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

FAQs

What is the best thickener for vegan ice cream? ›

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.

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).

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.

Cornstarch: Often used in non-custard ice creams, cornstarch mixed with milk helps thicken the base and create a smooth mouthfeel. Gelatin: Adding a small amount of gelatin to the ice cream mixture improves texture by reducing ice crystal formation and creating a smoother consistency.

Blends of vegetable oils (60% to 80% coconut oil or palm kernel oil with 20% to 40% of a liquid oil such as sunflower oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, or olive oil) are often used in vegan ice cream production to obtain the optimum amount of solid fat.

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.

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.

This is usually due to either not freezing fast enough, or too much water forming large ice crystals. When making ice cream, you want to use whole milk and cream, rather than 2% or skim milk, because it has more fat contributing to smaller ice crystals and a better/creamier texture.

Serve and enjoy your delicious homemade vanilla bean ice cream! You can certainly experiment with different types of milk, such as heavy cream, half-and-half, or a combination of milk and cream, but in my experience, whole milk produces the best results.

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.

What ingredient prevents ice crystals in ice cream? ›

Yes, actually, there are two magic ingredients: Guar gum and Xanthan gum. Guar gum is a thickener, but in small quantities can also prevent the growth of ice crystals which would cause the ice cream to harden into icicles. Xanthan gum is a stabilizer which helps keep air (called overrun) in the mixture.

The addition of this enhances the texture of ice cream by preventing the formation of large ice crystals. Xanthan gum produces ice cream that is high in fat without requiring heavy cream. Xanthan gum works as a thickening agent in the liquid base of ice cream and stabilizes the emulsion of fat particles in the water.

To thicken vegan ice cream, use a combination of high-fat plant-based milk and natural thickening agents such as arrowroot powder, cornstarch, or xanthan gum. Additionally, incorporating soaked and blended cashews can add extra thickness to the mixture.

As you churn ice cream, individual water molecules turn into ice-crystal seeds — which is what makes cream freeze. The higher the fat content, the more time you have to churn before these ice crystals congregate, resulting in creamier final texture.

Freeze your freezer bowl.

This is the MOST IMPORTANT step. Your bowl must be 100% frozen solid. Give it a shake and if you hear any slushing of the liquid inside the walls of the bowl, it's not ready to use yet. If your bowl isn't totally frozen, your ice cream won't thicken and churn but remain soupy instead.

Usually 2 parts cold water is mixed with 1 part cornstarch until an opaque mixture is formed. For example, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cool water to thicken about 2 cups of hot liquid. More slurry can be added for a thicker sauce. Never add dry cornstarch directly to a sauce that needs thickening.

Mix some cornflour (cornstarch in the US) in a bit of cold cream (or milk) and then gently heat until thickened, much the same as you would to thicken a gravy or sauce. Then stir the thickened mixture into the cream.

Milky powders can also help thicken.

Adding 1/4 cup dairy-free milk powder or powdered cashews to this recipe will help thicken it further, but it won't be as fluffy and will slightly influence the consistency and taste. Soymilk powder works best, but coconut milk powder makes this a true coconut-flavored whip.

Guar Gum. Made from guar beans, guar gum works as a stabilizer, emulsifier, and thickener and may be used in the production of soft-serve ice cream.