I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Yes, ice cream is amazing. And yes, there are certainly times we scream for it. But sometimes, we want something a bit healthier. And sometimes, we want it without heavy cream. And sometimes, we just want to make it at home—sans heavy machinery (a.k.a. an ice cream maker).
Fortunately, there are many ways to get your ice cream fix without resorting to the pint. These 19 nondairy, no-churn ice cream recipes can be made in a whirl (literally) and cover all your a la mode favorites. If that’s not something to scream about, we don’t know what is.
1. Vegan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
No dairy doesn’t mean no flavor. It also doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice texture. This recipe uses coconut whipped cream to mimic ice cream’s velvety texture and coffee liqueur to add just a hint of richness. Opt for dark chocolate chunks if you’re looking for something a little more indulgent and toss in chopped walnuts or slivered almonds if you want a little crunch.
2. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream
We’re bananas for banana ice cream. It’s super easy to make, and it’s even easier to manipulate the flavor and make it taste like all things not banana. Take this recipe, which starts with a banana base and is loaded with homemade oatmeal peanut butter cookie dough. The dough soaks up some of the juices and oozes out peanut butter goodness, creating a more vanilla/less banana flavor. (Psst, if you’re still not into bananas, use store-bought coconut ice cream and simply mix in the dough.)
3. Fresh Peach Sorbet
This sorbet is just peachy. With only four ingredients—peaches, almond milk, honey, and lemon—and a short cook time (10 minutes), it’s hard to beat. Simply freeze diced peaches (or buy frozen ones); blend them (or use a food processor); add in almond milk, honey, and lemon; pulse until smooth; freeze again; and enjoy your dairy- and refined sugar-free masterpeach.
4. Dairy-Free Chocolate Caramel No-Churn Ice Cream
The only thing better than caramel sauce is chipotle caramel sauce. Plus, making it from scratch means you get to enjoy an entire jar in addition to what’s used in the ice cream. This recipe uses homemade date paste (chopped dates blended with water) for all-natural sweetness and cacao powder to create the rich, chocolaty flavor. For the best texture, refrigerate the cans of coconut cream overnight. We also love using chocolate almond milk in place of regular.
5. Lemon Mint Ice Cream
Need an excuse to have dessert? How about a good ol’ palate cleanser? This refreshing ice cream is the perfect way to reset your taste buds after a meal. Made with coconut milk, lemon, mint, vanilla extract, and maple syrup, it’s the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and refreshing. Simply blend, freeze, and cleanse away. Or just enjoy—because really, who needs an excuse to eat dessert?
6. Paleo Nutella Banana Ice Cream
Ciao bella, Paleo-tella. This two-ingredient ice cream is so easy and delicious, it’s tempting to have it after every meal. But the good news is: It’s so rich and flavorful, one serving does the trick. For the best consistency, slice the bananas before freezing and make sure they’re super ripe. Top with cacao nibs or an extra dollop of hazelnut heaven—or both.
7. Mango Frozen Yogurt
Got mango? Got yogurt? Great—frozen yogurt is just minutes away. Blend the frozen fruit with coconut yogurt, sweeten with honey or maple syrup, and freeze. Though the best fro-yo requires a bit more setting time, we think it’s just fine to pull this out of the freezer after only 30 minutes. We love layering in fresh mango and toasted coconut.
8. Tahini Cardamom Ice Cream
Savory, meet sweet. We’ll never stop loving classic caramel, but the swirls of sesame mixed with the hearty spice of cardamom make us feel like ice cream adults—and we like it. This four-ingredient recipe is super simple and a great way to wow guests at a dinner party. It’s also an excellent freezer staple, as it quenches that sweet tooth but doesn’t leave you yearning for every last bite.
9. Vegan Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream
Finally! The secret to non-icy vegan ice cream: Whisk the mixture every 20 minutes while it’s freezing. We love that this recipes sticks to the basics: strawberries, coconut cream, vanilla bean, and maple syrup. Simply blend, then freeze. Though using an actual vanilla bean seriously ups the flavor, subbing a teaspoon of vanilla extract will do.
10. Almond Butter Chocolate Fudge Chunk Ice Cream
Who knew that melting dark chocolate with almond butter was the secret to Paleo fudge? Frozen bananas get a protein boost from almond butter, and the fudge adds a thick, slightly crunchy consistency that’ll make you feel like you’re digging for treasure. Paleo eating has never tasted so good—or been so easy.
11. Matcha Coconut Ice Cream
Matcha lattes are great, but we have to admit: This matcha ice cream takes the cake. It’s everything about a latte that we love—but frozen to perfection and even creamier than what your local coffee shop brews up. To give it a secret health boost, throw in a dash of ashwagandha. And go ahead, have your latte and eat ice cream too.
12. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
The bad news: Making gluten-free, vegan cookie dough from scratch requires quite a few ingredients and a bit more prep time. The good news: Paleo cookie dough is incredible, and whipping up a batch means you’ll have cookies and cookie dough ice cream (#worthit). The ice cream is made with soaked dates, frozen bananas, coconut cream, and almond butter, and once the dough is ready to go, the rest can be made in a pinch.
13. Cherry Chocolate No-Dairy Ice Cream
This ice cream is a tad more mousselike, meaning its texture is as creamy as it gets. We love the recipe as is, but it’s also fun playing with different fruits—such as strawberries and raspberries—and throwing in dark chocolate chips, a la Cherry Garcia. For a boozy version, add a splash of bourbon.
14. S’more Ice Cream
Gimme gimme s’more. S’more ice cream, that is. This recipe is perfect for those who want to experiment with homemade ice cream without too much fuss. The recipe uses softened store-bought vanilla or chocolate ice cream and is mixed with baked mini s’mores—which you’ll definitely want to taste test. Let thaw for a few minutes before serving for a soft serve-esque texture.
15. No-Churn Pistachio Ice Cream
This ice cream takes going green to the next level. Made with avocado, pistachios (naturally), and spirulina (surprise!), this vegan treat is as healthy as it is satisfying. Add the spirulina slowly to make sure the flavor isn’t overpowering and don’t forget to top with extra chopped pistachios. Though dates provide the best flavor, use maple syrup for the nicest color.
16. Vegan Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Here’s an ice cream ingredient we haven’t seen yet: salt. This recipe uses cashew butter instead of oh so popular almond, but don’t worry, there’s peanut butter in there too. Simply blend the ingredients until smooth, pop in the freezer, and let set for at least eight hours. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, top with chopped peanuts or a drizzle of melted peanut butter.
17. Whiskey Hazelnut No-Churn Ice Cream
We can’t decide what’s better: the final product or the smell of your home when you’re making this ice cream. Begin by roasting hazelnuts (yep, that’s the smell), blend the ice cream ingredients on high speed, freeze, wait for the nuts to cool, remove as much of the skin as possible, chop, and stir the nuts into the mixture. The amazing flavor will whisk(ey) you away.
18. No-Churn Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream
There’s no denying pumpkin spice lattes are amazing, but they’re also full of sugar. Though pumpkin spice ice cream may not sound like the healthier alternative, this recipe is. Paleo, gluten-free, and vegan, it’s made with only four ingredients: coconut milk, pumpkin purée, dates, and pumpkin pie spice. So long, Starbucks.
19. Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream
This recipe is another five-ingredient wonder. And with a little prep work, it becomes super simple too. Start by popping the coconut milk in the fridge overnight and soak the cashews at least an hour in advance. Then it’s as easy as blending, drizzling peanut butter on top of the mixture, swirling with a knife, and the hardest step: waiting for it to freeze.
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