This creamy Vegan Oat Milk Ice Cream is made with just 5 healthy ingredients, thickened with oats and cashews, and FREE from coconut, gluten, refined sugar and oil.
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A Healthier Vegan Ice Cream Recipe
Following my exciting realization that you can use a small amount of oatmeal to bring creaminess to vegan ice cream without coconut milk, oil, or loads of fat, you knew another flavor was coming soon, right?!
For the backstory see this post: Vegan Pumpkin Oat Ice Cream
If you're a fan of vanilla and you enjoy maple syrup, you are going to LOVE this new oat milk ice cream recipe! It has such a purely vanilla-maple flavor, and I can honestly say it's one of my favorite vegan ice creams I've ever tasted.
The fact that this oat ice cream is made with ingredients that are considered healthy enough to eat for breakfast is just a bonus.
But don't take my word for it. Check out the comments section below to see what other readers had to say.
Ingredient Notes
Compared to the base of the Pumpkin Oat Ice Cream recipe, I decided to change a few things for this vanilla version.
Since we're losing the density and volume of the pumpkin puree, I bumped up the amount of raw cashews.
I also decided to sweeten this one with maple syrup instead of coconut sugar for a totally irresistible vanilla-maple flavor. No kidding, the maple takes this vegan ice cream over the top!
What you'll need:
- unsweetened non-dairy milk - obviously oat milk is the top choice here! If you don't mind added oil, choose a full-fat oat milk or barista blend. You can also use homemade oat milk.
Soy milk is also great in this recipe because it is naturally higher in protein in fat than other non-dairy milks. - raw cashews
- old fashioned rolled oats
- pure maple syrup
- vanilla extract
See the recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
Let's give another shout out to Miyoko Schinner, our vegan non-dairy queen, for inspiring this recipe, too. As I explained in the Pumpkin Ice Cream post, her low-fat gelato recipe in The Homemade Vegan Pantry was the inspiration.
As someone who loves frozen treats, but also appreciates healthier versions of recipes, tricks like using oatmeal in ice cream are just SO exciting. Once you try it for yourself and see how beautifully it melts, I think you'll totally understand my enthusiasm.
There is some planning involved when making any ice cream recipe, so let's do a quick review to make sure things go smoothly for you.
How to Make Oat Milk Ice Cream
If you're a visual learner, but sure to watch the 1-minute recipe video below!
- If using an ice cream machine with a removable canister, make sure the canister has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours.
- Prepare the oatmeal in a small sauce pan, then transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Blend the milk and cashews. Add in the remaining ingredients, including the oatmeal, and blend until completely smooth.
- Refrigerate the mixture until cold (anywhere from 2 hours to overnight).
- Churn the ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions for your machine. It will be the consistency of soft serve.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours.
- Allow the ice cream soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then scoop and enjoy!
So even though ice cream requires some planning, it's not like it's a difficult process. It just requires a little patience, but once you taste this creamy and healthy ice cream you'll know it was all worth it.
After churning the ice cream it will have an almost stretchy consistency, but don’t worry! That’s just the oats working their magic.
Tips for Serving
After spending about 4 hours in the freezer the ice cream is very firm. So don't just try to dig in with a spoon, and then declare me a liar about its creaminess!
Let it hang out on the countertop for about 15 minutes, and then scoop up that beautiful maple and vanilla flavor.
Watch it melt in your bowl, and feel it melt in your mouth, and then thank the oats for their natural creaminess!
No-Churn Instructions
If you don't own an ice cream maker you can still whip up a batch of this vanilla-maple oat ice cream. The no-churn method goes like this:
- After blending the ice cream mixture, pour it into a shallow, freezer-safe container.
- Place in the freezer until the ice cream mixture begins to freeze around the edges, about 45 minutes. Give it a vigorous stir, then place back in freezer.
- Repeat this process every 30 to 45 minutes until the ice cream is the desired consistency. It will take about 5 to 6 hours to reach soft-serve state.
I've tested this ice cream using the no-churn method. The results?
It still tastes amazing and melts beautifully; the appearance is the main difference. It will appear a bit grainy due to the formation of ice crystals, but overall that didn't really bother me.
I will say, there's something so enjoyable about watching an ice cream machine transform this healthy blended oat mixture into thick, creamy ice cream within a matter of minutes. And sneaking a taste straight from the machine is pure joy.
So I'll keep using our inexpensive ice cream maker until it quits on me! At that point I just might upgrade to a built-in freezer variety because I love the idea of making back-to-back batches and not having to wait for a canister to freeze.
