Creamy Chocolate Coconut-Milk Ice Cream

Dairy-free ice cream that actually tastes like ice cream and not like a compromise? This is the one.

Full-fat coconut milk gets simmered with sugar and cornstarch until thick, then whisked into a cocoa paste that’s dark, glossy, and intensely chocolatey. The cornstarch does double duty here: it thickens the base and keeps the finished ice cream scoopable instead of rock-hard.

Churn it in your ice cream maker and freeze until firm. The coconut milk fat creates a richness that rivals any heavy-cream-based recipe, and you’d never guess there’s not a drop of dairy in it.

Kitchen Tips

• Whisk the cocoa into a smooth paste first with some of the coconut milk before combining everything. This prevents cocoa clumps in the finished ice cream.
• Use full-fat coconut milk, not light. The fat is what makes this creamy and scoopable. Light coconut milk will give you an icy, thin result.
• Chill the base overnight if you can. A fully cold base churns faster and freezes smoother.
• Scrape the sides of the pan while simmering to prevent the cornstarch from scorching in the corners.