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Vegan Mango Ice Cream (No-Churn Recipe)

This vegan mango ice cream is made without an ice cream maker using an easy no-churn method. It’s so smooth and silky that you won’t believe it was made without eggs or dairy.

Vegan mango ice cream in a glass dessert bowl.

The easy step-by-step instructions will show you how to transform a few simple ingredients into a non-dairy frozen tropical treat. No ice cream machine or churning is needed!

You will love this easy vegan mango ice cream recipe if you’re an ice cream lover like me but not so keen on dairy and excess sugar!

Pureed mango and rich coconut milk thickened with arrowroot powder create a delicate dairy-free ice cream (a.k.a. “nice cream”) with a soft and creamy sherbert-like consistency.

This homemade mango ice cream is the perfect after-dinner dessert, and there’s no need for anyone to know it’s vegan.

I don’t have an ice cream maker, and I haven’t had much success with churning dairy-free ice cream recipes, so I froze this mango ice cream mix in muffin pan cups, and it worked!

Blend the frozen cups in a food processor for a satiny smooth serving of delicious ice cream.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Mango Ice Cream Recipe

  • Making ice cream from scratch is easier than you may think.
  • This creamy mango ice cream is a delicious AND nutritious dessert.
  • This easy ice cream recipe is made with budget-friendly pantry and freezer ingredients.
  • The ice cream mixture freezes beautifully in scoop-size portions, ready to blend whenever you’re craving something sweet.

Three vegan mango ice cream scoops in a glass dessert bowl.

Ingredients & Equipment

  • Full-Fat Coconut milk – This is the key to the creamiest non-dairy ice cream. Ideally, there should be a thick layer of coconut cream at the top. Double-check the ingredients and use coconut milk made with only coconut, water, and guar gum.
  • Arrowroot powder – This gluten-free and grain-free flour comes from the starchy matter extracted from the tropical Arundinacaea plant. Please do not substitute cornstarch! Your homemade ice cream won’t be nearly as silky smooth.
  • Maple syrup – to sweeten and enhance flavor. Feel free to use date syrup or agave nectar.
  • Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract with at least 35% alcohol. The alcohol helps keep the ice cream stable, soft, and creamy while frozen and prevents the formation of ice crystals.
  • Mango – A bag of frozen mango chunks is perfectly fine. You can also use fresh mango, but the fruit must be juicy and ripe.
  • Equipment – You’ll need a powerful food processor or high-speed blender and a muffin pan. I use a silicone muffin pan, and the ice cream cups just pop right out.

How To Make Vegan Mango Ice Cream

How to Make the Ice Cream Mix

  1. Make the slurry: First, add the coconut milk to a medium-size pot, then scoop out about a quarter cup of the watery portion into a small bowl. Next, add one tablespoon of arrowroot powder to the bowl and whisk until smooth.
  2. Combine the slurry and coconut milk: Place the pot with the coconut milk on the stove and heat it over medium heat until the portion of solidified coconut milk melts and the coconut milk is completely liquified. Then, slowly add in the slurry while whisking continuously. Warm the mixture until just before it reaches a simmer. Then, immediately remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  3. Puree the mango: While the coconut milk cools, add the mango to a food processor and pulverize the fibers and flesh until smooth.
  4. Make mango ice cream mix: Once the coconut milk mixture is cool, stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Then, add the mixture to your food processor and process to fully incorporate with the mango puree.

How to Freeze and Serve No Churn Ice Cream

  1. Divide the mango mixture evenly between the muffin cups. Place the muffin pan into the freezer and let the ice cream freeze for about 3 hours or until completely frozen. You can also leave it in the freezer overnight.
  2. Pop the frozen ice cream cups out of the muffin pan and transfer them to a glass container or a plastic bag. Cover the glass container with a tight lid or seal the plastic bag and place it in the freezer.
  3. Once ready to serve, take the mango ice cream cups out of the freezer. I find that one cup is equal to one large scoop of ice cream.
  4. Depending on your food processor, you might want to break the cups before you process them. My food processor is not very powerful and wouldn’t process a whole ice cream cup, so I just break them up with a sharp knife.
  5. Place the mango ice cream chunks into a food processor and start processing them. First, you will notice that the mixture falls apart into crumbs, and you will seriously doubt that this could ever become ice cream.
  6. Just keep processing it, and suddenly, you will see that the crumbs stick together and magically turn into a soft serve with a creamy texture.
  7. At this point, just scoop the fresh mango ice cream.
  8. And serve!

Collage of step-by-step photos on how to freeze and store no-churn ice cream.

Recipe Tips

Thaw the frozen mango chunks slightly before pureeing. The puree is smoother when the mangoes have softened some.

Be patient with your food processor. It may take a few minutes to achieve the perfect texture.

Remove the coconut milk mixture from the heat before it reaches a simmer. The arrowroot powder loses its thickening ability if cooked. Let it cool before making ice cream.

One frozen cup is about one large ice cream scoop. When entertaining, I typically account for each guest wanting two scoops.

Don’t cram the food processor. Depending on your food processor’s capacity, you may need to break the frozen pucks into smaller pieces and blend each serving individually.

