Rich and decadent, this dark chocolate coconut ice cream is thick and creamy and absolutely delicious. Not only that, but it’s honey-sweetened and dairy free, making it the perfect dessert for everyone to enjoy.

Jump to Recipe

Hello my friends!

I’m back today with another amazing dessert you won’t want to miss. This dark chocolate coconut ice cream is absolutely delicious. We love it’s rich flavor and creamy texture.

Every time I enjoy a taste, I’m amazed that this ice cream is honey-sweetened and dairy free. I love finding treats with wholesome ingredients that are easy to make and super enjoyable to eat.

Ingredient preferences

Have you heard of coconut cream?

I discovered it 4 years ago when I went on a dairy free diet while breastfeeding my daughter who had cow’s milk protein intolerance (CMPI). Coconut cream was one of the ingredients that I was very grateful for during that time. It’s a great substitute for regular cream. I still use it in my cooking and baking, even though none of us have dairy issues now.

Coconut cream is different than coconut milk. Even though it contains the same ingredients, it has a higher fat content. It’s kind of like the difference between cow’s cream and cow’s milk. And similarly, ice cream will be much creamier and tastier when made with coconut cream.

We normally use Trader Joe’s brand (aff. link) of Coconut Cream (with 30% coconut fat) but I’ve made this recipe with other brands and they have also worked well.

My preference in this ice cream is dark cocoa powder because I think it pairs well with the mild coconut flavor and gives the ice cream a pretty color too. Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder (aff. link) works well in this recipe, but I’ve also tried other brands. I like the Ghiradelli brand of cocoa powder (aff. link) a lot too.

I always use raw honey for this ice cream. If you use honey bought at the regular grocery store (even if it claims to be raw honey), it may not turn out with the same texture. Store processed honey often has a higher water content and may even contain other additives like corn syrup (which if included in small enough amounts do not need to be disclosed on the label).

Anyone who has tasted two, should be able to tell the difference between raw honey and store bought honey. Raw honey is sweeter, thicker, and has a better flavor. I buy raw honey in bulk from a local beekeeper and we use it to sweeten a lot of our desserts (click for my other honey-sweetened desserts). We keep it in a honey jar (yes, like Winnie the Pooh) that sits on our counter so it’s really easy to use.

I’ve talked about my favorite Mexican vanilla before, but here it is again (aff. link). This vanilla lends itself well to desserts, especially custards, pudding, and ice cream.

A few more tips to make this ice cream

This ice cream is not hard to make. It takes very little hands on time, but will take some time to chill so plan ahead.

I normally process this ice cream in my Cuisinart ice cream maker (aff. link). It works well and is the perfect size for this recipe, which makes about 1 quart.

After scooping it into the freezer container to harden, make sure you save a little extra in the bowl for licking purposes.

I haven’t tried it, but I think this ice cream would also freeze well without a ice cream maker because it’s so thick. If I was trying it, I would chill the liquid in the refrigerator (after heating) for 24 hours. Then I would give it a good stir, transfer to the freezer container and freeze until solid. I would love to hear how it goes if you try it.

This is the perfect treat for those with dairy allergies or those trying to avoid sugar. But even if you’re like me and don’t quite fall into either one of those categories right now and are just looking for a REALLY good dark chocolate coconut ice cream, this recipe is for you. Especially if you love chocolate like I love chocolate, my friends.

Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat

All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat

Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.