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Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

Homemade coconut ice cream with toasted coconut flakes folded throughout for a silky, ivory churned texture. Dense and deeply creamy from full-fat coconut milk, with a custard base cooked to 175°F and cooled before churning.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Coconut custard base
  • 2 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk Use canned coconut milk for the richest texture.
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar Helps sweeten and stabilize the custard.
  • 4 egg yolks Cook to 175°F to thicken.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp coconut extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Toasted coconut
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut Toast until lightly golden for deeper flavor.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the coconut custard
  1. Heat the coconut milk and granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture steams and the sugar dissolves, about 3–5 minutes, and you can see small bubbles around the edges.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth, about 30–60 seconds, until the yolks look glossy and uniform.
  3. Slowly whisk the hot coconut milk into the egg yolks in a thin stream so the yolks temper, and the mixture becomes pale and creamy.
  4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 175°F and coats the back of a spoon, about 6–8 minutes, with a thick custard sheen.
Flavor, chill, and churn
  1. Strain the custard into a bowl, then stir in vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt, and continue mixing until fully smooth.
  2. Cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours until very cold.
  3. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until it looks like soft-serve, about 20–30 minutes, and measure a thick, spoonable texture.
  4. Fold the toasted shredded sweetened coconut into the ice cream in the last 2 minutes of churning, so flakes are evenly dispersed, then transfer to a container.
  5. Freeze until firm, at least 2–4 hours, until scoops hold their shape.

Notes

For the silkiest texture, cook the custard only until it hits 175°F (it should coat the back of a spoon without scrambling). Chill at least 4 hours for proper churning; store in the freezer up to 2 weeks, and thaw 5–10 minutes before scooping. To make it dairy-free, this recipe is already dairy-free—just use canned full-fat coconut milk labeled as such and follow the same steps.