Creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream with only 5 ingredients

Look no further- this ultra creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream is only 5-ingredients, deliciously decadent, has a no-churn option AND uses nothing but whole foods! This is sure to be a family favourite (as it is with my family), and a recipe you’ll make again and again because it really is SO EASY.

A mixture of full fat coconut cream, hulled tahini and pure maple syrup are used to create this creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream, and the recipe is easily personalised to add your favourite flavours like cookie chunk or chocolate fudge.

What ingredients do I need

• Full fat coconut cream (no substitutions, please)
• Full fat coconut milk
• Hulled tahni
• Cacao power
• Pure maple syrup
• Vodka- optional
• Store-bought vegan cookies, for a cookie chunk version (also optional)

Choosing your coconut cream and milk

The most important factor in creating that perfect, creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream lays with what coconut cream (and milk) you buy. There are so many on the market, and they’re created with a huge amount of variance. Some brands are higher in coconut oil (which will result in a harder-set ice-cream), some higher in coconut water, and some with various other ingredients. If the creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream doesn’t turn out exactly as you hoped, it will be due to your choice in coconut cream.

Quite simply, some brands will work better than others. I have tried this recipe with both the Ceres Organics full-fat and Woolworths Organic full-fat versions, and both worked really well.

Using vodka in this recipe

Vodka ice-cream? I know, it sounds odd- but hear me out. Vodka doesn’t freeze (at least not until about -20 degrees C), so adding a small amount of this versatile alcohol to the mixture will alter how hard the ice-cream sets. You won’t last it one tiny bit, and yes- the vodka will help to create a truely creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream.

Unsure about it? Simple, leave it out! You’ll still get a good result, but know that I do recommend it.

Not all tahini is created equal.

Just like coconut cream, be savvy when choosing tahini. Ultimately, a good tahini is thick and creamy. Avoid jars with excessive oil-separation, and choose one that is lighter in colour. Ultimately, though, you won’t know until you buy (and taste) it; a great tahini should be smooth and nutty rather than than oily or bitter. Want to know more? Check out this post here, and here.

Here is why you will love this recipe

• It’s only 5 ingredients. Need I say more?
• You can finally use up that 1/2 empty jar of tahini hiding in the back of your pantry
• It’s decadent, creamy and full of chocolate flavour
• Your kids will love it

How to make creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream

Step 1. Get prepared

Be prepared. The night before, chill your ice-cream maker and your liquid ingredients- using chilled ingredients makes all the difference when using an ice-cream maker, and is a non-negotiable.

Step 2. Blend and churn

Blend and churn. It really is that simple. Use a high-powdered blender to combine the coconut cream, coconut milk, cacao, maple syrup, tahini and (optional) vodka.

Once you’ve got a uniform mixture, you should then re-chill the ingredients for 15 minutes in the freezer- using a metal bowl will help here (as metal is a better conductor than, say, plastic)- however, if its the middle of winter and the ice-cream mixture is very cold to the touch, you can skip the step.

Now, churn. Simple. Turn the ice-cream maker on BEFORE you add the chilled mixture, to avoid it freezing (and sticking) to the wall of the churning bowl. 40-45 minutes should be be enough, leaving you with something that ;looks like soft-serve.

Yes, you can definitely eat it at this stage.

Step 3. Choose your own flavours

Get creative. You can add any extra ingredients you like here, to create a personalised ice-cream with chunks of what-ever-you-desire. I used oreos (broken into small pieces), but the world is your oyster- think frozen berries, chocolate fudge sauce, cacao nibs, peanuts… you get the idea. Simple add, then churn for an extra 2 minutes before heading not the next step.

Step 4. Freeze and store

If you don’t want to eat the entire 2L of ice-cream in its soft-serve version, now you’ll transfer the creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream to a 2L capacity metal container, cover with baking paper, and freeze. You can a) freeze for 3-4 hours to create the traditional texture of ice-cream, or freeze as a storage method (if this is the case, you’ll need to allow 5-15mins for the ice-cream to soften before serving, hence-forth).

How to properly cover the ice cream, for optimal storage and to reduce plastic waste.

This step is important, so don’t overlook it. Most home-made ice-cream recipes will tell you to cover the ice-cream with cling wrap (and you can do that), but there are other options for those of us that want to avoid that single-use-plastic trap. They are;

1. Recycle an old food-safe plastic bag. You know, a produce one. These can be used again, and again, and again.
2. Use (compostable) baking paper, preferably double layered. baking paper can ASLO be reused, many many times. Simply wipe clean after use, and hang up to dry.
3. Invest in reusable silicone wrap. designed to replace cling wrap/plastic wrap, they would be the perfect solution here. I have not tried it, but ill let you know when I do.

Which ever option you choose, the key here is to cover the ice-cream as snuggly as possible. Any gaps between the ice-cream surface and the cover will mean ice crystals can form, and they will effect the taste and texture of your beautifully churned dessert.

Well, I hope you enjoy this creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream as much as I do. If you try it, let me know in the comments how it turned out. If you’re after other vegan desserts, check out

• No bake vegan jelly cheesecakes 
• No bake lemon slice (grain free)
• Easy strawberry galette with vanilla ice-cream 

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