Easy Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream is a delicious, homemade, soft, frozen dessert recipe that’s simple to make—one bowl, with only 4 ingredients! Made without an ice cream maker, just whip, mix, and freeze!
This is an easy recipe for vanilla ice cream!
This delicious, soft, frozen dessert is completely no-cook and no-churn. All you do is whip the cream, mix in the rest, and freeze.
And it’s made without coconut cream or coconut milk, so you taste only the vanilla without any secondary flavors.
A fantastic non-dairy summer dessert or creamy treat any time of year!
It’s the perfect treat after a summer backyard BBQ, goes wonderfully with cake, and is terrific for parties.
Plus, it’s an amazing dairy-free treat any time you deserve one!
Prefer dairy? Switch out the whipped cream and use a dairy version instead!
Want to try other dairy-free flavors of ice cream?
Baking and Dessert Pantry Essentials
Over the years, I bought equipment as needed. So, now I have whatever I need for a large variety of baked goods and desserts.
These include:
- a stand mixer, which I use mostly for dough and sometimes for whipping
- a hand mixer (for things that aren’t dough, and I don’t want to mix manually)
- a kitchen scale
- baking pans, including loaf pans
- mixing bowls (or just large bowls)
- cookie sheets
- pie dishes
- dry measuring cups
- liquid measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisks
- rubber spatulas
- rolling pins
- a baking mat for rolling out dough
- baking strips
- a good supply of baking (or parchment) paper (also round for layer cakes)
Ingredients are even more important and my pantry always contains these:
- flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar (light/dark—I usually keep dark)
- confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- salt
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cocoa powder
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground ginger
- ground cloves
- baking chocolate
- chocolate chips
- instant dry yeast
- vanilla and/or vanilla sugar
- cooking oil/cooking spray
- margarine or butter
- eggs
- honey
- instant coffee
- various extracts (real or imitation)
These are good to have in order to make a variety of fillings, frostings, and toppings:
- whipping cream
- powdered pudding mix
- powdered sugar
- a good chocolate spread
Then, there is the following to make last-minute quick desserts:
- packaged pie dough or ready-made pie crusts
- puff pastry dough
Lastly, it’s not a bad idea to keep fun toppings, such as chopped walnuts, raisins, and the oh-so-important container of sprinkles.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Easy Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream
1. Why do I need to whip the cream first?
Whipping the cream first is the key to the texture. Since this is a “no-churn” recipe, whipping the cream incorporates the air needed to create a light, scoopable consistency. If you skip this step or add the liquid ingredients before the cream is whipped, the final result will be dense and icy. Make sure that your dairy-free cream is not old or it will completely ruin the taste of your ice cream.
2. What is the process for combining the ingredients?
After whipping the dairy-free cream until stiff, simply add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract into the bowl. Fold or mix everything together until the mixture is uniform and smooth. Once combined, transfer it directly to a container and freeze.
3. How long does this need to freeze before serving?
For the best texture, freeze the mixture for at least 6–8 hours, or overnight. This allows the mixture to firm up and reach a perfect, scoopable consistency without the need for an ice cream machine.
5. How do I prevent ice crystals from forming?
Since you aren’t churning the ice cream, ensure your container is airtight. For extra protection, you can press a piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream before putting the lid on; this helps prevent surface ice crystals from forming during the freezing process.
6. Is this dessert suitable for long-term storage?
Because this recipe uses fresh eggs, it is best enjoyed within one week. If you notice any changes in texture or flavor after that time, it is best to prepare a fresh batch.
7. Can I add mix-ins like chocolate chips or fruit?
Yes, this base is very versatile. If you want to add mix-ins, wait until the mixture is partially frozen (about 3-4 hours in) and stir them in. This prevents heavy add-ins from sinking to the bottom of the container while the base is still liquid.
A little about ice cream
Ice cream is made by an involved process using milk, milk protein, sugar, ice, water, and air, which turns the mixture into foam as frozen air cells.
Nowadays, we have freezers in which to store our ice cream (and frozen desserts), but before refrigeration, making ice cream took quite a bit of effort and was only served for special events or on special occasions.
Before refrigeration, ice had to be cut from frozen lakes and ponds in the winter. The ice was then stored for later use (even in the summer) in ice houses or even in holes dug in the ground.
The pot-freezer method of preparing ice cream was by making it in a large bowl, which was placed in a tub filled with crushed ice and salt to reduce the temperature of the ingredients to below the freezing point of water.
French confectioners used a method similar to the pot-freezer method but used a covered pail with a handle attached to the lid (called a sorbetiere).
The hand-cranked churn replaced the pot-freezer method and also used ice and salt for cooling. This method was quicker than the pot-freezer method and produced a smoother ice cream.
Ice cream was initially sold by small businesses until a milkman, Jacob Fussell, began making small batches of it from leftover milk and cream. Fussell opened the first ice cream factory in 1851 in Pennsylvania and moved his successful business to Baltimore in 1854.
Fussell, known today as the Father of the Ice Cream Industry, opened more factories in other cities and taught the business to others who opened their own factories. The mass production of ice cream made it more affordable and more accessible to everyone and was no longer a dessert just for the rich.
Popularity increased even more with the invention of the household freezer in the 1920s, when it became much easier to store the frozen dessert.
Ice cream is a beloved dessert, and some people will go to some extreme lengths to get their hands on the treat. For example, during World War II, American fighter pilots in the South Pacific found an ingenious way of making ice cream.
They attached 5-gallon cans to their aircraft. The cans were fitted with small propellers spun by the slipstream, which drove a stirrer, which agitated the mixture, which froze in the high altitude of the planes as they flew. B-17 crews and others found similar methods of making ice cream during the war.
Check out the history of ice cream!
Today, getting ice cream is simple and inexpensive, and the flavors are numerous. Many households have their own ice cream machines for at-home preparation.
What is needed to make this dairy-free vanilla ice cream recipe?
I hardly ever meal plan, so I like to keep a cupboard full of seasonings, spices, veggies, and canned goods in my kitchen to use whenever the mood strikes.
But these are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last minute!
dairy-free whipping cream
eggs
white granulated sugar
vanilla extract (a good imitation is fine)
Easy Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe, No-Cook, No-Churn
Homemade, no-cook, no-churn soft vanilla ice cream made without coconut cream! Dairy-free and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce container of dairy-free whipping cream
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (a good imitation is fine) or to taste
Instructions
- Whip whipping cream until stiff.
- Add eggs, sugar, and vanilla into the whipped cream.
- Whip together well.
- Freeze for 8 hours or until stiff *
Notes
* This is a soft ice cream so it won't get hard and the freezing time depends on your freezer.
Bonus: No coconut cream or coconut milk, so you won't get that coconutty flavor in the backgound!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 363Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 207mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 27gProtein: 6g