Layers of vegan vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream combine to make the classic Neapolitan ice cream flavor. This vegan Neapolitan ice cream is made with whole food ingredients - no bananas, no coconut milk, and no churn!
Summer is approaching and warm, sunny evenings and family gatherings are calling for ice cream! Good news: this Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream will satisfy all ice cream cravings. Three flavors of healthy, plant-based ice cream give everyone the opportunity to eat their favorite flavor.
A homemade Neapolitan ice cream may sound a little daunting because there are so many layers, but it's really easier than it looks. You'll just need a bit of patience to make sure each layer freezes enough, so the flavors don't mix.
And the result is absolutely worth the extra time! This ice cream is stunning to look at and incredibly delicious!
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Why this recipe works
For an ultra creamy, rich, and decadent ice cream, you need sugar and fat.
The ratio of fat and sugar is what makes an ice cream that has a creamy texture and is super flavorful.
In this vegan ice cream, the fat source is nut butter, which is naturally creamy and high in fat. The sugar source is maple syrup.
Obviously, maple syrup and nut butter alone don't create ice cream. So non-dairy milk and applesauce help to lighten up the texture to the right consistency.
And the remaining ingredients create the flavor.
It's that simple!
Why I love this Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream
- Dietary needs - this ice cream is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, sugar free
- No coconut - lots of vegan ice cream recipes use coconut milk. I avoided it in this recipe for two reasons: 1) to give an option for people with coconut allergies and 2) so the vanilla ice cream doesn't get a coconut flavor
- No bananas - I LOVE me some banana nice cream, but ice cream from bananas usually has a slight hint of banana flavor, even when you make it chocolate or peanut butter flavored. This vegan Neapolitan ice cream is totally banana-free.
- No-churn - If you have an ice cream maker, great, use it. But this recipe is intended to be no-churn, so you aren't missing out if you don't own one
- Whole food ingredients - the ingredients are simple, real foods.
- Epic color - this ice cream totally rivals my birthday cake ice cream in terms of "wow factor" - I mean, just look at those beautiful layers!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Non-Dairy Milk: use any unsweetened milk you like.
- Nut Butter: I recommend cashew butter or almond butter, since they have the most neutral flavor compared to other nut butters. If you are allergic to nuts or would prefer to have a nut-free ice cream, use full-fat coconut milk instead.
- Maple Syrup: This recipe gets sweetness from the maple syrup. If you prefer a fruit-sweetened version, sub the maple syrup with 18 pitted medjool dates.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: I use applesauce in this recipe for texture. Applesauce isn't as liquid as milk and it's also not as solid as nut butter. If there's too much non-dairy milk in a recipe that isn't churned, the texture can become icy instead of smooth. But if there's too much nut butter, the ice cream will be really dense. The density isn't necessarily a problem, except it's a lot denser than regular ice cream (when I first tested this recipe, I was using it to make ice cream floats and the ice cream didn't float!!). So, applesauce helps lighten the texture, and you can't taste it at all. But if you don't want to use applesauce you can use an additional ¼ cup of non-dairy milk and ¼ cup of nut butter.
- Vanilla Bean Seeds, Vanilla Bean Paste, or Vanilla Extract: For the vanilla layer. I used vanilla bean paste because it really packs a punch of vanilla flavor, even compared to vanilla extract. But vanilla extract works just fine. If you're feeling extra fancy, you can use the seeds from a vanilla bean!
- Cocoa Powder: For the chocolate layer. Choose an unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Espresso Powder: For the chocolate layer. This is optional but highly recommended - coffee helps enhance the flavor of chocolate. You can also use an instant coffee.
- Fresh or Frozen Strawberries: For the strawberry layer. I used frozen strawberries, but both fresh and frozen work great!
How to make Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream
Step 1. Line the bottom and sizes of a 9"x5" loaf pan with parchment paper. (This is the larger size of the two standard loaf pan sizes.)
Step 2. Make the ice cream base. In a blender or food processor add the non-dairy milk, nut butter, maple syrup, and applesauce. Blend until smooth.
Step 3. Make the flavors. Divide the batter into thirds. Leave ⅓ of the batter in the blender and transfer the remaining ⅔ into two separate medium-sized bowls. Whisk the vanilla into one bowl. Whisk the cocoa powder and espresso powder into the second bowl. Add the strawberries to the mixture in the blender and blend until smooth.
Step 4. Pour the vanilla ice cream into the prepared loaf pan. Place the pan in the freezer and freeze until firm to the touch (about 1 hour). The mixture does not need to be completely solid, just solid enough so the next flavor doesn't mix. To speed up the freezing process, place the bowls of chocolate and strawberry ice cream in the freezer so they can start to freeze while the vanilla sets in the loaf pan.
Step 5. When the vanilla layer is firm, add the chocolate ice cream. Return the pan to the freezer and freeze again until the chocolate layer is firm to the touch (about 30 minutes if the chocolate ice cream was in the freezer while the vanilla was freezing.)
Step 6. When the chocolate layer is firm, add the strawberry layer. Return the pan to the freezer and freeze again until the strawberry layer is firm to the touch (about 30 minutes if the strawberry ice cream was in the freezer while the other layers were freezing.)
