Last updated on April 26, 2023
To make delicious ice cream at home, you don't necessarily need milk, whipped cream and eggs. We are Italians and in addition to our popular gelato recipes we also offer a variety of vegan flavors with the ice cream machine
To get a soft and smooth ice cream, the recipe you use must contain the right ratio of sugars, fats and proteins.
Sugar is also found in vegan ice cream and is important to achieve a creamy texture. But what about fats and proteins?
In traditional Italian ice cream, these are mainly provided by milk, cream and eggs.
But the fats and proteins in ice cream do not necessarily have to be of animal origin: and then we can use a wide variety of ingredients to recreate traditional flavors, or to create new ones.
On this page of All Italian we make a brief overview of the ingredients we use to make vegan ice cream, and then we share the recipe for a white and creamy gelato based on coconut milk and soy drink, which you can easily prepare with the ice cream maker .
Vegan ice cream is made without fats and proteins of animal origin.
Fats and proteins are instead provided by fruits, such as coconut and avocado; from dried fruit, such as pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts; from vegetable oils, preferably rich in unsaturated fats; and from soy, which contains the proteins needed to make ice cream less frozen.
Yes, especially with our recipes.
If you use ingredients like coconut milk and avocado, their flavor will naturally be reflected in the ice cream.
But it is also possible to make a vegan ice cream with soy with a completely neutral taste: we do this in our vegan recipe book and call it Vegan Fiordilatte, because anyone who tastes it will not really notice the difference. And we use this flavor as a basis for many other ice cream flavors, just as deliciously creamy as the version with cow's milk.
In vegan ice cream we use ingredients that replace the properties of milk, cream and eggs.
Depending on the recipe and the taste we want to achieve, we use soy drink, oat drink or almond drink as a basis.
Of these three, we use the soy drink most often, and for a reason: it contains an amount of protein comparable to that of cow's milk, and we can make creamy gelato from it.
In vegan ice cream, the most commonly used ingredient is coconut milk, due to its high fat content.
But then the ice creams all taste like coconut. To make a completely neutral ice cream taste, we use vegetable oils in our recipe book instead.
Even dried fruits such as pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds and peanuts are rich in both fats and proteins and make an excellent base ingredient for vegan ice cream.
In some recipes we combine dried fruit with avocado, which is also rich in fat.
There is a type of gelato that is always vegan because it is made with only fruit, water and sugar and without any milk, not even soy.
On our sorbet ice cream page you will find many recipe examples: perfect if you are looking for a summer dessert that retains all the flavor of the fruit.
Let's make a vegan white ice cream with the ingredients we mentioned above. We have formulated the recipe so that it has the same characteristics as traditional ice cream. Fats are in coconut milk, while proteins are in soy.
The ice cream we get isn't even very high in calories: it contains 168 calories / 100 g, compared to 197 calories for Fiordilatte gelato made with cow's milk. 👉 Also check out the published recipe for coconut sorbet, which is similar but with water instead of soy milk. Prepared this way, the flavor of coconut is accentuated. For each ingredient we indicate both the volume in cups and the weight in ounces and grams. 👉 To be accurate we prefer to weigh all the ingredients: both solids and liquids before pouring them into the ice cream mixture.
In supermarkets you will find two types of coconut milk: canned and carton. Both are good: but ensure a fat percentage of around 17%, which is needed for homemade ice cream. Sometimes canned coconut milk has a lower fat percentage, around 8%: not enough to create the soft and creamy texture of the gelato. Because we add sugar as part of the recipe, we recommend using unsweetened soy milk. For this recipe we use one of the most popular models of compressor ice cream maker; the steps of the procedure are the same for practically all the ice cream machines on the market. If you're using a compressor ice cream maker, turn it on before mixing the ingredients. This gives the ice machine time to cool down. Usually an ice cream maker takes about 10 minutes to reach the right temperature to make ice cream. Not all ice cream makers show the temperature, which should be at least -7.6 °F (-22 °C) when you pour the ice cream. It is important to pour the ice cream into the already cold ice cream maker. Pour the ingredients into a bowl, first the liquids and then the powders. Mix well with a staafmixer, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Sometimes they ask us if sugar dissolves in cold milk: of course yes, we just need to stir a little longer. A layer of foam forms on the surface: mix briefly with a wooden spoon to smooth it out. Then pour the cold mixture into the ice cream maker. You must ensure that: The ice machine is cold, at least -7.6 °F (-22 °C); the mixing paddle is already rotating. From here on, the procedure is the same as for all other ice creams. Use the opening on the lid of the ice cream maker to pour the mixture. This way you pour the ice cream without opening the ice cream maker and while the paddle is rotating. You can view the status of your gelato through the transparent lid of the ice cream maker. If the dosage of the ingredients is correct, after 15 minutes you will see the mixture increase in volume. This is because it begins to accumulate air, going from a liquid state to a soft ice. Usually the ice cream is ready in 30 minutes or less. It also depends on the amount of ingredients. With a little experience, you'll understand when to turn off the icemaker; often the whisk stops by itself when the ice cream is ready. Your Italian vegan gelato is ready. Buon appetito! 🍨 In the restaurant in Italy, when you finish eating, the waiter will ask: 🔊 andava tutto bene? (was everything fine?)
Vegan gelato with coconut milk and soja 🍨
4.8
(18) reviews
We balance the ingredients so that the ice cream is creamy, without a too strong coconut flavor.
Ingredients
Ingredient image
Ingredient name
Cups
Grams
Ounces
Coconut milk
1.5 cup
12.35 oz
350 g
Soy milk
1.05 cup
9.52 oz
270 g
Sugar
0.45 cup
3.18 oz
90 g
⚖️ How do I measure the ingredients?
For this you need a kitchen scale, preferably a digital one, which usually expresses the weight in ounces (oz) and/or grams (g).
Coconut milk
Soy milk
Instructions
Turn on the ice cream maker
Mix the ingredients
Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker
Stir for 30-40 minutes
Did you like it? Rate this recipe
For those who don't have to bother a cow
to enjoy a delicious ice cream
Homemade Italian ice cream is tasty, but many people ask us how to make it without milk, whipping cream or eggs. It is certainly possible and it is just as delicious!
We have collected our 35 most original recipes in a vegan ice cream recipe book, available in e-book or paperback format.
The Italian words of this page:
| 🔊 Gelato Italiano | Italian ice cream |
| 🔊 Gelato vegano | Vegan ice cream |
| 🔊 Gelatiera | Ice cream maker |