Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream (no-churn)
This rich and creamy vegan strawberry ice cream is packed with 8 cups of fresh strawberries and lots of fresh strawberry flavor! You don’t need any bananas, cashews or coconut cream and best of all, you don’t need a fancy ice cream machine to make this dessert!
Why this recipe works
Strawberry ice cream can be tricky to perfect because strawberries a lot of water which crystallizes in ice cream and results in an icy texture. And using less strawberries means less strawberry flavor.
To avoid this, I reduced most of the strawberries on the stovetop to remove their excess moisture and to intensify their flavor. This ice cream also has an easy strawberry swirl so we get even more strawberry flavor without compromising the consistency of the ice cream. No extract needed!
Simple ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Dairy-free heavy cream that’s meant for whipping. Canned coconut cream will also work, but it tends to produce less volume than dairy-free whipping cream, so your ice cream will be denser.
Dairy-free sweetened condensed milk for sweetness, creaminess and helps prevent ice crystals from forming. It acts similar to a custard base in traditional ice cream! I tested this recipe with oat and coconut condensed milk (I love the ones by Nature’s Charm), though a good-quality soy condensed milk will also work.
Fresh or frozen strawberries. For the best flavor, please use sweet and very ripe strawberries! It sounds obvious but if you make ice cream using bland strawberries, your ice cream won’t have much strawberry flavor.
Cornstarch to thicken the strawberry swirl. Plus, a little sugar to sweeten the swirl and prevent it from crystallizing in the freezer. If you don’t want to use sugar, maple syrup or most other sweeteners will work.
Recipe testing note: In no-churn ice cream, cream adds air, but also iciness because it’s water-based. Since this recipe contains a lot of strawberries (containing lots of liquid), I decreased the ratio of cream to ensure the ice cream has a creamy texture.
Prepare the strawberry puree and swirl
First, puree the two lots of strawberries in a blender until there are no chunks. I prefer the puree and my ice cream to have a little texture (or seeds) for the full strawberry experience. However, if you prefer your ice cream to have no seeds, you can pour the puree through a sieve and discard the seeds.
Pour the larger amount of puree in a large saucepan (for the ice cream) and the smaller amount of puree in a smaller saucepan (for the swirl). To the smaller saucepan, stir in the sugar and cornstarch until combined.
The larger saucepan needs to be boiled (as this cuts down some time), then cooked until you have a thick strawberry reduction. The smaller saucepan needs to be cooked for a few minutes until the mixture has just thickened.
Both mixtures need to be at room temperature or cold before using. You can do these steps a day in advance and store them in your refrigerator!
Prepare the ice cream
In a large bowl, whip the cream until it reaches stiff peaks and set aside. It needs to be a little firmer than usual as we’re mixing it again later.
In a medium bowl, mix the thick strawberry reduction (not the runny strawberry swirl) with the whole can of sweetened condensed milk. The mixture will be thick. If you prefer a completely smooth ice cream, feel free to reblend the mixture. Also, if you’d like an extra pink ice cream, you can add a few drops of food coloring at this stage!
Finally, add the strawberry mixture to the whipped cream and gently fold through. You want to fold the mixtures so they’re fully combined with no streaks. However, please avoid over-mixing as this will beat the air out of your ice cream.
My vegan strawberry ice cream fit perfectly in a 9-inch (23cm) loaf pan and any similar freeze-safe container will work! The volume of ice cream you’ll get will depend on how much your cream whips up.
Dollop the ice cream mixture into the pan alternating with the strawberry swirl. This is exactly what I did:
- Dollop 1/3 of the ice cream into the pan and smooth the top.
- Drizzle a few spoons of the strawberry sauce and lightly swirl through with a blunt knife.
- Repeat these steps twice until you’ve used up all the strawberry ice cream and most of the sauce. If you have remaining sauce, you can serve it with your final ice cream.
