Friends, this vegan strawberry ice cream is the only ice cream you need this season. Fresh ripe strawberries infused into our classic vegan vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer treat. It’s got everything you want: creaminess, sweetness, vibrant strawberry flavor, strawberry flecks! Plus, just 7 ingredients required. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
Oh strawberries, how we love you. You’re sweet and juicy, loaded with vitamin C, and also give us fiber, folate, potassium, and more (source). Plus, you make some seriously dreamy ice cream!
We used fresh strawberries (versus strawberry flavor or syrup) to maximize both nutrition and flavor.
Making the strawberries into a compote concentrates their flavor and reduces the amount of liquid that can cause the ice cream to be icy versus creamy.
Next, we blend full-fat coconut milk and cashew butter for a rich, creamy base and sweeten it with a combination of maple syrup and cane sugar for best flavor and texture. Vanilla extract adds a subtle vanilla flavor, and because of the chemistry magic of freezing alcohol, it also makes our ice cream extra creamy. And since we won’t settle for anything but the best, we like to enhance the creaminess further with xanthan gum (but if you don’t have it, don’t you worry!).
After blending and chilling, the ice cream is ready for churning in an ice cream maker. We tried no-churn versions but found the ice cream maker was key for preventing an icy texture.
Toward the end of churning, we like to add in some extra chopped strawberries for a pop of color and freshness. And after transferring to a loaf pan, we add swirls of extra strawberry compote for triple the strawberry goodness!
We hope you LOVE this vegan strawberry ice cream! It’s:
Sweet
Creamy
Fresh
Fruity
& Classic!
It’s the perfect treat to make after a trip to the berry patch or to have in your freezer for warm summer evenings.
More Vegan Ice Cream Recipes
Sea Salt Caramel Coconut Ice CreamRaspberry Ripple Coconut Ice CreamVegan Chocolate Ice CreamVegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
Creamy vegan strawberry ice cream that’s perfectly sweet and infused with vibrant strawberry flavor! Just 7 simple ingredients. Print SAVE SAVED
from votes Prep Time 7 hours Cook Time 15 minutes Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes Servings 6 (1/2-cup servings)Course DessertCuisine Gluten-Free, VeganFreezer Friendly 1 monthDoes it keep? Store in freezer.
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Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
STRAWBERRY COMPOTE
2 cups sliced strawberries (as ripe as possible for best flavor)1 Tbsp maple syrup1-2 Tbsp water (or orange juice)1 ½ tsp cornstarch
ICE CREAM
2 (14-ounce) cans full fat coconut milk (ensure it’s a quality brand*)1/4 cup raw cashew butter1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (or sub all organic cane sugar)1/4 cup organic cane sugar (or sub all maple syrup)1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract (or sub fresh vanilla from a vanilla pod, though the alcohol in extract ensures the ice cream doesn’t freeze too firmly)1/2 tsp xanthan gum (for creamier texture // if you don’t have, omit)1 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil (optional // for a bit of added creaminess)2 Tbsp minced fresh ripe strawberries (optional)
Instructions
The day before, place your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer to chill. It needs to chill completely (6 hours or overnight).The day before, make the compote. (Making the day of is fine, too — it just needs a little time to cool). Add all compote ingredients to a small saucepan (sliced strawberries, maple syrup, water or orange juice — starting with lesser amount — and cornstarch) and stir to combine.Heat over medium-low heat and simmer covered, for ~12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the berries are soft and easy to mash and there is a bit of sauce formed. If the strawberries aren’t producing much liquid, add the remaining 1 Tbsp (15 ml) water or orange juice. Mash lightly with a spoon or potato masher and set aside to cool. If making the day before, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.Open your cans of full fat coconut milk and pour mostly just the cream portion into a high-speed blender, reserving the clear liquid for other uses, such as adding to smoothies. This helps achieve extra creamy ice cream.To the blender, also add cashew butter, maple syrup, organic cane sugar, and vanilla, and (optionally) xanthan gum and olive or avocado oil. Blend for 1 minute or until completely creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Then add most of the strawberry compote, reserving ~3 Tbsp of compote (mostly liquid) for swirling later. Blend again until smooth and well combined.Transfer ice cream mixture to the refrigerator to chill for ~30 minutes, or until it’s at least room temperature or cooler (you don’t want to add a warm mixture to the ice cream maker).Add the slightly chilled mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions — ours took ~20-25 minutes. It should look like loose soft serve. Once it reaches soft serve texture, add in your minced raw strawberries (optional) and churn for 1 minute more to disperse (see photo).Once churned, transfer the ice cream to a large freezer-safe container (we prefer a parchment-lined loaf pan — it’s best not to use glass as it can crack as the ice cream expands) and smooth into an even layer with a spoon. Option to add reserved 3 Tbsp compote liquid and swirl with a spoon or knife. Top with parchment paper (or seal with a lid) and freeze for at least 4-6 hours or until firm — usually overnight.Set out for ~10 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Dip your scoop in warm water to help with scooping. Enjoy as is, or top with coconut whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or more fresh sliced strawberries.Store in the freezer well covered/sealed for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Our preferred brand for full fat coconut milk is Whole Foods 365. However, this post may also be helpful for determining more buying options!
*Prep time does not include chilling the ice cream maker bowl in the freezer the day before.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with maple syrup.
Nutrition (1 of 6 servings)
Serving: 1 half-cup serving Calories: 393 Carbohydrates: 30.2 g Protein: 3.9 g Fat: 28.6 g Saturated Fat: 22.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 3.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 40 mg Potassium: 372 mg Fiber: 1.4 g Sugar: 23 g Vitamin A: 6.1 IU Vitamin C: 29.8 mg Calcium: 29.8 mg Iron: 1.6 mg