No-Churn Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
Ligia Lugo
Published:
August 13, 2025
Last Modified:
November 26, 2025
Rich chocolate flavor meets velvety texture in my vegan chocolate ice cream! Plus, this is a “no-churn” recipe, meaning you don’t need an ice cream maker in order to make this smooth and creamy ice cream.
This is, without a doubt, my richest, chocolatiest vegan ice cream to date. I have attempted several different chocolate ice cream versions over the years, but they kept coming out too firm and/or not chocolatey enough!
I finally cracked the code when I tried a combination of both cacao powder and chopped vegan chocolate–generous quantities of each, I might add! That plus a drizzle of coconut oil was just the thing to create a smoother consistency.
I put my Vegan Chocolate taste test and review knowledge to the work and used high-quality, vegan dark chocolate. I like the brands Taza or Mast for this recipe, but use whatever vegan chocolate you like best — just make sure to opt for a plain, dark variety.
Once you get a taste for a deep, dark homemade chocolate ice cream like this one, you’ll never go back to the pale-looking store bought stuff!
Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream Ingredients
- Coconut milk – Using full-fat coconut milk will produce the creamiest ice cream base, so I recommend sticking with that.
- Cacao powder – I like to use raw cacao powder as opposed to cocoa powder, as it is less refined and provides a stronger flavor. If you want, you can use unsweetened cocoa powder too. Just double check to make sure there are no powdered milk ingredients or refined sugars in yours!
- Chopped vegan dark chocolate – Make sure to choose a good quality, dark vegan chocolate. I mention a few in my Vegan Chocolate review!
- Soaked cashews – This is a core ingredient in most vegan ice cream recipes. Soaked cashews have a wonderful ability to become thick and creamy when blended, mimicking dairy surprisingly well! Make sure to start with unsalted cashews, then soak them in water overnight before draining and rinsing them.
- Agave syrup – Has a gentle sweetness and thin texture, making it my go-to sweetener for most frozen desserts.
- Coconut oil – Helps to give your finished vegan ice cream a smooth texture.
- Coconut cream – In addition to the soaked cashews and full-fat coconut milk, the addition of pure coconut cream helps to give the ice cream a thick, rich texture.
- Vanilla extract – Where you find chocolate, you’ll find vanilla! These two flavors heighten and complement each other so well, adding a dash of vanilla makes this chocolate ice cream taste even more like chocolate.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make chocolate mixture. Combine coconut milk and cacao powder in a saucepan over low-medium heat and whisk to combine. Heat the mixture until it just simmers, then stir in chopped vegan chocolate until completely melted and remove from the heat.
- Combine ingredients. Place soaked cashews, agave syrup, coconut oil, and coconut cream in a blender, then pour in the melted chocolate mixture.
- Blend. Secure the lid and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop the blender occasionally and scrape down the sides to ensure all ingredients are blending evenly.
- Add vanilla and blend again. Add vanilla extract, replace the lid, and blend again briefly until just combined.
- Freeze. Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container. Cover it with a sheet of parchment paper–this helps to prevent the formation of large ice crystals–and freeze for about 4 hours total. Pull the ice cream out about once every hour and stir it before replacing the cover and returning to the freezer. This helps to make sure the ice cream freezes evenly, creating a creamy and cohesive texture!
- Scoop and serve! You can enjoy your ice cream as soon as it is completely frozen. If it is difficult to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping and serving. You can top it with fresh berries or some vegan chocolate shavings if you like!
Watch Us Make No-Churn Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
How To Store
Freezing You can store your ice cream in the same container you froze it in, or transfer it to another for longer term storage. Cover the surface of the ice cream tightly with plastic wrap to help keep ice crystals from forming. The ice cream will keep for up to 3 months, but honestly this one tastes best within a couple of weeks!
No-Churn Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate
- 1 cup unsalted cashews, soaked overnight then rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup agave syrup
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Instructions
- Combine the coconut milk and cacao powder in a saucepan over low-medium heat and whisk to combine. Heat the mixture until it just simmers, then stir in the chopped vegan chocolate until completely melted and remove from the heat.
- Place the soaked cashews, agave syrup, coconut oil, and coconut cream in a blender, then pour in the melted chocolate mixture.
- Secure the lid and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop the blender occasionally and scrape down the sides to ensure all ingredients are blending evenly.
- Add vanilla extract, replace the lid, and blend again briefly until just combined.
- Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container. Cover it with a sheet of parchment paper and freeze for about 4 hours total. Pull the ice cream out about once every hour and stir it before replacing the cover and returning to the freezer. This helps to make sure the ice cream freezes evenly, creating a creamy and cohesive texture!
- You can enjoy your ice cream as soon as it is completely frozen. If it is difficult to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping and serving with toppings as desired.
