

What is the best non-dairy milk to make ice cream? ›

Kaminsky says that you'll get the best results from dairy-free counterparts that are higher in fat such as canned coconut milk. She typically uses almond milk as her base, but other non-dairy milks can work (steer clear of rice milk because it tends to be too watery).

How do they make dairy-free ice cream? ›

It's not made with low-fat or skim milk, or anything like that. Dairy-free frozen desserts typically substitute regular milk with plant-based milk such as almond, soy, coconut, or cashew milk, although there are some amazing brands (*cough, cough, Eclipse*) that take it even further.

What is a substitute for coconut? ›

Shredded coconut can mostly be replaced with coarsely ground or chopped nuts, and desiccated coconut with ground nuts. Both coconut and nuts have a decent amount of natural oil in them, so can mostly be substituted for each other.

What is the best substitute if coconut milk is not available? ›

Half-and-half or heavy cream

Like evaporated milk, heavy cream and half-and-half are good substitutes for coconut milk, too. Heavy cream contains at least 36% milk fat, so it's very thick and creamy. You can whip it to make whipped cream, or churn it to make butter.

How do you thicken non-dairy ice cream? ›

Plant-based fats are the best way to thicken vegan ice cream. Coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil will give the creamiest and thickest results. Cornstarch and tapioca starch can also be used to thicken but the end result will be a little more icy and a little less creamy.

What milk is used in dairy-free ice cream? ›

Dairy-less frozen desserts replace milk and cream with alternatives like coconut, soy, oat, cashew, or almond milk. Many other ingredients remain the same between the dairy and dairy-free versions. And, just like dairy ice cream, non-dairy ice cream can vary widely in terms of sugar, fat, and calorie content.

How do you keep dairy-free ice cream soft? ›

I love this ice cream made with agave, especially since the syrupy nature of agave helps prevent ice crystals from forming, keeping the ice cream very smooth. If you're ok with honey in your diet, you can also use that. Alternatively, you can use maple syrup or a granulated sugar like cane sugar or turbinado.

What is ice cream without dairy called? ›

Updated: Jun 13, 2021. You might be surprised to learn that sorbet, Italian ice, sherbet, dairy-free ice cream and vegan ice cream are all different kinds of delectable, frozen treats.

What is so delicious dairy-free ice cream made from? ›

Filtered Water, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Sunflower Oil, Rice Starch, Pea Protein, Sea Salt, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Vanilla Bean Specks, Locust Bean Gum, Vanilla Extract, Annatto Extract (For Color).

What is Ben and Jerry's non-dairy ice cream made of? ›

Our Non-Dairy flavor creations are made with almond milk, 100% certified vegan, and boldly loaded with chunks and swirls. You'll get Ben & Jerry's euphoria in every bite. These flavors deliver everything… but the cow.

What is the healthiest non-dairy ice cream? ›

For example, So Delicious' Creamy Vanilla soy milk ice cream has only 120 calories and 0 grams of saturated fat per half-cup serving. Similarly, Dream's vanilla-flavored almond milk ice cream has 140 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat per half-cup serving.

Is Mcdonald's ice cream dairy free? ›

It does contain dairy, but they can't legally call it ice cream. (Or at least they can't call their shakes "milkshakes": https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/faq/desserts-and-shakes.h... ) Q: Why don't you call your 'shakes,' 'milkshakes'?

Does sherbet have dairy? ›

Sherbet (pronounced SHER-bet) falls in between sorbet and ice cream and includes dairy ingredients (in small amounts, about 1-2%), but it is distinctly different from ice cream in flavor and texture. Sherbet typically uses citric acid, which can make for more of a tart taste.

How do you thicken non dairy ice cream? ›

Plant-based fats are the best way to thicken vegan ice cream. Coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil will give the creamiest and thickest results. Cornstarch and tapioca starch can also be used to thicken but the end result will be a little more icy and a little less creamy.

What happens if you use coconut cream instead of coconut milk? ›

Can You Replace Coconut Cream with Coconut Milk? The good news about coconut cream and coconut milk is that although they may be different consistencies, they're very similar. You can use coconut cream in place of milk if you dilute it with additional water. Different coconut cream brands vary on fat content.

Can you substitute coconut milk for anything? ›

Coconut milk is naturally dairy-free, making it an excellent substitute for regular milk in multiple recipes. It only has a mild coconut flavor, so even if you don't like coconut, you might still find you can use coconut milk in recipes without being bothered by the taste.

Is ice cream made with coconut milk better for you? ›

It's true that coconut contains a healthier type of saturated fat, but it's still not doing you any major health favors. Both frozen yogurt and coconut milk ice cream are packed with added sugar, so portion control is key when you feel like treating yourself.

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