Dairy-free, refined sugar-free coffee ice cream made with coconut milk is a creamy paleo-friendly dessert.
Coffee…it’s more than just a really great beverage…
…it’s a lifestyle.
Mostly, I’m a coffee purist and don’t go wild and crazy over sugary espresso drinks at coffee shops. Sure, I’ll enjoy a homemade PSL or CM after first drinking my daily half-a-pot of Joe as a sort of coffee dessert to my coffee entree, but generally, I aim for volume – a super sweet, milked out drink just doesn’t satisfy when I want my tongue buds to be dazzled by something pure, big and bold.
While I’ll be the first to admit I’m a coffee snob, always on the prowl for the perfect mug, coffee desserts are a whoooole ‘nother ball game. Here’s where you can lay the coffee smack down six ways from Sunday and I.will.take.it!
Which leads me to my next point: coffee ice cream. Can you dig? I can dig. In fact, coffee ice cream is on my Top 5 List of Favorite Ice Creams.
And you guys…this homemade coconut milk version of cup o’ Joe ice cream is MEGA.
Made with coconut milk, coconut cream, instant coffee, and pure maple syrup, this recipe is easy to whip up at a moment’s notice. I used to make my ice cream without egg yolks but recently became an egg yolk convert…it just makes the ice cream so thick, creamy and delectable. If you’re vegan, you can skip the egg yolks and simply blend everything together in a blender to keep it egg-free.
All you do to prepare the ice cream base is toss everything in a saucepan, whisk it consistently over medium heat just until the mixture begins to steam (don’t bring to a boil). Once it’s steamy, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to enough to put in the refrigerator. Then, transfer the ice cream base to a sealable container and refrigerate until it is completely chilled. You definitely want the ice cream base nice and cold before you add it to the ice cream maker, or else it won’t churn into nice thick creamy goodness properly.
You can add more or less pure maple syrup depending on how sweet you like your sweets. You can also replace the pure maple syrup with equal parts zero-sugar sweetener, such as Stevia or Swerve to make this sugar-free.
And that’s it!
It’s more than just an ice cream…it’s a lifestyle.
Paleo Coffee Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 2/3 cup coconut cream
- 1/4 cup instant coffee
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup to taste
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Place the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer overnight.
- Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and whisk well. Heat over medium just until the mixture begins to steam, whisking consistently. Don't allow mixture to come to a full boil. Remove from heat and allow ice cream base to cool before transferring it to a sealable container. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Transfer ice cream base to your ice cream maker and churn until thick and ice cream maker begins to bog down.
- Either serve ice cream immediately for a soft serve consistency, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze 2 hours. Thaw ice cream for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Is the coffee made up into liquid form or is it 1/4 cup of instant coffee crystals?
Hi Roxanne! It’s 1/4 cup instant coffee crystals (so not brewed coffee) I used to make it with brewed coffee but find it tastes richer with instant coffee grinds. 🙂
Is there a sugar free coconut cream? Otherwise it is loaded with sugar isn’t it?
Hi Denise, All canned coconut cream is sugar free (this is the kind I buy: https://amzn.to/2uq792O). Hope this helps!
I made this icecream today, but my cold coconut milk and cream curdled in the blender. Could my coffee have been too warm when I added it? I was wondering if you had an explanation for why the milk/cream might curdle. Even though it was curdled, I put into the ice cream maker anyway. Then about half-way through the freezing process, I poured the thickened mixture back into the blender and mixed on high. Then I transferred back to the freezer and finished the ice cream. Blending the second time helped, but there are still tiny “curds” throughout the ice cream. I’m going to serve it anyway because the flavor is great! It just doesn’t look like your pictures!
Hi Sheryl,
What type of coconut milk did you use? I use the full-fat coconut milk from a can and haven’t experienced curdling but it could be that we used different brands. I also just updated the recipe, as I’ve been making my coffee ice cream a bit differently recently. The new recipe may work out better for you as well. Hope this helps!
I don’t have an ice cream maker. Can I do this the same as the mint chocolate chip ice cream recipe that you have posted ( stir every hour in the freezer- I making that recipe now I’m super excited but love coffee ice cream so I’d love to try this recipe as well).
do you think substituting the coconut milk with almond milk would make it too thin?
I know this comment is a little late in comparison to when your post was made, but I’d like to report that upon tasting this ice cream, the clouds parted, and little angels flew down from heaven and danced on my taste buds.
Yuuuuuuhs! I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks a bunch for dropping in to give your feedback. 😀
I (sadly) never get to buy coffee ice cream because the.boy hates it…but making my own with all coconut-liciousness sounds fabulous!
This looks so delicious! Love your pictures 😀
I’m a total coffee snob, and I want my coffee nice and robust with no sweeteners! I don’t go for those sugary seasonal ones any more. This ice cream is right up my alley with the coconut cream! Delicious and pinned!
I am definitely not a coffee snob, but I despise super sugary coffee drinks. However, I LOVE my sugary desserts to be coffee flavored, and know I would absolutely love this ice cream!
I love this coffee ice cream recipe, just in time for the fall.
This looks awesome! Coffee ice cream is the best 🙂
This recipe is SCREAMING my name! I am also a total coffee snob and appreciate bold tasting coffee!
Coffee ice cream has been my favorite ALWAYS!!! The best flavor always…and I really need this today since I had ZERO coffee yesterday :O
I’ve seen cans of coconut cream at the store and wondered if it was actually the same as the cream that you use from a chilled can of milk. I guess it should have been obvious that is was but thank you for confirming it anyway, lol! That is seriously mind blowing information.
I’m not a coffee drinker but I have a feeling I would love the flavor in a dreamy, creamy dessert like this. Also, I just showed it to Brandon (aka Mr. Coffee Connoisseur) and he went nuts for it so that means I’m going to have to make it soon!
This looks so deliciously creamy! Yum!