Coconut Ice Cream with Coconut Milk
Coconut ice cream is one of my favorite flavors of all time because it’s such a nice clean, neutral flavor for me. Made with only 6 ingredients, this ice cream recipe is also very simple to make! In this blog post, read all about how to make this ice cream flavor and how to get the creamiest texture!
I love coconut ice cream. That’s just a fact. Every time I order ice cream at an ice cream parlor, and I have an option of 2 flavors, I usually order something that is out there in flavor and then coconut because it’s a great neutral flavor. It has more flavor than vanilla but less than intense flavors like Vietnamese coffee ice cream or matcha green tea ice cream. I think there’s beauty in its simplicity which is why I tried to keep this recipe real simple.
How I developed my coconut ice cream recipe
This homemade ice cream with coconut milk uses my ice cream base that has been tested many times but substitutes the whole milk for coconut milk. The one major change I made was reducing the amount of egg yolks used. Typically, I use 5 egg yolks for an extra creamy texture, but the egg yolks also turn the base slightly yellow. Coconut ice cream is typically white, so I reduced the amount to keep that white color. Reducing the egg yolks doesn’t affect the texture of the ice cream because coconut milk has a higher fat content compared to whole milk.
Key Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments
- Coconut milk – I use full fat coconut milk for this recipe. It’s important to use full fat coconut milk because it makes the ice cream creamier than low fat coconut milk. I also wanted to note that I used Thai coconut milk for this recipe which has a thicker consistency and higher fat content than some Western coconut milk brands. For example, I’ve used the coconut milk from Trader Joe’s and found it way too watery for this ice cream.
- Egg yolks – Egg yolks add richness and creaminess to the ice cream. As mentioned, I switched to 4 egg yolks because I wanted the color of the coconut ice cream whiter. If you wish to have an even creamier texture, you can add one more egg yolk to the ice cream base.
- Vanilla extract – Substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean.
How to make coconut ice cream at home
Tips on how to make the perfect coconut ice cream
I have made lots of homemade ice cream recipes, so I wanted to share the keys to my success!
Temper your eggs
Just like in creme brûlées, it is important to temper your eggs for the cream. Add 1/4 cup of hot cream to your egg and sugar mixture. Whisk until everything is well combined and no white streaks remain. Now, it is safe to add your egg mixture to the hot cream.
Make sure your ice cream is cold before churning
You will get better results if your cream is cold. Put your finished cream into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours to cool it down before adding it to the ice cream machine. This might seem like a lot, but the colder your ice cream base is, the creamier your ice cream will be.
Be careful not to over churn
The maximum amount of time you should churn your ice cream is 20 minutes. The more you churn your ice cream, the harder it becomes. A done ice cream will have the consistency of something slightly harder than soft serve.
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Get the Recipe:
Coconut Ice Cream with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup coconut milk, full fat
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat 1 ¼ cup of coconut milk and 1 ¼ cup of heavy cream in a sauce pan until hot. Turn off the heat.
- Combine 3 egg yolks and ½ cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Whisk until a light yellow color.
- Add 1/4 cup of the hot cream from the sauce pan to the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs. This means we are raising the temperature of the eggs, so they don't cook when we add them to the cream. Mix until eggs and cream are thoroughly mixed.
- Pour the egg mixture into the sauce pan. Add ½ tsp of vanilla extract and ¼ tsp of salt and mix. Turn the heat back on and heat until 170 degrees F. Stir periodically to ensure even cooking.
- Pour ice cream base through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. This will get rid of any egg or milk solids in the cream.
- Let the mixture cool for an hour before putting it in the fridge to cool completely (~6-8 hours) or overnight.
- Pour the cream into an ice cream maker and churn for 10-15 minutes.
- The resulting ice cream after 10-15 minutes should be slightly harder than soft serve.
- Spoon the ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight.
Wow! Look so attempting and yummy 😋 👍
This is my favorite 😍 and the recipe is finally here. As always, Thank you ❤️
(Review provided by family member of Cooking Therapy.)
Thank you!