Almond Milk Ice Cream

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One of my most popular homemade ice cream recipes is this low carb ice cream, but many of you have been asking for dairy-free recipes — and ice cream in particular. Seeing as how I always have a carton of almond milk in my fridge and have made ice cream in all kinds of ways, this was an easy request. Say hello to my homemade almond milk ice cream recipe! It’s the perfect light summer dessert, and free from dairy, sugar, or gluten. Grab your ice cream maker and make it with me!

Why You Need My Almond Milk Ice Cream Recipe

• Sweet and creamy – I’ll be honest, it’s not quite as creamy as regular ice cream, but it’s pretty close! And see my tip below to make it taste even more creamy.
• Dairy-free, gluten-free, and no refined sugar – Let’s be real, the reason you make almond milk ice cream is one of these concerns… or you just want a lighter, healthier dessert. Mine fits the bill! (It’s also keto friendly, with less than 1g net carbs per serving.)
• Just 4 ingredients – Plus a pinch of salt, and any add-ins you want. You know I’m a big fan of simple.
• Familiar process – If you’ve ever made regular ice cream (or my coconut milk ice cream) before, you got this! Aside from the milk swap, making almond milk ice cream actually not much different.
• 4 flavors to choose from – The flavor possibilities are endless, but I specifically tested 4 popular ones for you.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for making ice cream with almond milk, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Almond Milk – The base! I went with store-bought to keep it simple, but you can definitely make your own homemade almond milk. Cashew milk, oat milk, and other non-dairy milks would also work. Use my coconut ice cream recipe if you want to use coconut milk.
• Egg Yolks – These help form the custard and make the ice cream creamy, since almond milk isn’t creamy on its own. I haven’t experimented with egg substitutes for a vegan ice cream, but if you give it a try, let me know how it turns out! And if you’re wondering what to do with those leftover egg whites, they’re perfect for my keto bread or coconut macaroons.
• Sweetener – I use Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend for this dairy-free ice cream recipe, because it dissolves easily and has a zero glycemic index. Regular powdered sugar (not my preference), coconut sugar, or maple syrup would also work if it fits your lifestyle. I don’t recommend any other sugar substitutes (except plain powdered allulose would work, but you’ll need more) — your ice cream will be rock hard with anything else.
• Vanilla Extract – I like this brand, and include it even if I’m making other flavors.
• Sea Salt – This enhances the flavor, balances the sweetness, and makes the texture smoother.
• Mix-Ins – These are totally optional, but check out the variations section below if you want to jazz up your batch beyond just vanilla.

How To Make Almond Milk Ice Cream

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Whisk the yolks, powdered Besti, and salt. Combine them in a medium bowl, then whisk until combined and light yellow in color.
2. Heat the almond milk. In a medium saucepan, heat the almond milk until it just starts to simmer.

3. Temper the yolks. Very slowly, pour hot almond milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
4. Heat gently. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and warm on low, stirring often, until it hits 170 degrees F. ( (I just use my instant-read thermometer to check, but a candy thermometer also works, or see the recipe card below for approximate time if you don’t have one.) Pull it off the heat and whisk in the vanilla really fast — get it frothy!

5. Refrigerate. Transfer the mixture to a container, cover, and chill in the fridge until very cold. If you’re making the cookie dough mix-in below, you can prep it while you wait.
6. Churn. Pour the cold custard into a pre-frozen ice cream maker bowl. Churn until the almond milk ice cream is the texture of soft serve. (It will look less smooth, though — this is normal.)
7. Enjoy! You can serve right away, or for firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer container and freeze until solid.

My Recipe Tips

• Want it extra creamy? Replace 1/2 cup of the almond milk with half and half, heavy cream, or (to keep it dairy-free) coconut cream. It’s actually my favorite way to make it, but I left out these options from my basic almond milk ice cream recipe to keep it both dairy-free and simple.
• When combining the hot almond milk with the egg yolks, pour slowly in a thin stream and whisk fast. This keeps the eggs from scrambling, so it’s important!
• Stir the custard frequently while heating. Again, this is to prevent the eggs from fully cooking. And a good digital thermometer is your best friend to know when to stop.
• Make sure your custard is super cold before churning. For your almond milk ice cream to turn out creamy, it should be no more than 40 degrees F before you churn. I usually let mine sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
• Don’t have an ice cream maker? You can freeze the ice cream without churning, but you’ll need to stir every 30 minutes by hand for the first 4-6 hours. This is to prevent it from getting too icy.

