Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream Recipe (dairy and gluten-free, sweetened with maple syrup)

I love indulging in homemade ice cream on a hot day.

Since I’m not eating dairy right now (because our breastfeeding baby doesn’t tolerate it in my diet), I decided to rehash our coconut milk ice cream recipe. It probably isn’t cheaper than buying it from the store, but we get to sweeten the ice cream with maple syrup instead of agave or processed sugar.

Plus, it’s really fun to make with kids.

Here’s how we make it:

Mix together 1/2 cup maple syrup, 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk, and 1-2 tablespoons vanilla extract.

Churn in your ice cream maker for 25-35 minutes or until the mixture thickens, then chill in the freezer. Remove from the freezer and allow it to soften for about 10 minutes before serving.

The hubby likes to add chocolate chips on top; alternatively you could add them to the ice cream maker towards the end and allow it to churn for a few minutes to fully incorporate the chips.

Mix-ins that I want to try in the future include chopped fresh mint from the garden with peppermint extract. My friend Tina even adds a little spirulina to get that minty green color. Love it!

What flavor ice cream are you enjoying this summer? Our local ice cream shop has a lavender ice cream that is to die for.