Then, lightly cover the ice cream and store it in the freezer for at least 4 hours! For a soft serve consistency, enjoy after 4 hours. For a firmer consistency, similar to store-bought ice cream, freeze the ice cream overnight.
Customizing this homemade ice cream
Yes of course! Some other delicious mix-ins include:
– mini chocolate chips
– chopped nuts
– cookies or cake pieces for dessert that’s reminiscent of strawberry shortcake!
I haven’t tested this recipe with any other fruit, however you’re welcome to experiment! All fruits have different amounts of liquid (and flavor intensity), so results will vary :).
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Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
Strawberry Ice Cream
- 6 cups (720g) ripe strawberries, fresh or frozen and thawed (note 1)
- 11-ounces (320g) dairy-free sweetened condensed milk, such as oat, coconut or soy (1 can)
- 2 cups (450g) dairy-free whipping cream, chilled (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste
Strawberry Swirl (optional but recommended)
- 2 cups (240g) ripe strawberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
- 3 tablespoons (40g) granulated sugar
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons (7g) cornstarch / corn flour
Instructions
Prepare the strawberry reduction:
- Add the larger amount of strawberries (6 cups / 720g) to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and pour into a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes while stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the puree has reduced to about 1/3 of its size. This can take 20-25 minutes, depending on your stove and saucepan. You should have around 3/4 cup or 240g of a reduced strawberry puree (less is fine). Let the reduction cool fully.
Prepare the strawberry sauce (do this at the same time as the reduction):
- Blend the smaller amount of strawberries (2 cups / 240g) and pour into a small saucepan. Add the sugar and cornstarch, then whisk until there are no lumps.
- Boil the mixture for 1-2 minutes while stirring frequently, then reduce to medium-low heat. Cook until the puree thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This usually takes 5-10 minutes. Cook the sauce for longer for a thicker consistency, or cook for less time for a thinner consistency. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to thicken further. You can also prepare the strawberry reduction and sauce a day before and chill in the refrigerator.
Prepare the ice cream:
- Add the strawberry reduction and condensed milk to a medium bowl and mix until smooth and set aside. For a smoother ice cream, you can reblend the mixture in a blender or food processor. (Note 3 for optional food coloring)
- Add the chilled whipping cream to a bowl (if using a hand mixer), or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip until you get stiff peaks.
- Add the strawberry reduction mixture to the whipped cream. Using a spatula, gently fold the mixtures together until there are no more pink or white streaks. Try to avoid overmixing as this will beat the air out of the cream.
- Scoop the ice cream mixture into a 9" (23cm) loaf pan, or airtight container. If you made the strawberry sauce, dollop it throughout the ice cream and lightly swirl the mixtures together with a knife. For example, you can dollop 1/3 of the ice cream mixture into the pan, swirl through a few spoons of the strawberry sauce, then repeat with the remaining ice cream and sauce (note 4).
- Cover the ice cream and freeze for 4 hours (for a soft-serve consistency) or overnight (for a firmer consistency). Usually, you can scoop the ice cream straight from the freezer. However, if your ice cream is firmer, thaw it at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
- Store leftover ice cream in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- I’ve tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen strawberries and they are both delicious and very creamy. As we’re cooking down the strawberries, it doesn’t matter if you use fresh or frozen.
- This recipe works best with a dairy-free cream that’s meant for whipping such as Country Crock, Flora, Elmea, etc. Canned coconut whipping cream will work, but it results in a denser ice cream.
- If you prefer your ice cream to have a stronger pink color, feel free to add a few drops of pink gel food coloring to the condensed milk mixture. Note that the ice cream naturally intensifies and darkens in color as it freezes.
- If you have any leftover strawberry sauce, thin it out with some water or maple syrup and drizzle it on top of your ice cream before serving!
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Yummy. Easy to make, sets easily and tastes great
I’m thrilled you enjoyed this! Thanks so much for your feedback, Louise!