Vegan No-Churn Peppermint Ice Cream is an easy plant-based ice cream recipe - no ice cream maker required! This festive recipe is dairy free, gluten-free, and banana-free.
Why I love this Vegan No-Churn Peppermint Ice Cream
It's no-churn. No need for an ice cream maker. If you do have an ice cream maker, feel free to put this mixture in your machine. But an ice cream maker is not necessary for this peppermint ice cream to turn out creamy and delicious!
It's vegan and dairy-free. All my recipes are vegan-friendly, of course, but I have to celebrate what a treat it is to eat ice cream that is actually healthy. This ice cream is mostly whole food ingredients, except the candy canes. If you're looking for an option without candy canes, see my note below.
It's banana-free. I LOVE bananas, but sometimes you don't want your ice cream tasting like banana. This Peppermint Ice Cream is much more decadent than banana ice cream - with lots of fat to create rich flavor.
It's beautifully pink. The candy canes create a soft, pink color. I love it!
What's the secret to No-Churn Ice Cream?
Two things make a good ice cream: texture and flavor. Without hours of churning in an ice cream machine, you have to make sure your no-churn ice cream has plenty of both.
I modeled this recipe closely after my Pumpkin Pecan Ice Cream recipe, but with a few tweaks. Either way texture and flavor are so important.
Texture. For the perfect texture we need something creamy. I started with a base of non-dairy milk. But on it's own, non-dairy milk isn't super creamy. So I added coconut cream and nut butter. Coconut cream is a lot thicker than non-dairy milk and has a higher fat content. Adding the coconut cream along with the nut butter creates a creamy, luscious texture.
Flavor. Candy canes are the star of the show. But it's the combination of fat from the coconut milk and nut butter, along with the sweetness of candy canes and a bit of maple syrup that really create a good flavor. You need both fat and sweet.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Non Dairy Milk: I used oat milk in this recipe. I would recommend using either soy milk or oat milk, since they tend to be creamier than almond or coconut milk.
- Coconut Cream: you can find coconut cream in the Asian section of the grocery store in a can. It might be labeled coconut milk or coconut cream. Either way, be sure to buy the canned stuff. If you are allergic to coconut or can't find it, sub with an equal amount of nut butter.
- Nut Butter: any neutral nut butter will work here, like almond, cashew, or mixed nut butter.
- Maple Syrup: This recipe gets sweetness from the maple syrup and the candy canes. If you are using the substitute for candy canes, outlined below, you may want to add another tablespoon or two of maple syrup to increase the sweetness to your desired level.
- Candy Canes: While not plant-based, candy canes are technically vegan. If you want a whole food version of this recipe, use a few drops of peppermint extract to get that minty flavor.
How to make Vegan No-Churn Peppermint Ice Cream
Step 1. Add the non-dairy milk, coconut milk, nut butter, and maple syrup to a bowl or blender. Mix or blend until smooth.
Step 2. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 30 minutes or until the mixture is semi-solid.
Step 3. Stir in the candy canes. Then freeze for an additional 2-3 hours, or overnight.
Step 4. When ready to eat, let the ice cream thaw several minutes before scooping. Top with extra candy canes and enjoy!
FAQ & Expert Tips
No. I recommend using a blender because it will result in a smoother ice cream.
But if you don't have a blender or food processor you can use a whisk to combine all the ingredients. Whisk well to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Yes! My no-churn vegan vanilla ice cream is totally date sweetened and it's one of my most popular recipes!
You will need a blender if you choose the date-sweetened option. Simply replace the maple syrup with 6 pitted medjool dates. 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 more 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.
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.
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.
I typically transfer the ice cream to a freezer safe zip top bag, which keeps it sealed and saves space.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this ice cream. Help us to enjoy our dessert and honor You with our bodies.
More no-churn ice cream
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📖 Recipe
Vegan No-Churn Peppermint Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cup Non Dairy Milk
- 1 Cup Canned Coconut Milk
- ¼ Cup Nut Butter
- ¼ Cup Maple Syrup
- ⅓ Cup Crushed Candy Canes
Instructions
- Add the non-dairy milk, coconut milk, nut butter, and maple syrup to a bowl or blender. Mix or blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for 30 minutes or until the mixture is semi-solid.
- Stir in the candy canes. Then freeze for an additional 2-3 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to eat, let the ice cream thaw several minutes before scooping. Top with extra candy canes and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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