Chai Coconut Ice Cream
Dairy-free, egg-free Chai ice cream made with coconut milk, honey and spices.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 12, 2024
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Well, friends, it’s been a rough week. I’ve lost my appetite and shed my weight in tears. Fortunately, a couple of dear friends are coming into town this weekend and their presence will surely lift my spirits. In the meantime, I thought I’d share this chai ice cream recipe that I’ve been tinkering with over the past month. I brought the latest batch over to girls night this week and the girls say it’s just right. As a frozen treat with warming spices, it seems like an appropriate dessert for this in-between weather.
Chai Coconut Ice Cream
Dairy-free, egg-free Chai ice cream made with coconut milk, honey and spices. It is perfectly scoopable from the freezer, but the texture is better if you let it rest at room temperature for five minutes before serving.
Ingredients
- 4 bags Assam black tea or regular black tea
- 2 cans (28 ounces) full fat coconut milk
- ¾ cup honey (use ⅔ cup for slightly less sweet ice cream)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- pinch fine grain sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon arrowroot starch whisked with a few tablespoons of the coconut milk mixture (optional, see note)
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup, pour one cup boiling water over the tea bags. Let steep for 4 minutes, then remove the bags (squeeze out some of the water they have absorbed).
- Shake up your cans of coconut milk before opening in case the coconut cream has separated from the coconut water. In a Dutch oven or a big, heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together the coconut milk, tea, honey, vanilla, spices and salt until thoroughly blended.
- If you are NOT adding arrowroot starch, you can go ahead and chill the mixture (if the coconut milk cream is still floating around in bits, first heat the mixture over medium heat for a few minutes while whisking until it the cream is incorporated, then cool).
- If you ARE adding arrowroot starch, heat the mixture over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk the arrowroot starch with a few tablespoons of the coconut milk mixture until thoroughly blended. Pour the arrowroot mixture into the warm coconut milk mixture and bring it to a gentle boil, stirring frequently for one minute.
- Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then place the bowl in the refrigerator until the mixture is completely and thoroughly chilled. While you’re at it, place your future ice cream container in the freezer to chill.
- If you used arrowroot starch, scoop off the thickened top layer with a spoon and discard it. Whisk together the chilled mixture one last time, then pour it into your ice cream maker. Freeze according to your manufacturer’s instructions, then transfer it to your chilled container and freeze for several hours in the freezer (let it defrost for five minutes before serving). Or eat immediately for soft serve texture.
Notes
Recipe created with guidance from Oh, Ladycakes and A Couple Cooks. This recipe yields a little over 1.5 quarts, which is about as much as my ice cream maker will hold.
Make it vegan: Substitute maple syrup or agave nectar for the honey. You’re going to end up with ice cream that freezes harder than ice cream made with honey—let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Arrowroot starch is a natural root starch that helps absorb the ice crystals. It’s optional here; you can also help the ice crystals go away if you let the ice cream sit for five minutes before serving. Look for arrowroot in the baking section of well-stocked grocery stores.
Change it up: The girls added a few chocolate chips to their bowls of ice cream. I think finely chopped dark chocolate incorporated near the end of the freezing cycle would be a very good idea.
A note on ice cream makers: I love-love-love my 2-quart Cuisinart. If you don’t have an ice cream maker and don’t want to buy one, here are a couple of methods that might work for this ice cream (I haven’t tried them): how to make ice cream with a food processor (tips from Jeni Britton) and how to make ice cream without a machine (by David Lebovitz).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
oh no, Kate. I hope that whatever it is, you can find a way to heal. Friends can be a soothing balm. And Cookie too, I hope?
Cookie is taking very good care of me, thank you Dervla. Hope you’re having a lovely weekend.
Hang in there, Kate. Thanks for this great post. I hope your spirits are lifted by knowing how many lives your are touching through this great recipe.
Thank you, Dan.
This looks delicious! I’m thinking that an ice cream maker is on my to-buy list.
