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Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

Homemade coconut ice cream made with coconut milk custard for a silky, dense scoop. Toasted coconut flakes are folded in for fragrant, creamy coconut ice cream with a tropical finish.
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
  

Coconut ice cream base
  • 2 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp coconut extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Toasted coconut
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut toast until golden

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Toast the coconut
  1. Toast the shredded sweetened coconut on a sheet pan at 325F for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once, until golden and fragrant (visual cue: light browning at edges). Cool to room temperature.
Make the coconut custard
  1. In a Dutch oven, heat full-fat coconut milk and granulated sugar over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture steams (visual cue: small wisps of steam rise).
  2. Whisk egg yolks in a bowl until smooth, then slowly whisk the hot coconut milk mixture into the yolks in a thin stream (visual cue: the mixture turns glossy and homogeneous).
  3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until it reaches 175F and coats the back of a spoon (visual cue: swipe a finger through it and the line holds).
Flavor, chill, and churn
  1. Strain the custard into a clean container, then stir in vanilla extract, coconut extract, and salt until fully incorporated (visual cue: no streaks remain).
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until thoroughly chilled (visual cue: cold throughout).
  3. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until thick and creamy, then fold in toasted coconut for the last 2 minutes of churning (visual cue: toasted flakes distribute throughout).
  4. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours until firm (visual cue: scoopable and set, not soft).

Notes

Pro tip: keep the custard at a gentle simmer—stir constantly and stop the moment it hits 175F for a smooth texture. Refrigerate churned ice cream in a sealed container up to 1 week; freeze up to 2 months. Dairy-free: keep it fully dairy-free by using canned full-fat coconut milk (no dairy ingredients).