If you're in the market for an affordable ice cream maker, I've been using this Cuisinart 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker for probably close to 11 or 12 years (so long ago I can't remember exactly, but I know we bought it before going vegan)!
I hope you enjoy this Vegan Oat Milk Ice Cream. Be sure to drop a comment and a star rating below if you give it a try. If you’re on instagram tag a photo of your epic vegan ice cream with @myquietkitchen. I always love to see what you’re making!
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Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Vegan Oat Milk Ice Cream Recipe (No Coconut)
Ingredients
- 3 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk, such as oat or soy, divided
- ¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup raw cashews - If you don't have a high speed blender, sub ⅓ to ½ cup raw cashew butter.
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ounce good quality gin or vodka, optional - See Notes.
Instructions
Prep/Planning:
- If using an ice cream maker with a removable canister, be sure to freeze the canister at least one day before you plan to make ice cream. Also note that the ice cream mixture needs time to chill before churning (at least an hour), and the churned ice cream needs about 3 to 4 hours in the freezer for a firmer, scoopable consistency.
Make the ice cream:
- In a small sauce pan, simmer oats in 1 cup of milk until soft, about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl to cool.
- In a blender combine the remaining 2 cups of milk and the cashews. Blend on high until completely smooth. Add the cooled oatmeal, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and gin/vodka, if using, and blend again. Refrigerate until cold.
- Churn the mixture according the instructions for your ice cream maker. At this point the ice cream will be softer than a typical soft serve consistency. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for about 4 hours.
- Around the 4 hour mark, and definitely once the ice cream has been in the freezer longer, it will be too hard to scoop right away. It's important to let the ice cream soften at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
Sylvia
I made this recipe to try out my new ice cream maker. It is incredible! I didn't have old fashioned oats and used Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, but it worked just fine. I also used cashew milk, which worked well, too. Thank you so much for such an incredible ice cream recipe.
Linda
I’ve tried this recipe twice now. It’s my go to for vegan ice cream. Last one added kahlua and a wee bit of chai spice. Very good! Thank you for this much loved recipe!
Xavy
Hello,
I haven’t churned mine yet, but tasting it, I think it’s a little too sweet for my taste (but still delicious!!!). Any thoughts on doubling the recipe but without doubling the cashews? Maybe just do the milk & oatmeal again?
Thanks,
Xavy
Lori
Hi Xavy,
Once it's frozen it will taste less sweet - that's just the nature of our taste buds. The changes you mentioned might make the consistency more icy, but you could certainly try it. If you just want to tone down the sweetness a tad, I would simply add a little more plant milk, maybe 1/2 cup. Hope that helps!
Deb
I made this with 2/3 c date powder instead of maple syrup, blending it with the cashews and milk in the vitamix. I could not detect graininess in the ice cream. I’m sure maple syrup is smoother but for those who don’t have the taste buds of Julia Child, date powder is fine.
laura
This recipe is so good! We all loved it, so creamy and delicious but still healthy. The only thing we changed was that I felt the sugar was too high. So far we tried with 90ml (instead of 180ml maple syrup) and it was really lovely and still very sweet, so may try reducing it even more. Will be our go to ice cream from now on, thank you!
laura
Oh also, we just froze the mixture in a mini silicone muffin tray, then blended in a high speed food processor when we wanted to serve it, and it came out beautifully creamy with no ice crystals/chunks.
Danielle
Wow! Wonderful ice cream! I made it as directed, will make again for sure! It’s freat to have a nutritious ice cream! The best! No more guilty feeling. Great texture, creamy. I made it with my homemade oat milk… so so good! Thank you! I would give more stars, but 5 is the max! I made other recipes, this one is perfect. I am thinking about making ice cream cookies!
Frankie
Just made this but used a brown sugar oat creamer instead and no maple syrup. It is very very good just like that but I added in some Loganberries and cacao nibs. Thanks for the recipe
Claire
I just bought an ice cream maker and use oat milk all the time. Can I substitute agave syrup or golden syrup for the maple syrup as I'm not a fan of maple? Or maybe even orange marmalade...? Alternatively can I just add some caster sugar instead?
Lori
Hi Claire, I haven't used caster sugar in ice cream so I'm not sure about that. I think the syrups are your best bet.
Ron
Hi Lori, I just stumbled onto your recipe for Vegan Oat Milk Ice Cream. I'm diabetic so oat milk which is high in carbs is not the best option for me. I'm wondering if you thought that unsweetened almond milk would do as good a job? Would that effect the final texture of the ice cream?
