If you've been searching for the best vegan ice cream recipes, you are in exactly the right place. This collection of homemade vegan ice cream covers everything from rich chocolate and creamy vanilla to exotic tropical flavors and cozy cookie-inspired scoops, all made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients and naturally sweetened without refined sugar. Whether you're reaching for your ice cream maker, your food processor, or just a blender and a loaf pan, there's a perfect treat here for every craving and every season.
I've been making homemade vegan ice cream for years, and I truly believe it's one of the most rewarding things you can make in a plant-based kitchen. There's nothing quite like pulling a perfectly set ice cream mixture you made yourself out of the freezer on a hot summer day, knowing exactly what's in it. From classic cashew ice cream bases to fun frozen bars and nostalgic favorites made healthy, these homemade recipes prove you never have to miss out on your favorite ice cream flavor just because you eat plant-based. Whether you churn it in an ice cream machine, use the Ninja Creami, or do the simple freeze-and-blend method, these fun recipes all deliver that creamy, dreamy texture you're after.
Looking to adopt a more plant-based lifestyle? Then check out my How to Live a More Vegan-Friendly Lifestyle to get you started.
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Jump to:
- Tips For Making The Best Homemade Vegan Ice Cream
- Tropical & Exotic Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
- Adaptogenic & Wellness Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
- Classic Vegan Ice Cream Flavors
- Cookie & Dessert-Inspired Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
- Frozen Bars & Popsicles
- Seasonal Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
- FAQ
- More Amazing Vegan Recipes To Try Next
- Reviews
Tips For Making The Best Homemade Vegan Ice Cream
Whether you're making your first batch of homemade ice cream or your fiftieth, these quick tips will help you get the creamiest, most scoop-worthy results every time.
- Use full-fat coconut cream or canned coconut milk: This is the gold standard for a creamy, rich ice cream base. Light coconut milk will produce a more icy result.
- Soak your cashews: If your recipe uses cashews as part of the ice cream base, soaking them overnight (or for at least 4 hours) ensures they blend into a completely smooth mixture, with no ice crystals in your final product.
- Sweeten naturally: Most of these recipes use Medjool dates, maple syrup, or coconut sugar in place of organic cane sugar or refined sweeteners. The key is blending the sweetener thoroughly into the ice cream mixture so it's evenly distributed.
- Chill your ice cream base: Before you churn ice cream in an ice cream machine or ice cream maker, make sure your base is thoroughly chilled, ideally overnight in the fridge. A cold base churns faster and produces a better texture.
- Use an airtight container: Once churned or set, always transfer your ice cream to an airtight container and press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface before sealing. This prevents ice crystals from forming on top.
- Thaw before scooping: Pull your ice cream out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping. This gives you that perfect soft serve-adjacent scoop without breaking your spoon.
Tropical & Exotic Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
These flavors are for adventurous scoop lovers. Using fresh and exotic fruits along with rich coconut cream bases, each one of these vegan ice cream recipes transports you somewhere warm and wonderful.
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This soursop ice cream is ultra-creamy, naturally sweet, and bursting with tropical flavor. Made with just 5 simple plant-based ingredients and real soursop flesh, this recipe creates a smooth, scoopable dessert that tastes like sunshine in every bite. It's one of the most unique ice cream flavors you'll ever make.
This churn ice cream recipe features only 6 simple ingredients and is packed with vitamin C-boosting antioxidants from mangosteen hibiscus powder. Creamy, fruity, and with a beautiful citrus touch, this refreshing non-dairy ice cream is a bold, one-of-a-kind flavor. If you're wondering where to get good-quality hibiscus powder, try Anima Mundi and use my code "NATURALVEGAN" for 15% off.
Vegan Pink Dragon Fruit Ice Cream
This beautiful pink ice cream is the ultimate fun summer treat. Made with clean, simple ingredients, it has a perfectly creamy texture and a gorgeous natural color. No artificial dyes are needed, and it's guaranteed to be a hit at your next summer gathering or birthday party.
Homemade Macadamia Nut Ice Cream
This macadamia nut ice cream is creamy, rich, and irresistibly nutty. Made with full-fat coconut milk, macadamia nut butter, and pure maple syrup, it delivers a luxurious texture without requiring a blender or complicated techniques. It works with the freezer churn method or the Ninja Creami and is a heavenly treat for nut milk lovers.
This plant-based take on a childhood favorite swaps artificial colors for natural superfoods to create those iconic red, blue, and yellow swirls with no junk. Made with minimal ingredients and perfect for kids, this vegan ice cream recipe is also gluten-free, oil-free, and the kind of ice cream that makes eating healthy feel magical.