I’m really glad I took the plunge and bought an ice cream maker. It’s especially fun to make easy ice creams like this coconut one!
This looks AMAZING. I have been on a coconut kick so I will try. I am afraid to make ice cream, but most things that I think are complicated turn out to be the BEST recipes. Thanks for sharing–and don’t cry the weekend is almost here.
Best
Hi Kate, first of all great recipe I have become slightly addicted to making ice cream over the past few weeks and have been making more ice cream than I can eat. I would also like to say what a great website and I shall be trying out some of the other non ice cream related recipes soon. :)
Abbie.
What is the volume of a ‘can’ of coconut milk? We have different can sizes in Australia so I’m not sure how much to use. :)
Hey Grace, sorry for the confusion. Our cans are 14 ounces.
I’m sorry you are sad, but I’m happy to have found your site (via OhLadyCakes). This recipe looks delicious and since my wife loves making ice cream, and we make our own home made chai, I think we’ll have to try it! Now I have to run as I have lot more of your blog to pore over. I’ve followed :-)
Thank you. I’m glad you found my site. I have no doubt you would love this ice cream if you love chai!
Thinking about you my friend!
Thank you, Melissa. xo!
Drooling over this ice cream! It looks amazing.
I am involved in a serious relationship with all things chai, and coconut can do no wrong. Naturally, I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Wishing you well and hoping things look up for you soon.
Thank you, LeAndra. Hope you’ll give this ice cream a try soon. It’s really delicious.
I just posted a homemade hot fudge recipe and said that I don’t even need ice cream for it. Well, I take that back. This is outstanding. Coconut milk AND chai are faves! I put coconut milk in my chai tea…I love this! Gorgeous spices you used, too. Mmmm, the flavors! Pinning!
This looks so good! I haven’t ever tried Chai anything but would like to!
Hi Kate! I just made this recipe last night! I followed your steps without the arrowroot, and I’m a little miffed at the coconut milk texture. I shook the cans like crazy and poured them into the tea and honey mixture, but there were still tiny bits of the solid coconut cream. I whisked and whisked to mix it all up and thought maybe that’s just how it’s supposed to be. Should I have strained it first? Or maybe it needs to be heated first to melt into the other ingredients (even without arrowroot)?
Maybe it was just the Goya coconut milk that gave me trouble…. In the end, the flavors are amazing, but the texture leaves a bit to be desired. What would you suggest to fix it next time?
Hey Brianna, I’m so sorry your coconut milk gave you trouble! I’ve run into that before, and the only way I’ve found is to gently heat the mixture on the stove while whisking until the coconut cream incorporates into the other liquid. I tried to explain that in my instructions in step 3 (if the coconut milk cream is still solid, heat the mixture over medium heat for a few minutes while whisking), but I must not have been clear enough. I’ll revise the instructions. I hope you’ll give the coconut ice cream another shot! It’s wonderfully creamy and even textured when the coconut cream is all mixed in.
Thanks, Kate. I did consider heating it but I guess I convinced myself it didn’t matter (when it does!). And next time I’ll try some arrowroot, I just couldn’t find it in the grocery store. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Great recipe. I subbed the honey with agave nectar and it still turned out great. Love you blogs and recipes. I hope you are feeling better and that some sunlight shines through this crazy weather just for you.
Thank you, Amy. I’m glad you enjoyed the ice cream.
I was so excited to make this today! I mixed it up last night and put it in the ice cream maker this morning, nice and chilled. Unfortunately for me, I used raw honey that someone had given me a few months ago. Little did I know, raw honey doesn’t freeze totally. So, I have very delicious soft serve! Tastes great, but I can’t wait to make it again to get the real texture :-)
Kim, I didn’t know that raw honey doesn’t freeze! I hope it firmed up in the freezer for you.
