Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream - No Churn Ice Cream Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What replaces milk in vegan ice cream? ›

Kaminsky says that you'll get the best results from dairy-free counterparts that are higher in fat such as canned coconut milk. She typically uses almond milk as her base, but other non-dairy milks can work (steer clear of rice milk because it tends to be too watery).

Plant-based fats are the best way to thicken vegan ice cream. Coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil will give the creamiest and thickest results. Cornstarch and tapioca starch can also be used to thicken but the end result will be a little more icy and a little less creamy.

Vegan Ice Cream Challenges

Because of this, ice crystals form which create a grainy or sandy mouthfeel in the finished product. Some solutions include adding proteins, food gums and other hydrocolloids to bind the water during the freezing process.

The secret is nothing more than coconut milk. Full-fat, creamy coconut milk. Other vegan milk substitutes, like almond milk or soy milk, just don't cut it when it comes to ice cream. You need the fattiness and unctuousness that can only be found in a can of coconut milk.

Cashew milk, like coconut, is a good base because of its higher fat content. But almond milk is still the No. 1 vegan milk choice among consumers, which makes it a popular choice for frozen desserts as well.

A common - and better - emulsifier for ice cream is soy lecithin, which can be derived from soybeans, sunflowers and rapeseed. Soy lecithin has a neutral taste, and also allows you to make egg-less ice cream.

Guar, acacia, and xanthan gum can all be added to a recipe while cold. They can be blended into a recipe without needing to heat for them to activate. These ingredients are all similar in that they are thickener but they all have slightly different thickening properties. Guar creates a smooth creamy texture.

Soy milk and olive oil

For a vegan dairy-free alternative to heavy cream, try mixing soy milk with olive oil. Much like the pairing of milk and butter, olive oil adds fat to the soy milk for a flavor and function comparable to heavy cream.

Similarly, too little sugar in ice cream can make it rock hard. Because sugar lowers the freezing point of the water in ice cream, the right amount will keep your ice cream from freezing completely – which is to say, leaves it scoopable instead of turning it into a brick of ice.

Why add gelatin to ice cream? Gelatin powder acts as a stabilizer, to prevent ice crystals from forming, which improves texture and extends the life of the ice cream. The more water in your recipe (e.g. strawberry), the more gelatin needed. But don't exceed a teaspoon in a quart of ice cream.

How to make crystal free ice cream at home? ›

Leave your mixing bowl in the freezer for 24 hours ahead of time. Nearly every homemade ice cream recipe requires a large bowl where you mix your ingredients. Freeze this bowl for 24 hours before making your ice cream so that your ingredients start freezing as soon as you pour them into the bowl.

Besides not needing an ice cream machine to make this, there are other differences between no-churn ice cream and ice cream made in a machine. One difference is that no-churn ice creams are made without eggs. Another difference is the use of sweetened condensed milk in place of granulated sugar.

Don't worry too much if you don't have whole milk or heavy cream. Nearly any milk will work, and you can substitute half-and-half for the cream. Ideally you want ingredients with a high fat content because these will create a creamy texture when cooled.

Most vegan ice creams are made with coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk. All of those bases come from plants, and none include anything that comes from an animal. If, however, an ice cream is made with coconut milk but contains egg, it is dairy-free but not vegan, since it has egg.

Soy Milk. Soy milk is the OG of non-dairy milk and is made by soaking soybeans (which have been hulled and ground) in water. Soybeans contain essential amino acids, high levels of protein, and iron, and soy milk has lower fat and cholesterol levels than cow's milk. Soy milk has a subtly sweet, creamy, and mild flavor.

For starters, vegan ice cream is made with different ingredients than regular ice cream. Vegan ice cream makers use soy milk, sugar, and corn syrup as a substitute for regular milk. Regular ice cream, on the other hand, uses cow's milk and eggs as main ingredients for its creamy texture.