How to Make Your Own Vegan Ice Cream
Supermarkets only sell a few brands of ice-cream, either inferior own-brands or artisan brands (below) which are lovely, but very expensive. Instead, invest in a little ice cream maker. This are very simple to use. You just put your chosen ingredients in the chilled bowl, turn it on and voila – in 20 minutes, you have ice cream!
You then get to your choose unique flavours (peaches and vegan cream, or blueberry lavender anyone?) It’s much cheaper, more nutritious and no plastic tubs to dispose of. Plus no refined sugar.
You can make ice-cream without a maker, but it’s a faff, as you have to keep returning to the freezer to churn it, apart from a few simple unique recipes.
Avoid caffeine (chocolate, coffee ice-creams) for pregnancy/nursing. Keep ice-cream away from pets (due to cocoa, nuts, salt, dried fruits). Read more on food safety for people and pets.
Vegan Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream
This vegan mint choc chip ice cream (Rainbow Nourishments) is a plant-based version of one of England’s favourite flavours. This 4-ingredient recipe does not even need an ice-cream maker. It uses coconut cream, vegan chocolate, vegan condensed milk and fresh mint (or peppermint extract).
Keep chocolate and mint away from pets. Read more on food safety for people and pets.
Optional ingredients are salt and vanilla extract, but Anthea says these will make the ice-cream easier to freeze (choose real vanilla extract, some ‘fake’ vanilla is made with castoreum from beavers – also tastes vile).
You can even whizz in a few spinach leaves (check medication, due to vitamin K) to sneak in some vitamins! To make it really green, you’d need to use a vegan food dye (the one of choice for ‘green’ is usually a little matcha
Vegan Turkish Delight Ice Cream
This vegan Turkish delight ice cream
No-Churn Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
This vegan strawberry ice cream
Why Choose Vegan Ice Cream?
Choosing vegan ice cream means you’re skipping the dairy farms where animals often face tough conditions. Cows on dairy farms spend much of their lives in confined spaces and are separated from their calves early on. And male calves are still shot dead, as they are of no financial value in the dairy industry. Or turned into veal.
Vegan ice-cream is free from cholesterol and lactose, and easier to digest. The ‘fats’ are good fats like nuts, which also give protein and calcium.
Making vegan ice cream typically uses fewer resources like water and land compared to dairy farming. Plus you can make use of seasonal local ingredients like strawberries, peaches, blueberries and herbs.
Flavour Variety and Creativity
Vegan Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream (Rainbow Nourishments)
You get way more flavour ideas, than sticking to the same old vanilla, strawberry or chocolate.
Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream (Rainbow Nourishments)
Most homemade vegan ice-creams have a base of coconut milk or cashew, then add in real fruits and herbs.
Tips for Making Perfect Vegan Ice Cream
This 2-ingredient vegan chocolate ice cream (Rainbow Nourishments) just needs a hand or stand-mixer.
- Use full-fat plant milks or cream for better texture. Low-fat options often freeze harder and less creamy.
- Chill your base mixture before freezing or churning; it helps reduce ice crystals.
- Don’t skip the stirring step if you’re using the freeze-only method—it makes a big difference.
- Experiment with flavours, but keep the base simple at first to understand how each ingredient affects texture.
- Add small amounts of alcohol (like a splash of rum or vodka) to the mix to keep the ice cream softer if you want a scoopable texture straight from the freezer. Obviously for adults only!
A Book of Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
The Vegan Ice Cream Bible offers recipes by a woman who uses fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients, to sell in her own vegan ice-cream parlour!
Matching base recipes with ideal flavour pairings, the recipes are divided by season, to make the most of natural affordable ingredients. Recipes include:
- White Coffee, Earl Grey & Orange
- Coconut & Lime
- Salted Pretzel & Caramel
- Turmeric Latte
- Walnut & Maple Syrup
- Plus sorbet recipes
The Best Brands of Vegan Ice Cream
To find good vegan ice cream, you usually have to go to a farm shop or health store, as most supermarkets don’t sell them. They are expensive, but only a treat, so splurge.
Cecily’s Vegan Ice Cream is made in Cornwall with organic ingredients. The brand was founded by a businesswoman, who got fed up, so returned home to set up a vegan ice-cream brand!
Booja Booja is another gem that uses simple mostly organic ingredients, sold in cardboard boxes. The range includes vanilla, chocolate, blackcurrant and vegan honeycomb.
Vegan Mr Whippy Ice Cream Vans!
Mr Whippy is an institution in England, the sound of the ice-cream van that drives the streets in summer. Swish Vegan Soft Serve sells wholesale to ice cream vans.
And Temptation Soft Serve Mix works with soft-serve machines and ice-cream vans (choose from vanilla or chocolate).