Lori
Hi Ron,
Yes, almond milk will be fine, but just want to point out that swapping the milk will impact the overall amount of carbohydrates by only a small amount. It also includes rolled oats and maple syrup. Replacing all of those will definitely impact the texture. But if you experiment and give it a try do let us know!
Sue P
Wow and wow!!!! No more fattening, cheat ice cream for me. Love love this. Did not care for banana nice cream and I do love bananas. This was beyond good, now will have to try the lemon, then going to do blood orange oh myyyyyy
Karen
Made this exactly as directed and it was delish!! How can I make a strawberry version?
Lori
I like how you think! Adding strawberry ice cream to my to-do list right now. Glad you enjoyed it, Karen.
Ryu
Looks good! How many servings will it have? Also, can I substitute the maple syrup with date syrup and add less of it so it won't be as sweet, or will reduced sugar affect the texture?
Lori
Hi Ryu,
It makes about 3.5 cups of ice cream, or 7 standard 1/2 cup servings. You can find this info near the top of the recipe card.
Without trying the sweetener option you mentioned I really can't say what the outcome will be, and yes, reducing the sugar will definitely impact the texture. Experimenting is always fun, but I do think it's best to make it as written.
Ryu
Ah, okay, thank you. I can't wait to make it!
Lori
Hi MJ, yes. There's a section above the recipe that explains the no churn method.
Trish
Could you substitute other alcohols, such as Kahlua or Grand Marnier?
Lori
Oooh sure! I haven't tried that yet but think it's an excellent idea. With Kahlua you could even bump up the amount since it's lower in alcohol than the others.
Lindsay
Do you think this would work using a nut butter rather than the raw cashews, for convenience?
Lori
Hi Lindsay, absolutely. That's actually indicated in the recipe, next to the cashews in the ingredient list.
I hope you enjoy it!
Diane
Just delicious. I made it without alcohol and I don’t have an ice cream maker. I stirred it every 45 minutes for about three hours and then put it in a covered container. It was ready for after dinner.
This is an easy and decadent recipe. Just takes a little planning
Thanks and happy holidays
Diane
Danni
Hi There!
I unfortunately can’t have cashews as I have an intolerance to them. Could I sub for pecans or any other nut?
Thanks x
Lori
Hi Danni,
Yes, definitely. Also, I have two other ice cream recipes you might like, chocolate chickpea (made with sunbutter) and pistachio. Neither one uses cashews.
I hope you enjoy!
Naomi
Would it be ok to soak the cashews prior to blending?
Lori
Hi Naomi,
Yes, soaking the cashews is fine.
alex
Love this recipe. Has anybody tried using any kind of starch like tapioca or cornstarch to make it even more creamy?
Lori
I haven’t tried that yet with this one, since the oats are adding a good amount of starch. I use corn starch in my chocolate chickpea ice cream, though, and it really does make it creamy! Let us know if you experiment! So happy you enjoy the recipe.
Faith
Hi there! I made this recipe as you wrote it, and it was AMAZING!!!! (Even my father who is extremely picky loved it). Today, I was attempting to experiment with using "Swerve" (alternative sugar blend). I used 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup of granular Swerve. It turned out very grainy and didn't yield more than 2 cups. I can bet that I went a bit overboard with Swerve =) DO you have a tested recipe that uses alternative sugars? Thank you!!
Lori
Hi Faith,
I'm glad you all loved it! I don't have a tested version that uses low-calorie, alternative sweeteners. Reducing sugars in ice cream can be tricky. You could try replacing less of the maple syrup and you might be able to find a sweet spot (ha, no pun intended) where a little bit of Swerve would work. Or you could try increasing the amount of fat in the ice cream to try to off-set the reduced sugar.
Happy experimenting!
Kaila
I’ve been looking for an oat milk recipe for ice cream everywhere and really want to try yours my only issue is I can’t have cashews. I have gerd and cashews are a trigger. Is there a way to omit them or can i replace them with something else that isnt a nut, coconuts or bananas? I’m allergic to coconuts and bananas and nuts are a no go for gerd. So you can see why finding a recipe is challenging.
Lori
Hi Kaila, that must be really challenging to deal with! The recipe needs some sort of fat. Are you able to have seeds or do they fall under the same umbrella as nuts for you? If you can have seeds I would try raw sunflower seeds. Otherwise you might need to experiment with adding oil.
Kaila
Thank you! I will give the oil a try and see how it turns out.