Flavor Variations

Aside from the vanilla base recipe, here are the 3 other flavors I tested with my almond milk ice cream recipe. Pick one to match your cravings:

• Strawberry – Toss in 1/2 cup of chopped strawberries right before churning, and another 1/2 cup in the last 5 minutes. I do it this way because the first part infuses all the ice cream with strawberry flavor, while the second part leaves some little strawberry pieces.
• Chocolate – Mix in 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend Dutch processed like this) during the first step. I like my chocolate almond milk ice cream pretty chocolaty, but you can reduce it to 1/4 cup if you want it less intense.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough – This is actually the first flavor I ever made, and still my fave! My healthy cookie dough is a lot like the dough from my sugar free chocolate chip cookies and I love these chocolate chips for it. This add-in has a bit more to it, so see the recipe card below for instructions. Below is a picture of this flavor from the first time I posted it years ago:

Storage & Serving Tips

Naturally, you’d store this in the freezer! The texture is best within 3 months.

For easier scooping, I set my almond milk ice cream out on the counter for a few minutes and run my ice cream scoop under warm water.

My Tools For This Recipe

• Medium Saucepan – You can use any kind you’ve got, but lately I love this one because of the spout. It makes pouring the mixture much easier.i
• Ice Cream Maker – My fave that I’ve had for years! It’s durable, reliable, and roomy inside.
• Digital Thermometer – Mine isn’t necessarily made for ice cream making, but it’s actually perfect for it. Works super fast!

Recipe Card

4.97 from 30 votes

Almond Milk Ice Cream (4 Flavors)

My almond milk ice cream recipe is sweet, creamy, dairy-free, and has 4 flavor options: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or cookie dough.

Prep: 35 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Chill time: 8 hours

Total: 8 hours 45 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 6 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

[ See substitutions ]

U.S. – Metric

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

Vanilla Almond Milk Ice Cream:

• 4 large Egg yolks ▢
• 1/2 cup Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend ▢
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 2 cups Unsweetened almond milk ▢
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract ▢

Add-Ons For Strawberry:

• 1 cup Fresh strawberries  (diced, divided) ▢

Add-Ons For Chocolate:

• 1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder ▢

Add-Ons For Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

• 1/4 cup Coconut oil (softened; or butter if you are not dairy-free) ▢
• 3 tbsp Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend ▢
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract ▢
• 1/2 cup Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour ▢
• 1/8 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/4 cup Sugar-free dark chocolate chips ▢

Instructions

[ See step photos ]

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, powdered Besti, and sea salt, until combined and light yellow in color. Set aside. If making the chocolate flavor, whisk in the cocoa powder.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat the almond milk until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.

3. Very slowly, pour the hot almond milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. (Do this in a thin stream and whisk vigorously to prevent scrambling the egg.)

4. Once the custard is combined and smooth, transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Return to the stove over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 170 degrees F (76 degrees C), about 3-5 minutes.

5. Remove from heat. Whisk in the vanilla vigorously — it will get frothy. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until very cold (40 degrees F (4 degrees C) or less).

6. If making the cookie dough flavor, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough while you wait. In a medium bowl, beat together the coconut oil and powdered sweetener. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the almond flour and sea salt, until crumbly like cookie dough. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate cookie dough until ready to use.

7. Once the custard is very cold, pour it into a pre-frozen ice cream maker bowl. Churn for about 25 minutes, until the ice cream is the texture of soft serve, though not quite as smooth. (If making the strawberry flavor, add 1/2 cup of strawberries before churning and the remaining 1/2 cup after 15-20 minutes of churning. For the cookie dough flavor, crumble the pieces into the ice cream maker in the last 5 minute sof churning.)

8. Serve right away, or for firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer container and freeze until solid.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Nutrition info is calculated based on vanilla almond milk ice cream, and does not include add-ons for flavors.

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 48

Fat 3.8g

Protein 2.1g

Total Carbs 0.8g

Net Carbs 0.5g

Fiber 0.3g

Sugar 0.1g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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Try More Of My Recipes

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  Mason Jar Ice Cream
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  Coconut Milk Ice Cream
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  Protein Ice Cream
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  Banana Ice Cream

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Gratitude Moment

Last weekend was our first amusement park visit of the summer. I had completely forgotten that we got this year’s season pass last summer until a friend reminded me. So, we all went together.

Here are my girls and me on one of the rides before it started. I love going with them, and will go as long as they let me.

They were begging for ice cream at the park, but we promised them cake at the birthday we were attending afterward instead. I guess I should make some almond milk ice cream for them soon!