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A coconut ice cream recipe made with creamy white chocolate, sea salt, and flakes of coconut. The best homemade coconut ice cream!
Why Make This White Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe?
I love making frozen treats during the spring and summer months. In fact, I actually own not one, not two, but three ice cream machines: an older, well-loved Krups model, an older Cuisinart, and a second Cuisinart ice cream maker which lives on my countertop all year round.
Homemade ice cream allows for endless possibilities, flavors, and add-ins. And, unlike commercially made varieties, it’s free from preservatives and artificial ingredients. This white chocolate coconut version starts with a classic, egg-based custard, cooked on the stovetop and combined with melted white chocolate, chilled, then churned in an cream maker until smooth and creamy.
This coconut ice cream is smooth, sweet, and balanced, with a hint of vanilla bean paste and plenty of shredded coconut. Whether scooped into a bowl or piled high atop a waffle cone, it’s an ice cream recipe worth keeping.
Coconut Ice Cream Ingredients
To make this white chocolate coconut ice cream recipe, start by gathering these ingredients:
- White Chocolate – Choose a good-tasting white chocolate, such as Callebaut or Valrhona, or a better supermarket brand like Lindt or Ghirardelli. Do not use white chocolate chips.
- Coconut – Look for shredded unsweetened coconut. Do not use dessicated or sweetened coconut—the ice cream base is sweet enough.
- Eggs – You’ll need about 60 grams of egg yolk, or the yolks of three large eggs. (You won’t need the whites for this recipe, but you can save them to make macarons or meringues!)
- Whole Milk – For the creamiest ice cream, opt for whole milk rather than skimmed.
- Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream, in the US. Look for a milk fat percentage around 35-36%.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness, and prevents the homemade ice cream from freezing solid.
- Alcohol – Homemade ice cream does not contain the emulsifiers and stablizers that prevent store-bought frozen desserts from solidifying, so a teaspoon of vodka or rum helps to inhibit freezing instead.
- Salt Salt – 1/8 teaspoon of fine sea salt balances out the sweet white chocolate.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – Choose a good-quality vanilla bean paste, such as Nielsen-Massey. You can also use the scrapings of one vanilla pod.
Tips and Tricks for Making Homemade Coconut Ice Cream
If you like making homemade ice cream on a whim like I do, I suggest storing your ice cream maker cylinder bowl in the freezer at all times. Most manufacturers recommend freezing the bowl for 24 hours prior to use, but I find that 48 hours works best. Having the bowl frozen and ready to go means homemade ice cream any time you want!
It is crucial to properly temper the hot cream into the cold egg yolks. If you simply add the yolks to the pan all at once, the mixture will curdle. And don’t forget to keep stirring (or gently whisking) until the custard cooks, or you might find yourself with scrambled eggs!
Recommended Tools and Equipment
These are my favorite tools for making homemade ice cream:
- Ice Cream Maker – For an entry-level machine that gets the job done, I recommend this Cuisinart 1.5 quart ice cream maker. Thoroughly freeze the bowl (I recommend at least 48 hours) before use, or store it in the freezer at all times.
- Ice Cream Scoop – For scooping and serving the finished product! I prefer a sturdy metal scoop, like this one.
- Hand Whisk – You’ll need a whisk to combine the milk, cream, sugar, and syrup to make the ice cream base.
- Flexible Rubber Spatula – Use a rubber spatula to scrape the churned base from the ice cream maker into your storage container. Opt for soft silicone utensils rather than metal, which can scratch the bowl’s delicate interior.
- Storage Containers – You can store homemade ice cream in lidded plastic food storage containers, cardboard pint containers, or reusable silicone ice cream containers.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Store coconut ice cream in the freezer for up to one month. Allow the container to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes prior to serving, or until the ice cream is just soft enough to scoop.
Pint or quart-size plastic food storage containers are perfect for homemade ice cream. If making ice cream to share, I recommend scooping it into disposable cardboard pint containers, like these. You can also purchase reusable ice cream containers.
Other homemade ice cream recipes you might enjoy:
Maple Ice Cream
Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream
Mango Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Oreo Ice Cream
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Coconut Ice Cream
- Total Time: 40 minutes (+ chilling/freezing time)
- Yield: 850 grams 1x
Description
A coconut ice cream recipe made with creamy white chocolate, sea salt, and flakes of coconut.
Ingredients
60 grams egg yolks, beaten (yolks of 3 large eggs)
360 milliliters whole milk (1 1/2 cups)
360 milliliters heavy cream (1 1/2 cups)
150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
85 grams good-quality white chocolate, chopped (3 ounces)
25 grams unsweetened shredded coconut (1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon vodka, optional, to prevent freezing
Instructions
In a small dish, beat egg yolks with a fork. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cream, sugar, and sea salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves.
Pour a small amount of hot cream into the beaten egg yolks.
Continue tempering hot into cold, a few splashes at a time, stirring well after each addition, until you’ve added about half of the hot cream.
Pour tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 4-5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Whisk in white chocolate and vanilla bean paste, stirring until chocolate melts.
Stir in vodka, if using.
Pour into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, or overnight.
Whisk chilled base briskly to recombine. Pour into frozen ice cream maker, with bowl frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Churn until thick and creamy, about 15-20 minutes. The consistency will resemble soft serve ice cream.
With ice cream maker still churning, add coconut in small amounts, allowing mixture to churn for a few minutes after each addition.
With a flexible rubber spatula, scoop coconut ice cream into a freezer-safe container.
Freeze 2-4 hours prior to serving, or until ice cream reaches scoopable consistency.
Store homemade ice cream in the freezer for up to one month. For a scoopable consistency, allow to stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
The finished product should remain firm, but still fairly scoopable when stored in the freezer. For a softer texture, you can add a few capfuls of vodka or rum to the base mixture prior to churning.
I like to store my homemade ice cream in pint containers, like these, which are designed specifically for frozen treats.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chilling and Freezing Time: 12 hours (base) + 4 hours (freeze)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Ice Cream
- Method: Stovetop + Ice Cream Maker
- Cuisine: Dessert