Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

I love a delicious dairy-free coconut ice cream. And it’s even more rich and creamy when you make it at home! This coconut ice cream recipe starts with a simple dairy-free coconut ice cream made with canned coconut milk. There are also instructions for add-ons like pineapple and/or rum if you’d like to mix it up. Once you get the coconut ice cream recipe down, there are truly so many variations you can make! Hope you enjoy it. I’ve included the story behind the recipe below as well as step-by-step photos. There’s also a button above so you can just skip to the recipe.

CARIBBEAN-INSPIRED COCONUT ICE CREAM RECIPE

While exploring San Juan during our Carnival cruise, we visited a restaurant that’s famous for being the birthplace of the most popular vacation cocktail — the Pina Colada. Having lunch at this legendary restaurant, La Barrachina, and looking out at the Bacardi Rum Factory across the bay during our walk around Old San Juan, I couldn’t help but be inspired to create a recipe to enjoy here at home that reminds me of the flavors of Puerto Rico.

Once I got home, I started experimenting by making a dairy-free coconut ice cream with just coconut milk. Then I added some pineapple, rum, and toasted coconut flakes to make it into a Pina Colada flavored dessert. It’s so creamy and delicious, and the combination definitely tastes like summertime.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR COCONUT ICE CREAM

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make homemade coconut ice cream. I’ve also included some extras below if you want to add it to grilled pineapple, or make it more like a pina colada ice cream.

• 2 (13 ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup organic coconut flakes

EXTRAS YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR COCONUT ICE CREAM

• 1 20 oz can of sliced pineapple rings
• 1 8 oz can of crushed pineapple
• 2 ounces of Puerto Rican rum

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED

There isn’t much needed to make homemade coconut ice cream other than a sauce pan and your stovetop. But to get that rich creamy texture and perfectly rounded scoops, you’ll want to invest in an ice cream maker. They vary in size and price. And they all get the job done. So it just depends on your budget and counter space. Personally, I use the ice cream bowl attachment on my Kitchenaid.

STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS

At first glance, this recipe probably looks like it takes some time to make. Don’t let that deter you. It only takes about 20 minutes to cook on the stove.  The rest of the time is just waiting for the ice cream to harden in the freezer. (Note: Follow your ice cream machine’s instructions for freezing. Some need 24 hours in the freezer to freeze the bowl, others need a box of rock salt to get the correct frozen temperature. Just make sure to prep this ahead of time so it’s ready to turn your ice cream.)

1. Shaking Up The Cans Of Coconut Milk

The reason you want canned coconut milk versus the carton variety is that the canned coconut milk is a lot more creamy because the fat hasn’t been removed. The creamy part, however, does tend to separate from the water. This is why it’s best to shake it up while it’s still in the can. You can have fun with this. I danced around the kitchen a bit like I was shaking maracas.

2. Measure Coconut Milk

Open the cans, and measure out 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and set this aside. Pour the remaining coconut milk into a sauce pan and turn the heat to low.

3. Add The Corn Starch

Add the corn starch to the 1/2 cup of coconut milk and whisk until it’s completely dissolved. Set aside.

4. Next, Add Sugar and Salt

Pour the sugar and salt to the sauce pan of coconut milk and briskly stir until it’s completely dissolved. This should take about two minutes. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut milk that you mixed with the corn starch.

5. Stir Until Thickened

Increase the heat to medium-low and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it’s thickened enough to coat the spoon. This should take about seven to eight minutes. Don’t try to hurry it along by increasing the heat as you don’t want it to burn at the bottom of the pan or come to a boil.

6. Add Vanilla

Once the mixture has thickened up, remove the sauce pan from the heat, set onto a trivet and stir in the vanilla and rum.

7. Let It Cool

Let the mixture cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes), then pour it into a glass bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to keep it air-tight and prevent a skin from forming. Allow the mixture to cool for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

8. Churn In Ice Cream Maker

Once your ice cream base has chilled, it’s ready to churn in your ice cream machine. Pour into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturers instructions for turning. Typically, it takes about 8 to 10 minutes to have it freeze to the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

9. Prep Pineapple And Any Extras

While the ice cream is turning, drain the can of crushed pineapple, and press it in between two paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Add the crushed pineapple to the ice cream turn during its last 2 to 3 minutes of churning.

10. Enjoy As Soft Serve Or Freeze

At this point, it will be the consistency of a soft serve. You can either enjoy it soft or freeze it to get it into a more scoopable form. Using a spatula, transfer the ice cream from your machine to a freezer container. One great tip I learned from The Kitchn is to press a piece of parchment or wax paper against the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming. This works like a charm. After about 4 hours, your ice cream will be hardened and ready to scoop.

11. Toast Coconut Flakes For Garnish

While the ice cream is hardening in the freezer, add the coconut flakes to a dry frying pan to toast.

TIP: The reason you want organic flakes as I listed above, is typically the shredded coconut served in the baking aisle of your local grocer as added oils which make it difficult to toast.

No oil is needed, just add the coconut dry and set the heat to medium. After a minute or two, they’ll start to brown. Stir them with a wooden spoon to have all the pieces toast evenly. Once they’re all a caramel color, pour into a bowl and set aside to let them cool. This will be your topping.

To prepare for serving, open the can of pineapple rings and drain the juice. Add one or two rings to each servicing bowl, add a scoop of Coconut Rum Ice Cream, and top with toasted coconut flakes.

OTHER COCONUT ICE CREAM FLAVOR ALTERNATIVES

• Omit the pineapple and add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of nutmeg to make this into another Puerto Rican flavor — Coquito Ice Cream.
• Leave out the rum to make this non-alcoholic.
• Swap the pineapple and serve with caramelized bananas or maduros (fried sweet plantains).

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE!

• Cherry Ice Cream
• Coquito Tres Leches Cake
• Homemade Nutella Gelato
• Coffee Ice Cream
• Affogato (coffee+ ice cream)
• Tropical Fruits Around The World
• Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Almond Granitas

This post was originally created for Away We Go with Carnival in 2015. Updated 2021.