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Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

Homemade coconut ice cream with toasted coconut flakes folded in for a silky, ivory texture. Coconut milk custard is cooked to 175°F, chilled, churned, and then frozen until firm for dense, deeply creamy scoops.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing (4 hours + additional freeze until firm) 4 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Coconut base custard
  • 27 oz full-fat coconut milk Use 2 cans (13.5 oz each).
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar Heat with coconut milk until fully dissolved.
  • 4 egg yolks Whisk smooth before tempering.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp coconut extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Toasted coconut
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut Toast before folding into the churned ice cream.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the coconut custard
  1. Heat full-fat coconut milk and granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture steams and the sugar dissolves.
  2. Whisk egg yolks in a bowl until smooth, then slowly whisk the hot coconut milk into the yolks to temper.
  3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175°F and coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Strain the custard, then stir in vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt.
  5. Cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours until cold.
Churn, fold in toasted coconut, and freeze
  1. Toast shredded sweetened coconut until lightly golden and fragrant, then cool.
  2. Churn the chilled coconut custard in an ice cream maker until thickened and the texture resembles soft-serve.
  3. Fold in toasted shredded sweetened coconut during the last 2 minutes of churning.
  4. Transfer to a container and freeze until firm.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, keep the heat gentle while cooking the custard—stir constantly and stop as soon as it reaches 175°F. Chill the base for at least 4 hours (up to 24 hours in the fridge) before churning; once churned, freeze until firm (up to 2–3 weeks). Freezing: yes. Dietary swap: for a dairy-free coconut ice cream, use the same coconut milk base and skip any sweeteners or add-ins that contain dairy (this recipe already contains no dairy beyond what you add).