Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream is so rich and creamy with full-on, extra-nutty, enhanced coconut flavour. With just 4 ingredients (coconut milk, sugar, double cream, and toasted desiccated coconut) this egg-free ice cream is easy to make at home using a simple ice cream maker or by hand.
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HOMEMADE COCONUT ICE CREAM
Coconut is one of my absolute favourite flavours. So, unsurprisingly, I’m a great lover of coconut ice cream. And I’ve been making homemade coconut ice cream for many years. If you’re new to ice cream making, you might be surprised at how easy it is. Especially if, like mine, there are no eggs to potentially curdle and spoil it.
In my homemade coconut ice cream, you won’t find any of the gums, emulsifiers and flavourings of most commercial ice creams. Just FOUR everyday ingredients.
- Coconut milk (the thick, full fat stuff in cans, not thin from a carton)
- Caster sugar
- Double cream
- Desiccated coconut
Together, these create a wonderfully rich, sweet and creamy ice cream that’s full of coconut flavour. Recently though, I’ve started making a variation on the original. It contains exactly the same ingredients, but with a tiny twist.
By toasting the desiccated coconut, you get a fantastic, extra-nutty, enhanced coconut flavour. I think this makes Toasted Coconut Ice Cream very special, lifting it above even the regular homemade coconut ice cream I love.
TOASTED COCONUT ICE CREAM
You’ll find ingredient amounts and full instructions in the recipe card at the end. But I recommend you read the whole of this post first for extra tips and step-by-step images to guide you.
The photos in this post show you how to make Toasted Coconut Ice Cream in a simple, affordable ice cream maker. Don’t worry if you don’t have one though. Because in the notes to the recipe card I also tell you how to make it by hand. In that case, I recommend you use electric beaters.
Whichever method you use, it’s best to start making the ice cream the day before you want to it eat. This gives it time to chill, set and freeze properly. And if you have one of the simple machines, you’ll need to freeze the inner bowl overnight then churn the next day.
MAKE THE TOASTED COCONUT ICE CREAM BASE
Making the creamy coconut base for the ice cream really is incredibly simple. I usually do this the day before so everything’s nicely chilled. It’s also a good way of reminding myself to put the machine’s inner pot in the freezer! Important: if you’re making by hand rather than machine, the process is slightly different as you need to whip the cream first. See instructions in the notes to the recipe card.
- Briefly hand whisk the coconut milk and caster sugar together in a jug, just until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the double cream and hand whisk again until combined.
- Chill until ready to churn.
- Toast the desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat, stirring and turning all the time. Tip onto a piece of kitchen paper to cool, then put in an airtight container in the fridge.
CHURN & FREEZE
Models of ice cream machine will differ, so be sure to follow your manufacturer’s instructions. However, for most you’ll need to switch on so the paddle is going round BEFORE you pour in the ice cream base. This is so it doesn’t immediately freeze and prevent churning.
I take the inner bowl from the freezer, put it in the machine, screw on the top which holds the paddle, and switch on. Then I slowly pour the coconut ice cream base through the slot and leave it to churn until almost done. This takes 20 – 30 minutes in my machine. Then I drop in the toasted desiccated coconut while it finishes churning.
When it’s ready, my machine makes a ‘chug-chug’ noise. This means the paddle’s struggling to rotate as the ice cream has become thick and semi-frozen. The Toasted Coconut Ice Cream can now be transferred to a suitable container (I pre-chill one alongside the machine inner) and put in the freezer.
STORING & SERVING
Depending on your preference, your ice cream maker, and the temperature of your freezer, it might take between 2 – 4 hours for soft serve to be ready and 6 – 8 hours for a firmer ice cream. If you set yours firmly, then transfer the container to the fridge to soften for 15 – 30 minutes (or a few minutes at room temperature) before serving.
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream will be fine stored in the freezer for 2 weeks. However, I think the flavour is best when you eat it within a week. But that shouldn’t be a problem as this really is the best coconut ice cream I’ve tasted! So rich and creamy and with an intense toasted coconutty flavour, it’s incredibly delicious whether you serve scoops in a bowl or cone.
If you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please leave a comment and rating.
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
So rich and creamy with full-on, extra-nutty, toasted coconut flavour this egg-free ice cream is so easy and has just FOUR ingredients.
If you have an ice cream maker that needs the inner bowl freezing, remember to put it in the freezer the night before. It's also recommended that the ice cream base is prepared in advance so it has time to chill.
No ice cream machine? See Recipe Notes below for making by hand.
Please read the accompanying blog post before starting.
Ingredients
- 175 ml coconut milk (full fat, from a can: see Recipe Notes)
- 90 g caster sugar
- 200 ml double cream
- 40 g desiccated coconut
Instructions
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If the coconut milk has separated into liquid and solid: tip into a blender or suitable container and whizz or whisk until thoroughly combined into a thick, smooth liquid.
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Measure the correct amount of coconut milk into a jug and tip in the caster sugar.
Briefly hand whisk until the sugar has dissolved into the coconut milk.
Pour in the double cream and hand whisk until thoroughly combined.
Chill in the fridge until ready to churn.
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While the ice cream base is chilling, toast the desiccated coconut:
Put a frying pan over medium low heat and put in the coconut in a single layer.
Cook, stirring and turning almost constantly, until all the coconut is crisp golden brown (3 - 5 minutes).
Tip onto a piece of kitchen paper and spread out to cool.
When completely cold, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Make the Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
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Put the container in which you're going to store the ice cream into the freezer to chill.
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Remove the ice cream maker inner bowl from the freezer and put it into the ice cream maker.
Tip: for most ice cream makers, you'll need to get it running BEFORE you pour in the ice cream base so it doesn't immediately freeze on contact instead of churning.
Slowly pour the ice cream base into the ice cream maker and churn until almost done or follow the manufacturer's instructions for your machine.
When the ice cream looks like a few minutes away from being done, slowly pour in the toasted coconut (reserve a little for serving if liked)
Switch off when the ice cream is done and the toasted coconut has been distributed through the mixture.
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Transfer the churned ice cream to your chilled container.
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Put in the freezer to firm up to your preferred consistency (from 2 - 4 hours for soft serve, 6 - 8 or overnight for firmer: exact timings will depend on your ice cream maker and freezer.
If set firm, transfer the ice cream to the fridge 15 - 30 min before serving or a few minutes at room temperature. Serve with any reserved toasted coconut sprinkled over.
Can be stored frozen for up to 2 weeks, but flavour at its best within the first week.
Recipe Notes
Coconut Milk. For the best results, only use full fat coconut milk from a can NOT the thin stuff in cartons. Check the label and aim for a coconut content of at least 50 per cent, ideally 68 - 70 per cent. Note that ice cream made with lower percentages will be less rich and may set firmer.
Making Toasted Coconut Ice Cream without an ice cream machine.
- Toast the desiccated coconut as per the recipe.
- Dissolve the sugar into the coconut milk as per the recipe.
- Whip the double cream until thick, using electric beaters if possible.
- Fold the sweetened coconut milk and the toasted desiccated coconut into the whipped cream until thoroughly combined.
- Put in a chilled container and freeze for 1 hour. Stir or hand whisk, incorporating any frozen areas around the sides into the rest of the mixture, then return to the freezer for another hour. Repeat twice more, freezing between each stirring/whisking.
- Return to the freezer until your preferred consistency is reached.
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