Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream is about to become your new favorite dairy-free ice cream recipe. Sweet and creamy coconut milk is loaded with chewy toasted coconut and a hint of vanilla. It's delicious!
This Toasted Coconut Ice Cream was originally published in 2012.
Move over Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream, there's a new kid in town! (But don't move over too much. We still love you.)
Toasted coconut ice cream is everything we love about coconut ice cream mixed with deliciously chewy bits of coconut. It's a bit of summertime magic.
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream Love
- Creamy coconut milk that makes the best (and easiest!) base for ice cream.
- Shredded coconut that takes on the most delicious nutty flavor when it's toasted.
- Dotted with chocolate chunks, if you dare.
- Lightly sweetened ice cream that is refined sugar-free.
- An extra rich and tasty version of coconut ice cream.
- Summer heaven.
How to make the best toasted coconut ice cream
In order for your coconut ice cream to turn out creamy, you need to use high-fat coconut milk.
- Light coconut milk = icy coconut ice cream
- Full-fat coconut milk = creamy coconut ice cream
There is a time and a place for light coconut milk, but this isn't one of them. The higher the fat content, the creamier your coconut milk will be.
I suggest using coconut milk with a minimum of 60% coconut extract. If your store sells cans with even more coconut extract, use that can. Arroy-D makes cans with 70% coconut extract and it's amazing in this recipe.
Also, try to choose a can of coconut milk without any additives. Guar gum is often added to coconut milk to make it creamier but it gives it a slightly funny texture. Try to avoid it if you can.
How to toast coconut
Coconut can go from almost golden to burned very quickly. So no matter which toasting method you choose, make sure to keep a close eye on it.
- Stovetop method: this is the method I've written in the recipe instructions as I don't like to turn my oven on in the summer. Put the coconut in a frying pan and toast it gently over medium heat. You'll need to stir it a few times so coconut on the bottom doesn't burn.
- Oven method: Put the coconut on a baking sheet and toast it in your oven at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes. No stirring necessary as the baking sheet will be big enough for the coconut to be in a single layer.
When making this toasted coconut ice cream recipe, I often toast extra coconut and save what I don't use to sprinkle on salads. It's delicious!
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Favorite Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes:
- Healthy Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
- Lime Coconut Ice Cream
- Coconut Cherry Ice Cream
- Dreamy Almond Chocolate Nice Cream
- Black Pepper Pistachio Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
- White Balsamic and Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded coconut, divided
- 2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk, minimum 60% coconut extract
- Ā½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Ā½ cup chocolate chunks, optional (vegan or paleo, if needed)
Instructions
- Place the coconut in a large pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until it smells fragrant and is golden brown.2 cups shredded coconut
- Add the coconut milk and coconut sugar to a small pot and warm over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla and 1 Ā½ cups of the toasted coconut. Place the pot in your fridge until the coconut milk is cold.2 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk, Ā½ cup coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Process the coconut ice cream in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions. If using, stir in the chocolate chunks.Ā½ cup chocolate chunks
- Serve with the remaining toasted coconut sprinkled over the top.
No Churn Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
- Pour the cold coconut milk into a shallow pan and place it in your freezer. After 1 hour, remove the pan and scrape the ice cream with a fork and mix it around. Put it back into your freezer for another hour. Repeat these steps 2-3 more times, until the ice cream is frozen and creamy. If using, stir the chocolate chunks through the ice cream after the last time you scrape it with a fork.
Can I make this using xyliyol?
I haven’t tried it but it should work well!
Can you substitute anything for the coconut sugar?
Brown sugar!
Sounds deliciousĀ
It is so good!!
Good Lord! So tasty!!! Looks amazing!!
Thank you so much!!
Made this last night, and it was great! What a wonderful creamy texture and awesome coconut flavor! Next time I might add chocolate chunks, and chop up the coconut into smaller pieces (or maybe use a little less?) Delicious!
Oooh chocolate chunks! What a great idea!!
Oh my goodness!!!! This was fantastic! I only had one can of coconut milk, so I subbed milk for one can. I didn’t use as much toasted coconut since I wasn’t sure my kids would eat it, and I used plain vanilla. It was sooooo yummy with some grated chocolate on top!! Thank you!
Hey Lynn,
That’s so fantastic to hear! So happy you enjoyed it!!
I’m not a huge ice cream fan, but my love for coconut trumps Everything. I could easily devour this entire batch!
Hey Valerie,
If you are a coconut fan then you will lOVE this. It’s like eating creamy frozen coconut š
This looks delicious! Do you think lite coconut milk would work? I have coconut sugar that I’m going to use with this!
Coconut sugar? That sounds amazing! Light coconut would work but it might come out a little icy. Maybe try making a half batch to test it out first. Or just use regular coconut milk; it does have more fat but it is fat that is good for you š
just saw this on FG…looks AWESOME! Great recipe and love the drippy pics š
Thanks, Averie!