Step 7. When ready to eat, take the pan out of the freezer. Using the parchment paper to help, remove the ice cream from the pan. Let the ice cream thaw for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Store leftovers in the freezer. Enjoy!
FAQ & Expert Tips
Yes. You need a blender or food processor to make this recipe. The chocolate and vanilla ice cream layers can be made without a blender, but the strawberry layer cannot.
I recommend using a blender because it will result in a smoother ice cream.
Yes! My no-churn vegan vanilla ice cream is totally date sweetened and it's one of my most popular recipes!
Simply replace the maple syrup with 18 pitted medjool dates (yes, 18). Bend until smooth - this may take a bit longer than the maple syrup version. And the proceed with the recipe as written.
You can sub the nut butter for in a 1:1 ratio with coconut cream. Or you can use a seed butter like sunflower seed butter.
Both of these subs may change the flavor slightly so I don't recommend subbing unless you have a nut allergy.
Feel free to alter the order of the layers to your preference. Any combination is delicious!
**Because the strawberry layer has more volume from the strawberries, it will work best if the strawberry layer is on top, in the largest section of the loaf pan.
Yes... but it may get messy.
Layering each flavor horizontally in the pan and then freezing between layers is the easiest way to make Neapolitan ice cream. But you can do it the other way.
You'll need two pieces of cardboard, cut to the shape of your loaf pan. Freeze all three layers for 30-45 minutes so they are more solid. Then scoop the layers into the pan using the cardboard as dividers.
Since vegan ice cream has a slightly different consistency than regular ice cream, be prepared for some mess!
This ice cream IS scoopable, just like regular ice cream. But it will be pretty solid if you take it out of the freezer and try to scoop immediately.
To get the perfect consistency, thaw for 5-10 minutes at room temperature. You'll know it's the perfect consistency when the edges of the container start to get melty.
Since this is Neapolitan ice cream, you can also slice the ice cream to see the layers. When slicing, still let the ice cream thaw. Then run a large knife under warm water and use a firm but slow pressure to slice the loaf.
Store this ice cream in the freezer.
You can store it in the container you made it in. Be sure to add some type of lid or plastic wrap to avoid the ice cream picking up any other flavors in your freezer.
Variations
This ice cream can be made with any flavor combination!
Neapolitan ice cream is said to have originated from Italy, with the three stripes signifying the stripes of the Italian flag: green, white, and red. Feel free to switch up the flavors to match the flag.
Green
- Pistachio: make a batch of my pistachio ice cream
- Almond: make vanilla ice cream and add almond extract + green spirulina, like in my birthday cake ice cream
- Kiwi: use kiwis and blend them into a layer like you would with the strawberries in the red layer
- Mint Chip: make a batch of my mint chip ice cream
Red
- Cherry: swap the strawberries for cherries.
- Peppermint: make a batch of my peppermint ice cream
- Pink: add a teaspoon or two of beetroot powder.
White
- Lemon: add some lemon juice and zest
Recipe Prayer
Jesus, thank you for healthy desserts to eat. Let us remember you as we enjoy this ice cream. Amen.
Related Recipes
Love this no-churn ice cream? Check out my other vegan & no-churn ice cream recipes:
Tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream (No Churn)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Non Dairy Milk
- 1 ½ Cups Nut Butter cashew butter
- ¾ Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 ½ Cups Applesauce
- Seeds of 1 Vanilla Bean, 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste, or 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Espresso Powder
- 1 ½ Cups Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
Instructions
- Line the bottom and sizes of a 9"x5" loaf pan with parchment paper. (This is the larger size of the two standard loaf pan sizes.)
- Make the ice cream base. In a blender or food processor add the non-dairy milk, nut butter, maple syrup, and applesauce. Blend until smooth.
- Make the flavors. Divide the batter into thirds. Leave ⅓ of the batter in the blender and transfer the remaining ⅔ into two separate medium-sized bowls. Whisk the vanilla into one bowl. Whisk the cocoa powder and espresso powder into the second bowl. Add the strawberries to the mixture in the blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the vanilla ice cream into the prepared loaf pan. Place the pan in the freezer and freeze until firm to the touch (about 1 hour). The mixture does not need to be completely solid, just solid enough so the next flavor doesn't mix. To speed up the freezing process, place the bowls of chocolate and strawberry ice cream in the freezer so they can start to freeze while the vanilla sets in the loaf pan.
- When the vanilla layer is firm, add the chocolate ice cream. Return the pan to the freezer and freeze again until the chocolate layer is firm to the touch (about 30 minutes if the chocolate ice cream was in the freezer while the vanilla was freezing.)
- When the chocolate layer is firm, add the strawberry layer. Return the pan to the freezer and freeze again until the strawberry layer is firm to the touch (about 30 minutes if the strawberry ice cream was in the freezer while the other layers were freezing.)
- When ready to eat, take the pan out of the freezer. Using the parchment paper to help, remove the ice cream from the pan. Let the ice cream thaw for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Store leftovers in the freezer. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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