I don’t know you but have read your blog for years now and I just wanted to say that your food, your photos and your commentary have brought me so much joy over the years (in dark times and light). I truly believe you will get back all the positivity you have sent into the world. Also, thanks for the ice cream, veggies and cocktails. Those are always important. :-)
Thank you, Emily. :)
This looks amazing, I will have to try it. This is my favorite summer ice cream recipe so far
http://trialbyfirewin.blogspot.fr/2013/04/ginger-ice-cream.html
This sounded fantastic until I discerned this wasn’t an ice cream recipe. Disappointed… there is no cream so the title misrepresents the offering.
I’m sorry you’re disappointed, Lisa. Although the recipe doesn’t call for cream, it is as creamy as regular ice cream without it. It’s a great option for vegans/lactose intolerant individuals/ice cream lovers in general.
I think you will find there is cream, it’s just not dairy cream!!
I love your blog! I just now found it and I can already tell that I’m going to be looking on here a lot. The ice-cream looks really good! And I really liked how you have pictures of the ingredients. Your blog is really inviting to me. I think its really cool that you have a vegetarian blog. The ice-cream looks awesome!
Thank you for this recipe. Do i just follow the instructions on my ice cream maker? Sorry you mention your ice cream maker but only briefly.. as you say put the base in an ice cream container and then in the freezer.. but I have an electric ice cream maker so do I just follow my machines instructions? thank you
Hi Carisa, sorry for the confusion. Yes, once the mixture has chilled, just follow the instructions for your ice cream maker and freeze as usual.
Tried this yesterday, it is delicious! I did it without arrowroot starch and used light sugar instead of honey. Since I don’t have an ice cream maker I took it out of the freezer every 30 minutes and used a blender to mix. It took a long time to get consistent (+6 hours) but it was worth it! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I’m so glad you enjoyed the ice cream, especially since you put forth so much effort to make it!
Absolutely incredible… If you’re thinking about making this, do it!
Whatz the quantity of coconut milk in ml or fl.oz. per can?
Hi, the cans are 14 ounces each.
Thank you. Plan to make it today.Will report back.
All I can say is WOW!!!! I only recently stumbled upon your blog and I bookmarked it as soon as I saw it – I look forward to making many of your recipes.
I made this tonight and it is delicious! I don’t really do sweets, so I used 2/3 c. of honey, as suggested, and it is the perfect amount. I loe the intense chai flavor and they also lend a beautiful color to the ice cream; that it’s dairy free is just an added bonus.
Thank you so much for an absolutely terrific blog! :)
Thank you, Brenda! I hope to publish more coconut ice cream recipes soon. I’m obsessed. :)
Loved this! Thanks so much. Chai ice cream w/o the guilt!
I made this today, and it was awesome! I made 2 batches of ice cream prior to this, using cream and I was surprised to find that the texture of the coconut milk ice cream is far superior. Thanks for this great recipe. I am hoping to use it as a base for other flavors. Mint chocolate chip is next on my list. :)
Thanks, Carrie! I love the texture of coconut ice cream so much that I don’t want to go back to custard-based ice creams. They’re so much easier, too. I think Jeanine of Love and Lemons has a mint ice cream recipe like you’re describing. Can’t wait to try it!
Hi there
Would golden syrup be substitute honey or will it be to overpowering? Also if you don’t have a machine, with food processing every few hours have the same effect?
Tammy, I’m sorry, I’m really not sure if golden syrup is a good substitute for the honey. I haven’t ever used it. You might be able to make it in a food processor, but I haven’t tried that, either. Here’s a post that shows how to make ice cream in a food processor, hope it helps: http://www.thekitchn.com/video-how-to-make-ice-cream-in-a-food-processor-171649
Wow. This was really good. I tried to make it without an ice cream maker…and it was taking forever to freeze so I couldn’t continually mix it every 30 minutes and it turned into an icy without an odd texture. But! I almost “ate” a whole cup of this before it even went into the freezer it was soooooo good. I will definitely have to buy an ice cream maker at some point just so I can make this again. I have a sweet tooth and I would say the 3/4 cup honey was just the right sweetness for me. Perfect amount of spice in my mind as well. So good! Thank you!