The time it takes to freeze will vary, but there’s no rush. You can leave the muffin pan in the freezer overnight.

I prefer using a silicone muffin pan, so the frozen ice cream cups just pop out. If you are using a regular muffin pan, you can fill the sink with a little bit of warm water and set the bottom of the pan into the water for a few seconds.

Variations

Puree a medley of frozen fruit and berries like pineapple, papaya, passionfruit, banana, apricot, peaches, strawberries, and raspberries.

Add tasty toppings or fold them into the ice cream mixture before serving:

  • For crunch, add toasted coconut, chopped almonds, pistachios, or macadamia nuts;
  • For chew, add dried tropical fruits like pineapple, guava, kiwi, and papaya;
  • For sweet, add mini white chocolate chips, raspberry sauce, blueberry sauce, and caramel.

Storing

Keep your mango ice cream cups in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2-3 months (but doubtful they’ll last that long!).

2 dessert glass bowls with vegan mango ice cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this dairy-free ice cream with almond milk instead of coconut milk?

Full-fat canned coconut milk thickens perfectly into soft ice cream. You can make it with almond milk, but your ice cream won’t be as thick and creamy.

Can I use fresh instead of frozen mango?

Yes! This is a perfect healthy dessert to make during mango season. You can process fresh ripe mangoes into a smooth puree just as you would frozen mangos.

How do you make mango ice cream without dairy?

Thickened, full-fat coconut milk is essential for soft and creamy dairy-free ice cream. This recipe will show you how to make it.

More Healthy Frozen Dessert Recipes

Vegan mango ice cream in a glass bowl with 2 silver spoons to the left.

Vegan mango ice cream in a glass dessert bowl.

Vegan Mango Ice Cream

Yield: 6 portions
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

This dairy-free mango ice cream makes a perfect healthy treat for a hot summer day. Much better than regular ice cream, and you don't need an ice cream maker.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (398 ml) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp alcohol based vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup mango puree (about 2 to 2 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks)

You will also need:

  • 12 cup muffin pan
  • food processor

Instructions

  1. Pour all contents from the coconut milk can into a medium pot. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the coconut milk liquid into a small bowl (sometimes there will be solid and liquid coconut milk in a can depending on the quality of the coconut milk and the room or storage temperature). Add 1 tablespoon of the arrowroot powder into the bowl and whisk until fully smooth.
  2. Place the pot with the coconut milk on the stove and start warming it up over medium heat. Once the solid parts of the coconut milk have dissolved and the coconut milk became fully liquid, slowly pour the arrowroot mixture into the coconut milk, making sure to whisk constantly.
  3. You will notice that as you warm it up, the coconut milk will become thicker. It is very important not to overheat it. Do not bring it to a boil or simmer because if overheated, the arrowroot powder will lose its thickening ability. Once the coconut milk is hot, take it off the heat and let it cool a bit.
  4. In the meantime, prepare the mango puree. I prefer to thaw the mango chunks a bit before processing them. I find it's easier to process them to a very smooth puree when they are a bit softer and not fully frozen. But it also depends on your food processor, as some are more powerful than others. Mangoes have very tough fibers so process the mango chunks until the fibers are fully broken.
  5. Once the coconut milk is at room temperature, add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add the coconut milk mixture to the mango puree in the food processor and process some more until fully smooth.
  6. Divide the ice cream mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Place the muffin pan into the freezer and let the ice cream freeze for about 3 hours or until frozen solid. Once the ice cream is frozen, pop the ice cream cups out of the muffin pan and store them in a glass container with a tight lid or in a plastic bag.
  7. Once ready to serve, place the ice cream cups into a food processor (break them up with a knife if needed before placing them into a food processor) and process until soft ice cream consistency. Scoop into bowls and serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 174Total Fat 13.7gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1.7gCholesterol 0mgSodium 10mgCarbohydrates 12.8gFiber 0.7gSugar 9.9gProtein 1.7g

Nutrition facts provided on this website are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a qualified health care provider for personalized diet advice and make sure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.

Did you make this recipe?

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Maina

Wednesday 3rd of August 2016

I was craving vegan ice cream for soooo long !! This looks delicious :) I just want to know what I can substitute the arrowroot powder with.

Maria Ushakova

Thursday 4th of August 2016

Hi Maina! I only tested this recipe with arrowroot powder. You could try tapioca starch but I don't know if it will work or not.

Erika

Thursday 30th of July 2015

This is truly brilliant. Great idea and thank you so much for sharing with us :)

Maria Ushakova

Thursday 30th of July 2015

You are welcome, Erika!

kindra moore

Tuesday 23rd of June 2015

I love this ice cream! Would this work with strawberries?

Maria Ushakova

Wednesday 24th of June 2015

Hi there! The method would work for any ice cream recipe. If you want to replace the mango with strawberries, you would probably need to add more sweetener as strawberries are usually less sweet than mango.

Trish

Tuesday 23rd of June 2015

YUM! Mango has been a total food obsession for the last few months. Aaaaaand since I don't have an ice cream maker, this is perfect!

Maria Ushakova

Wednesday 24th of June 2015

I am a huge mango fan. Working on another mango recipe right now :)

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