Here are the top best Vegan gluten free ice cream voted by readers and compiled and edited by our team, let’s find out
A rich and creamy Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream with just 4 ingredients that can be made WITHOUT an ice cream maker. That’s right. It’s no churn… as well as gluten free, dairy free, and nut free.
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VEGAN CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM – PLANT-BASED DECADENCE
This Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream has all the lusciousness of its dairy cousin, but is totally plant-based. Rich and creamy, it needs only 4 ingredients (or even 3 if you ditch the vanilla). And it’s amazing!
Seriously… It’s hard to believe this ice cream is vegan. It’s sumptuous and deep with nature’s chocolate gift. So, if you are someone who turns your nose up at the suggestion that great ice cream can be dairy free… think again. This vegan chocolate ice cream proves that decadence can be plant-based.
Why I love no churn ice cream
At Gluten Free Alchemist, we have a passion for making no churn ice cream. Why? Because it can be mixed ready for the freezer in as little as 10 minutes from simple ingredients… With no need for an ice cream machine. As long as you have a whisk, a bowl, a spoon and a freezer… you can have homemade ice cream as delicious as any other you have tasted.
As far as no-churn dairy ice cream goes, we have some amazing recipes. From the legendary Baileys No Churn Ice Cream, to its fruity sister… the delicious Balsamic Roasted Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream. But the menu continues… Whether Cherry-Chocolate Brownie, simple Rhubarb, Cookies n Cream, or Mincemeat, we have you covered. We also offer no churn Mint Choc Chip, Blackberry or Rhubarb, Blueberry & Honey. The list will continue to grow.
The down side is that while each and every one of them is delicious, dairy ice cream is made with high volumes of cream. Occasionally that’s fine. But I worry about cholesterol consumption in particular and this has prompted a desire to seek alternatives.
What 4 ingredients are used to make Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream?
I am almost certain that any of my no churn ice creams can be made dairy free as well, because the recipe for this Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream is pretty much the same… Except that it is vegan (obvs). The method also makes it one of the simplest ice cream recipes on the planet.
But what ingredients are used to make it that easy? Well basically, the usual whipped double cream and dairy condensed milk has been subbed for the vegan coconut versions of the same ingredients. Chilled well and whisked with care, coconut cream and coconut condensed milk give the same amazing result, but totally plant based! And I promise… the taste of coconut is barely noticeable.
For best flavour and to make this a Vegan chocolate ice cream, I have added raw cacao powder which offers a deep natural chocolate hit and a hint of an anti-oxidant boost as well. The slight bitterness of the cacao perfectly offsets any excess sweetness from the condensed milk.
Although I prefer to use cacao, cocoa can be used instead. And adding a little vanilla extract gives a wonderful, slightly exotic backdrop too.
Where can I find Coconut Condensed Milk to make Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream?
Although cans of coconut milk are easy to find in the supermarket (usually on the ‘Asian’ shelves), coconut condensed milk can be harder to source. The effort to track it down however, is more than worth it.
For vegan baking and treat making, it has become one of my favourite ingredients. In addition to Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream, it has been used in a vegan version of Lemon Tart with Dark Chocolate & Ginger (simply subbing all dairy for the equivalent coconut ingredient) and is a key ingredient in our incredible Cranberry & Apricot Vegan Seeded Flapjacks too.
A couple of companies now offer ready-made coconut condensed milk. Nature’s Charm (my favourite) offers different sized cans (200g; 320g; 3680g), and Biona also make a 210g can.
You can find the Natures Charm medium cans at Ocado and some Holland and Barrett stores. And also in Vegan on-line stores such as Vegan Kind. Amazon do offer, but it is hideously expensive in comparison to other sources.
Check your local wholefood stores
Actually, the first coconut condensed milk I came across was in a favourite local wholefood store. So, check and shop local first if possible.
I do confess to being a little excited when I found it. Actually ‘excitement’ doesn’t do the reaction justice… I was seriously ecstatic… Resulting in an almost possessive siege-like mentality (briefly!).
Looking around suspiciously to see whether anyone else might have spotted my find… almost the whole shelf-load was bundled into a basket, before I sidled up to the counter trying to look normal.
Who was I kidding? I looked like some crazed loon with the oddest addiction on the planet. But you know what? Those cans have brought happiness and lots of new-found creativity (including this Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream). And I feel smug that I snaffled them before anyone else got their hands on them.
What is the best way to enjoy a soft no churn Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream?
Like most home-made ice creams, this Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream doesn’t have any unnecessary extra ingredients to ‘make’ it extra soft. Coconut ice creams also have a lower level of fat (and thus more liquid), which while better to eat from a health perspective, will have an impact on how they freeze. Thus, Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream will freeze quite hard. Particularly if your freezer is very efficient.
At development stage, consideration was given to whether anything might be added to keep it softer at very low temperatures. Adding extra sugar for example can help to protect the liquid from freezing solid… But the ice cream would then be way too sweet. And anything artificial would have affected the flavour.
In reality, the freezing has not proved to be a problem… Leaving this vegan chocolate ice cream to sit at room temperature for a short while before eating usually softens it perfectly. The result? A gorgeously rich and creamy ice cream that rivals its dairy counterparts.
Ready to make Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream?
So, there you have it… Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream that can be made with little fuss and only basic equipment. If you make it, let me know! Actually, if you make any of my no churn ice creams either dairy or vegan, let me know! I love to hear from you guys and know that what I am doing is making a difference. Leave a comment, rate the recipe, tag me on social media (links at the top… #glutenfreealchemist).
If you are looking for other ice cream recipes, check out our dedicated Ice Cream Index… and if you are gluten free and Vegan, we also have you covered with our Vegan-GF Index too… Actually, for anyone thinking of trying the Vegan AND Gluten Free route, we also have a post that may be helpful… Gluten Free Vegan – Surviving Veganuary and Beyond
For everything else, browse our on-line Recipe Book to be inspired.
Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream shared with
- Blogger’s Pit Stop #257
- Full Plate Thursday #514 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
- What’s For Dinner #292 with The Lazy Gastronome
- Over The Moon #257 with Eclectic Red Barn
- Meatless Monday with Confessions of a Mother Runner and A Whisk & Two Wands
- Fiesta Friday #357 with Angie and Of Goats and Greens
- Cook Blog Share with Lost In Food