Adaptogenic & Wellness Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
These are the recipes that prove ice cream can actually be more than good for you. Infused with healing herbs, adaptogens, and powerful superfoods, each of these homemade vegan ice cream recipes is as nourishing as it is delicious.
(If interested, I buy all my medicinal herbs from my vetted source, Anima Mundi, and you can use my code: "NATURALVEGAN" for 15% off!)
Creamy Vegan Golden Milk Ice Cream
This rich and vibrant golden milk ice cream is loaded with warming spices and naturally sweetened with Medjool dates. Made with creamy coconut milk, cashews, and adaptogenic Golden Sun Milk from Anima Mundi, this frozen treat is easy to make, anti-inflammatory, and simply luxurious. Plus, it's made entirely from plant-based, healing ingredients. If you love a golden milk latte, you will absolutely flip for this.
This silky ice cream is utterly irresistible. Made with raw cashews, creamy coconut milk, and ceremonial grade matcha powder, it's naturally sweetened with Medjool dates for a velvety texture and intense green tea flavor. This one is a favorite for matcha lovers and a great, easy recipe for first-time homemade ice cream makers.
This adaptogenic ice cream recipe is loaded with 7 different mushrooms and heirloom cacao powder for the perfect rich, creamy, plant-based chocolate ice cream. It's sweet, nutrient-dense, and unlike anything you'll find at the store or ice cream shop. It's raw, vegan, and deliciously "milky".
This is a lovely, floral, flavorful, cool treat for any time of year. Made with clean, simple ingredients, including real rose powder, it's easy to make and promotes relaxation, making it one of the more unique and elegant ice cream flavors in this round-up.
Classic Vegan Ice Cream Flavors
If you're here for the classics, then this is your list. These reimagined ice cream recipes come with plant-based fats, wholesome, natural sweeteners, and none of the dairy. Even in the vegan kitchen, the OG flavors will always have a place at the table.
This healthy vegan strawberry ice cream is creamy, delicious, and made with simple, clean ingredients. The texture is silky smooth, never icy, and it's one of the most popular vegan ice cream recipes on the blog for good reason: it's classic done right. Use fresh fruit for the best flavor.
This rich and creamy vegan coffee ice cream is made with just 5 simple, whole-foods plant-based ingredients, and the results beat anything you'll find at the grocery store. It has a perfect creamy texture and bold coffee flavor, with no refined sugar or oil. It's the ideal base recipe for coffee lovers looking for an easy, indulgent treat.
Vegan Chocolate Protein Ice Cream
This is the ultimate healthy treat that's also packed with protein. It works with a traditional ice cream machine, a Ninja Creami, or a high-speed blender, and is one of the best easy options when you want something indulgent without the guilt.
Vegan Chocolate Sunflower Ice Cream
This nut-free chocolate ice cream is rich, creamy, easy to make, and perfect for anyone with nut allergies. Made with nutrient-dense ingredients including sunflower seed butter, it's a crowd-pleaser at any summer party. Add the caramel swirls for extra indulgence.
Vegan Vanilla Bean Ice Cream With Vegan Magic Shell
Real vanilla beans and a homemade cacao-based magic shell that hardens on contact create the most magical indulgence. The vegan vanilla ice cream base is an easy, nostalgic treat perfect for kids and adults alike. Think vanilla extract elevated to its fullest potential.
This thick and creamy peanut butter ice cream is fully loaded with vegan marshmallows, crunchy peanut butter swirls, and a rich peanut butter ice cream base. If peanut butter is your love language, this is your ice cream flavor.
Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream
This fun and nostalgic peanut butter and jelly ice cream brings back all the childhood memories with clean, naturally sweetened ingredients. Made with simple whole-food ingredients and featuring the classic PB&J flavor combo in frozen form, it's an easy way to use up extra nut butter. So good!
This homemade almond-cherry ice cream is full of sweet cherries and almond flavor, made with clean, simple ingredients. It's so delicious that nobody will even guess it's healthy. This is one of those ice cream flavor combinations that everyone will love.
Cookie & Dessert-Inspired Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
Some of the most beloved ice cream flavors in the world were born from combining two desserts into one glorious scoop. These creative homemade vegan ice cream recipes do exactly that, taking your favorite treats and spinning them into something frozen and phenomenal.
Homemade Cookie Monster Ice Cream
This dreamy treat features naturally sweetened churn vanilla ice cream swirled with cookie dough balls and chunks of cookie pieces, all in a beautiful, bright blue color and achieved without any artificial food coloring. It's creamy, rich, and full of monster cookie goodness. A show-stopping choice for a birthday cake alternative.
This homemade Samoa Ice Cream features a creamy coconut ice cream base loaded with homemade Samoa cookies, toasted coconut, and a healthy caramel sauce. It has all the flavors of the iconic Girl Scout cookie in ice cream form, yet made entirely with plant-based ingredients. Truly irresistible.
