I love ice cream, but sometimes dairy and I are not on speaking terms. So I worked out a vanilla base that still tastes like ice cream, not like frozen coconut.
This Ninja Creami dairy free vanilla ice cream is made with full-fat coconut milk, oat milk, agave or allulose, and vanilla bean paste. There are no gums or pudding mix. The coconut milk gives it richness, and the oat milk keeps the coconut flavor in the background so the vanilla comes through.
For more like this, see all my dairy-free ice cream recipes, or try my ube coconut ice cream. If you can have dairy, my vanilla recipes page has a version for other diets.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
- What Does It Taste Like
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitution and Additions
- How to Make Ninja Creami Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
- Mix-Ins and Toppings
- Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Serving Size and Pint Size
- Tools You’ll Need
- Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting
- Recipe FAQs
- Vanilla-Inspired Ice Cream Flavors
- More Dairy-Free Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- Ninja Creami Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
Why You'll Love This Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
- Four ingredients: Coconut milk, oat milk, agave or allulose, and vanilla bean paste.
- Tastes like vanilla, not coconut: The oat milk keeps the coconut in the background, so the vanilla is what comes through.
- Rich without dairy: Full-fat coconut milk supplies the fat cream normally would, which keeps the pint from spinning up icy.
- No pudding mix or gums: The texture comes from the coconut milk, not stabilizers.
- Vegan and gluten-free: Every ingredient is plant-based. For gluten-free, check that your oat milk is labeled gluten-free, since some brands aren't.
- Cheaper than store-bought: Store-bought dairy-free pints often cost $6 to $8. This makes more for a fraction of that.
What Does It Taste Like
It tastes like vanilla ice cream with a faint coconut note in the background. The full-fat coconut milk makes it rich, and the oat milk keeps the coconut from taking over, so the vanilla bean is what you taste first.
After spinning on Lite Ice Cream, it's smooth and scoopable. Coconut fat freezes very firm, so this pint usually needs a respin, but once it's respun, most people wouldn't guess it's dairy-free.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Full-fat coconut milk: Use canned, not the carton kind. It supplies the fat that cream would in regular ice cream, which keeps the pint from spinning up icy. Canned coconut milk often separates in the can, so shake it well or stir it smooth before measuring.
- Oat milk: It thins the coconut milk to the right consistency and keeps the coconut flavor in the background, so the vanilla comes through. For gluten-free, choose one labeled gluten-free.
- Agave syrup or allulose: Either one sweetens the base. Agave is a liquid sugar, so it also helps the pint stay soft. Allulose keeps it sugar-free and still freezes softer than most sugar substitutes.
- Vanilla bean paste: Vanilla is the main flavor here, and the paste gives you the black specks and a deeper flavor that stands up to the coconut.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitution and Additions
- Almond or cashew milk instead of oat milk: Cashew milk is creamier and closest to oat milk. Almond milk is thinner and adds a slight nutty flavor, so the pint may need an extra respin.
- Maple syrup instead of agave: It keeps the recipe vegan and adds a light maple flavor. Honey also works but isn't vegan.
- Vanilla extract instead of paste: It works, but you'll lose the black specks and some of the vanilla depth against the coconut.
- Toasted coconut flakes: Add them with the Mix-In setting after spinning for more coconut flavor and crunch. For a full coconut and chocolate version, see my dairy-free Almond Joy ice cream.
- Almond butter: Swirl it in after spinning for ribbons of flavor, or blend a spoonful into the base for an almond vanilla pint.
- Cinnamon: Blend a pinch into the base before freezing so it spreads evenly.
How to Make Ninja Creami Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
- Blend the base. Stir or shake the coconut milk until smooth, then add it to a blender with the oat milk, agave or allulose, and vanilla bean paste. Blend until completely smooth.
- Freeze the pint. Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint, keeping it below the max fill line. Freeze on a level surface for 24 hours, until solid.
- Spin on Lite Ice Cream. Place the frozen pint in the machine and use the Lite Ice Cream setting. Coconut fat freezes very firm, so the first spin often comes out crumbly.
- Respin. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oat milk and respin until smooth.
- Serve or add mix-ins. Scoop and serve it plain, or use the Mix-In setting to add any of the ideas below.
Mix-Ins and Toppings
- Crushed Oreos: Regular Oreos are dairy-free. Add them with the Mix-In setting after spinning so they stay in chunks. For the full version, see my vegan Oreo ice cream.
- Dairy-free chocolate chips: Chopped small, so they spread through the pint instead of sinking. Check the label, since many semi-sweet chips contain milk.
- Fresh berries or mango: Add them on top when you serve. Fresh fruit can freeze into icy chunks inside the pint.
