The Churning Bush

Coconut milk as a base for a vegan ice cream is hardly an original idea, but in the list of things classified as milks* coconut is a bit of a weird one. This is chiefly because the range of fat levels in something you can buy that is labelled as ‘coconut milk’ is frankly absurd – I’ve seen a carton of something labelled coconut milk have a fat percentage as low as 1.5%, which is on the low side for a dairy milk, but I’ve also seen it come canned with 25% fat – well into the range of dairy-based creams! Fundamentally these, and anything labelled as coconut cream, are just the same basic substance with different levels of coconut pulp but when it comes to making ice cream this difference is pretty significant.

So when I say coconut milk here what I’m talking about is the thicker stuff typically sold in a can for use in south-east Asian cuisines – something you might use as the base for a Thai curry. The actual fat level is fairly flexible, but you’re going to want at least 15%. Higher fat levels will make a thicker, creamier ice cream, but for the batches I made with this recipe I used an 18% fat coconut milk from the local grocer.

The other thing to note is how well emulsified the coconut milk you bought is. I’ve used coconut milk before for ice creams that when I opened the can had clearly separated out entirely and while the ice cream was passable, it wasn’t exceptional. For this recipe I found some cans where it was just one homogenous mixture, and the resulting ice cream was incredibly smooth. I also just used all 400 grams from both of the cans of coconut milk I bought, even though that’s technically somewhat above the quantity listed, just because I didn’t want to bother with having 70 grams left over, so feel free to do the same depending on what sized cans you have available. It also helps to give the cans a good shake first, make sure no fat that isn’t homogenised is clinging to the sides of the can.

When I was designing this recipe I originally just made a batch that was a mixture of oat milk and coconut milk, and while it was pretty good it was mostly just chocolate-flavoured. Coconut milk is really quite strongly flavoured, and in a lot of cases I find it can clash with the flavouring of whatever else I mix with it, but choc-coconut is a classic combination and I really wanted to lean into it here. By using coconut milk for the majority of the fat and amping it up with toasted desiccated coconut you really get a great sense of both flavours, and I love the textural contrast between the super-smooth ice cream and the slight crunch from the coconut.

Speaking of the desiccated coconut, I’ve made batches of this with the coconut very well mixed through and lightly folded and liked both for different reasons. When thoroughly incorporated it’s a constant slight crunch which I find pleasant, but it’s also nice when you only lightly fold it and you have streaks of coconut – really amps up that contrast I mentioned. Also make sure you toast your coconut well in advance of incorporating it into the ice cream, you don’t want to melt your just-churned custard with hot coconut! Though, this might be nice if you were to do it with ice cream that’s been in the freezer for a day or so already and is thoroughly frozen… Hm, I should try that.

*I am absolutely militant about it being perfectly fine to call things that don’t come from animals “milk”, to the point where I think any politician who supports a ban on labeling nut milks as milk should be kicked out of office, and possibly face corruption charges. Hardly a shocking perspective for someone who runs a vegan ice cream recipe blog, but it’s not just because of that; people have been referring to nut milks in English for centuries! Mandating the use of “milk” just for animal milk is worse than a corrupt overreach of power, it’s prescriptivist.

Vegan Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Ingredients

100 grams	Desiccated coconut
730 grams	Coconut milk*
Powders
150 grams	Sucrose (White sugar)
50 grams	Dextrose (D-glucose)
35 grams	Cocoa powder
5 grams	Stabiliser, such as xanthan gum
Fats
35 grams	Vegan dark chocolate

* Look for canned coconut milk with a minimum of 15% fat. Feel free to round the quantity up or down a bit if the cans you have available don’t nicely divide into 730g, a 10% margin of error is fine!

Directions

1. Toast the desiccated coconut over a low heat in a pan, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. This can burn very quickly so keep it moving and keep a close eye on it! When it’s browned take it off the heat and leave it to cool.
2. Combine all the powders in a bowl and whisk together until they are evenly distributed. Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a bit before combining it’s contents with the chocolate in a pot and heating it over a low heat. While the coconut milk and chocolate heats, slowly incorporate the powders, whisking constantly.
3. When the mixture hits about 80°C (175°F), remove from the heat, leave to cool for a few minutes then stick blend for about a minute.
4. Place the mixture in the fridge once cool enough and leave it there until cooled to 4°C (40°F) or overnight. Sometimes I like to move it to the freezer for the last half hour to get it as cool as possible and help with the churning process, but don’t leave it long enough in the freezer that it starts to solidify.
5. Pour the ice cream base into your churner and leave it running until fully churned.  Being ‘fully churned’ is hard to judge without experience, but your ice cream should have increased somewhat in volume and look a bit denser than soft-serve. The time needed will vary dramatically depending on your churner. When it’s done, scoop it into whatever storage container you’re using and fold through the toasted coconut – distribute it as evenly as you like.
6. You can serve your ice cream as soft serve now if you like, or you can put it in the freezer to harden to your desired level. If it’s been in the freezer for more than 12 hours or so, you might need to give the ice cream a bit of time to soften at room temperature before you serve it.