That’s great to hear! Glad you enjoyed the ice cream! I love my 2 quart Cuisinart ice cream maker. Highly recommend it.
THIS is seriously the best vegan ice cream I have ever had. Made it for the first time last summer and can’t wait to play with it some more this summer. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hooray! So glad you’re loving the chia ice cream, Julie. I have a couple of other coconut ice cream flavors to publish before summer’s over!
Well, I made this today and all I can say is, “WOW”! The Chai flavor is wonderfully complex without being overpowering. It has fabulous flavor and has a nice, creamy consistency. I modified it a bit…I used Peet’s decaf Irish Breakfast tea instead of Assam, and substituted one can of coconut cream for regular coconut milk, because that’s what I had on hand, and also added two egg yolks instead of arrowroot to provide a thicker, silkier texture. I’m definitely making this again. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe!!!
Thanks, Lisa! I’m so glad you loved the ice cream!
Spreading some coconut oil in your measuring glass before adding the honey will help it to roll right out, no mess!
What Ice cream maker would you recommend?
Is it necessary or can I just freeze it?
Hey Andrea! I use and love my 2-quart Cuisinart. If you don’t have an ice cream maker and don’t want to buy one, here are a couple of methods that might work for this ice cream (I haven’t tried them): how to make ice cream with a food processor (tips from Jeni Britton) and how to make ice cream without a machine (by David Lebovitz).
It looks very tempting. I would give it a try for sure.
I have made this ice cream several times. It’s consistently delicious. My hubby and sons love it. I add almond slivers. Yummy in my tummy. Thank you for sharing. Your site is awesome and I refer to it often. You are the best.
Thank you, Ana! This might be my favorite ice cream recipe on the site. Almond slivers sound like a great addition. :)
Thanks for sharing this! I made it last night – love all the intense spices/flavors! My only issue with it is how grainy it is. Is this because of all the spices, too much churning time (I did it for 20 mins in my cuisinart ice cream maker), or forgetting to skim the top off the mixture prior to pouring in the ice cream machine? Would the arrowroot starch cause this?
Thanks!
Hi Archana! I’m bummed that your ice cream is grainy. Mine definitely wasn’t. Is it grainy from ice crystals (do they melt on your tongue?)? Were your spices finely ground? Sometimes the arrowroot can create little bitty chewy bits, so skimming off the top helps in that regard.
I’ve just tried making this recipe and it is not thickening/freezing in my ice cream maker. Any idea why? Could it perhaps be because the chai is steeped in water and not the coconut milk?
Hi Liz, I’m sorry that happened. I have made quite a few iterations of this recipe and haven’t experienced that before! Are you sure your freezer bowl had been in the freezer for at least 24 hours beforehand? The chai tea shouldn’t make the difference, since water always freezes when it’s cold enough!
This dessert makes me happy and alive! haha <3
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Could you make this with Stevia?
No, I’m sorry, the honey is important for texture—without it, the ice cream will freeze rock solid.
Mine is not freezing properly in my Cuisenart ice cream machine. Ice on the outside liquid in the middle. It has been running for 45 minutes. Usually I have no trouble getting my ice cream just right in 20-25 minutes.
I’m sorry to hear that. I’m not sure why that’s the issue.
Very tasty and nice to have a recipe in the Arsenal for a dairy free gluten free dessert.
This didn’t work out for me :-( I used my Cuisinart ice cream maker which I use all the time, but this one didn’t churn and remained liquid. A very delicious cream I will be using as creamer for my coffee because it is delicious. I bought canned coconut milk, it doesn’t say it’s lite, low fat or anything like that, so I’m not sure what happened. Would putting the cans in the fridge and letting the water separate from the milk in the can and only using the solidified milk work better? I have done your whipped coconut cream following this instructions and it whips beautifully.
I’m sorry to hear that, Marisa. I appreciate your feedback.