- Chopped nuts: Almonds, walnuts, or pecans. Toast them first for more flavor.
- Granola: Add it right before serving so it stays crunchy. For gluten-free, choose one labeled gluten-free.
- Dairy-free chocolate sauce or maple syrup: Drizzle on top or swirl in at the end. Most caramel sauces contain butter and cream, so look for one labeled dairy-free if you want caramel.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Storing leftovers: Keep the ice cream in the pint with its storage lid. Smooth the top flat with a spoon before refreezing so it doesn't freeze into a dome, which makes the next spin uneven.
- Serving stored ice cream: Coconut fat freezes very firm, so leftovers come out hard. Respin with a splash of oat milk for the smoothest texture, or let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes before scooping.
- How long it keeps: Best within 2 to 3 weeks. After that, ice crystals start to form.
Serving Size and Pint Size
This recipe fills one Ninja Creami Deluxe pint (24 ounces) and makes 4 servings.
If you have a model with a 16-ounce pint, use two-thirds of each ingredient, which makes about 3 servings. The steps and settings stay the same. Either way, keep the base below the max fill line on the pint, because an overfilled pint won't spin properly.
Tools You’ll Need
- Blender: Canned coconut milk separates into a thick cream layer and thin liquid, so blending brings it back together with the oat milk into one smooth base. A high-powered blender gets there fastest.
- Ninja CREAMi Deluxe: This recipe is sized for the Deluxe's 24-ounce pint. Other models work too, using the two-thirds conversion above.
- Extra pint containers: Worth having if you want a few pints in the freezer ready to spin.
Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting
- Crumbly after spinning? Coconut fat freezes very firm, so the first spin often comes out crumbly. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oat milk and respin.
- Icy texture? This usually means the coconut milk was the carton kind or light coconut milk. Use canned, full-fat coconut milk, since the fat is what keeps the pint creamy.
- Grainy or waxy bits? The coconut cream separated in the can and didn't fully blend in. Stir or shake the coconut milk smooth before measuring, then blend the base until completely smooth.
- Pint rock solid? If the frozen pint is very hard, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before spinning.
- Taste before freezing: Cold dulls sweetness, so the base should taste slightly sweeter than you want the finished ice cream to be.
- For problems beyond this recipe, see my Ninja Creami troubleshooting guide.
Recipe FAQs
Full-fat canned coconut milk gives the creamiest texture, because it has the most fat. Oat milk has the most neutral flavor, so it balances the coconut. Almond milk works but is thinner, so on its own it spins up icier.
Not easily. The coconut milk supplies almost all the fat in this recipe, and without it the pint turns icy. If you can't have coconut, look for a recipe built around a different fat source rather than swapping it out here.
Both work. Agave is a liquid sugar, so it keeps the pint a little softer. Allulose keeps it sugar-free and still freezes softer than most sugar substitutes. Maple syrup works too if you'd rather use that.
It's vegan as written, since every ingredient is plant-based. If you substitute honey, it's no longer vegan. It's gluten-free as long as your oat milk is labeled gluten-free, since some oat milks aren't.
Vanilla-Inspired Ice Cream Flavors
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
More Dairy-Free Recipes
Did you try this recipe?
Share how it turned out in the comments below, and if you loved it, share it on Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram.
Thank you! - Rose
Ninja Creami Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Ninja Creami Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream
- 24 ounces Ninja Creami Container Pint
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup oat milk
- ¼ cup agave syrup or allulose
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Combine coconut milk, oat milk, agave, and vanilla bean paste.1 cup full-fat coconut milk, 1 cup oat milk, ¼ cup agave syrup or allulose, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- Pour & freeze: Pour the mixture into a Ninja CREAMi pint container. Freeze for 24 hours.
- Spin it: Place the frozen pint in your Ninja CREAMi machine. Use the Lite Ice Cream setting.
- Check texture: If crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoons oat milk and re-spin.
- Enjoy! Scoop into bowls or cones and add your favorite toppings!
Notes
- If crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoons of oat milk and re-spin.
- Blend well before freezing to avoid grainy texture.
- Use full-fat coconut milk for extra creaminess.
- Let sit for 5 minutes before re-spinning if too hard.
- Don’t overfill the pint container to avoid overflow.
Karla says
Great recipe. My recipe weighed 25 ounces. I froze it as 1 pint and 1 half pint.
Rose Sioson says
Thanks so much! Great idea splitting it into a pint and half pint. I’ve updated the measurements—really appreciate the feedback!
Rose says
You’d never guess it’s dairy-free—it’s so creamy and has the perfect vanilla flavor. A great option for anyone avoiding dairy! I hope you all enjoy it just as much. Let me know if you try it!