Every bite of this snickerdoodle ice cream tastes like a classic cinnamon-sugar cookie, in the most perfect, creamy, frozen form. Made with a natural churn method and an irresistible cinnamon swirl, this is the cozy cookie-in-ice-cream flavor you didn't know you needed.
This creative carrot cake ice cream is a mashup of two classic desserts, one creamy, one spiced, and it's bold, rich, and surprisingly healthy. Made with clean, oil-free ingredients and naturally sweetened, this easy recipe is perfect for spring and Easter, but honestly works any time of year.
This unique ice cream flavor proves the beloved cookie deserves its own scoop. It's made with certified gluten-free oats for a wholesome, hearty base. This one is sure to be a fan favorite among oatmeal raisin cookie devotees.
Frozen Bars & Popsicles
Not every frozen treat needs to come in a scoop. These homemade frozen bars and popsicles are just as creamy and indulgent as scooped ice cream, and they're perfect for grab-and-go enjoyment straight from the freezer.
These fudgesicles are a nostalgic summer treat. Made with simple ingredients that support a healthy lifestyle, they're rich, chocolatey, and totally guilt-free. They're everything a classic fudgesicle should be, minus the artificial additives.
Healthy Caramel Pecan Coconut Ice Cream Bars
These raw vegan ice cream bars combine the luscious richness of caramel, the crunch of pecans, and the creamy sweetness of coconut into one decadent frozen dessert. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer and pull one out whenever the craving strikes.
Healthy Mint Chocolate Chip Popsicles
These popsicles are a simple and healthy summer treat. Made by following just a couple of easy steps, they're rich, creamy, and packed with that cool mint-chocolate combo everyone loves.
Seasonal Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
Who says ice cream is only for summer? These homemade vegan ice cream recipes are built around seasonal flavors, perfect for fall and winter cravings when you still want something cold and creamy.
Healthy Vegan Gingerbread Ice Cream
This holiday gingerbread ice cream is rich, creamy, and it's the perfect holiday dessert for vegans and non-vegans alike. The warm gingerbread spices in cold ice cream form are an unexpected combination that works beautifully.
This ultimate fall ice cream recipe is rich, creamy, and includes sweet potato puree. With over 340 shares, it's one of the most beloved recipes on the blog, and a brilliant, easy way to sneak more veggies into your diet.
Best Vegan Hot Chocolate Ice Cream
This hot chocolate ice cream combines the cozy flavors of classic hot cocoa with the richness of homemade ice cream, creating year-round magic. It pairs beautifully with dark chocolate chunks or cocoa powder dusted on top.
Vegan Homemade Black Sesame Ice Cream
This black sesame ice cream is a rich, nutty, and utterly irresistible treat, and a beautiful alternative to your everyday ice cream flavor. Made with naturally sweetened Medjool dates, cashews, and coconut milk, it's silky smooth with an intensely toasty sesame flavor.
This 4-ingredient vegan vanilla ice cream is exactly what the name promises: the healthiest ice cream you will ever make. Rich and creamy without refined sugar or oil, it's sweetened entirely with dates and made from a base of coconut milk and cashews. This is the go-to base recipe for so many of the other ice creams in this list.
FAQ
The most popular ice cream base for homemade vegan ice cream is full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream blended with soaked cashews. This combination mimics the plant-based fats found in dairy cream and creates an incredibly creamy, stable texture. Oat milk, almond milk, and soy milk can also work but typically produce icier results unless combined with cashews or another high-fat ingredient.
Absolutely! Many of the recipes in this list can be made using the no-churn method: blend your ice cream base thoroughly, pour into a loaf pan, freeze, then blend again mid-freeze for a smoother texture. A food processor or high-speed blender is your best friend here. Some recipes can also be made in the Ninja Creami.
Nice cream typically refers to ice cream made entirely from frozen blended bananas, with no added cream or base. Vegan ice cream uses dairy-free milk or cream alternatives (like coconut milk or cashew-based bases) as its foundation, resulting in a richer, creamier texture closer to traditional ice cream. All recipes in this collection are vegan ice cream rather than nice cream.
Medjool dates, maple syrup, and coconut sugar are the top natural sweeteners used in these recipes. Dates blend seamlessly into cashew-based ice cream for a caramel-like sweetness, while maple syrup works beautifully in churned recipes where the sweetener is stirred into the base rather than blended.
More Amazing Vegan Recipes To Try Next
If you try any of these Vegan Ice Cream Recipes, I'd really love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I'd also really appreciate a recipe card rating! Thank you for supporting The All Natural Vegan!
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