This isn’t just another oat milk ice cream—it’s next-level creamy, thanks to one important ingredient: actual oats! The natural starches in oats work their magic to create a lower-fat ice cream base that melts beautifully and tastes more indulgent than it is. No coconut, eggs, or oil required! It's vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free... and full-on dessert magic. It's one of our all-time favorite vegan ice creams—and readers agree!
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What Makes It Different
Oats, baby! Not just oat milk—but real, soft, creamy, cooked oats blended into the mix for next-level creaminess without coconut milk, oil, or loads of fat.
Shoutout to the legendary Miyoko Schinner for introducing us all to this clever trick in her book The Homemade Vegan Pantry. This method creates a dreamy, perfectly melty mouthfeel that feels and tastes so indulgent… yet it's made with ingredients healthy enough for breakfast!
Once you see how beautifully it melts, you’ll get why I’m obsessed.
Recipe Review
"This recipe is incredible. I've probably made it 8 or 10 times since this summer. It's always a hit with my family." - Seth
Ingredients & Substitutions
Important Note:
Keep in mind that commercial oat milks are processed in a way that deactivates the starches and transforms them into sugars. This is why store-bought oat milk doesn't get slimy when blended or heated and tastes lightly sweet, without added sugar.
But the gooey oatmeal thing is actually beneficial here. This is why we can get away with NOT including oil or coconut cream. It also allows you to use a different type of non-dairy milk if you like, without sacrificing creaminess.
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk: Obviously oat milk is the top choice here, but others work, too. Soy, macadamia, and cashew milk are great options. If you don't mind added oil, choose a full-fat oat milk or barista blend.
- Rolled oats: any brand is fine. Avoid the extra thick-cut oats, if possible. If that's all you have, reduce the amount just slightly and be sure to simmer them until fully soft. One reader even reported that cooked steel cut oats worked well.
- Raw cashews: Look for nuts labeled as "raw." Technically, they are treated with steam for food safety and aren't actually raw. If your grocery store has bulk bins, that's a good place to check. If needed, sub ½ cup cashew butter, almond butter, or sunbutter.
- Maple syrup: Adds amazing flavor and sweetness and pairs perfectly with the vanilla. If you don't have maple syrup, it's fine to substitute a different sugar.
See the recipe card below for amounts and step-by-step instructions.
Need a cashew-free option?
For the fat in this recipe, you can sub almond butter or sunbutter, as mentioned above. This does alter the flavor and color. Or...
This chocolate chickpea ice cream, another reader favorite, is nut-free. And my vegan protein ice cream and date-sweetened ice cream are easily made nut-free with a simple swap!
If you're a fan of coconut, get my tips for making the best coconut milk ice cream at home!
How to Make Oat Milk Ice Cream
Here's a quick look at the basic steps. Be sure to watch the video below, just before the recipe.
First, combine the oats and 1 cup of milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the oats are soft, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Next, blend the cashews with the remaining 2 cups milk until completely smooth. Add the oatmeal, sweetener, vanilla, and salt, and blend again.
Refrigerate the base mixture until cold—anywhere from 2 hours to overnight.
Churn the ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions for your machine (find no-churn instructions below). It will be the consistency of soft serve at this point.
Hint: After churning the ice cream it will have an almost stretchy consistency, but don’t worry! That’s just the oats working their magic.
For scoop-able ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours.
Once fully frozen, let it soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then scoop and enjoy!
Even though making ice cream requires some planning, it's not a difficult process. It just requires a little patience, but once you taste this healthier ice cream you'll know it was all worth it!
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Flavors, Mix-ins and Toppings
The neutral flavor of oat milk ice cream makes it a perfect base for your favorite ice cream mix-ins and flavors, like:
- extracts - coffee or peppermint extract are especially nice.
- chocolate shavings or a swirl
- chopped nuts – try plain and toasted pecans or slivered almonds. Or go with glazed wanluts, wet walnuts, or candied pecans!
- chocolate syrup – bonus, this vegan chocolate syrup is made with oat milk.
- crumbled cookies – sandwich cookies like Oreos and shortbread cookies are delish.
- fresh fruit puree or compote
If you plan to include hard mix-ins like nuts or chocolate, the best time to add those is immediately after churning. Fold them into the ice cream, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container.
No-Churn Instructions
No ice cream maker? No problem! You can still make this oat-based ice cream with one of two simple methods:
- Stir Method:
After blending, pour the mixture into a shallow, freezer-safe container. Freeze until the edges begin to harden (about 45 minutes), then stir vigorously. Repeat every 30 to 45 minutes until it reaches soft-serve consistency—typically 5 to 6 hours. - Ice Cube Method:
Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze completely. Then blend the frozen cubes in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
Recommended Ice Cream Makers
For years I used this Cuisinart 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker. It's loud but dependable and gets the job done. However, over the years the price has skyrocketed, making it not the best option anymore, in my opinion.
I kept dreaming of investing in a compressor model for its ability to make back-to-back batches. So last year I upgraded to the Whynter upright 2.1 quart machine and have been very happy with it.
My take: If you're thinking of spending well over $100 for an ice cream machine and you make ice cream regularly, skip the canister type and go for a compressor model. I doubt you'll regret it!
It's convenient not having to worry about a freezable canister. I wrote a little bit about my experiences with both of those ice cream makers here, if you're interested: Eggnog ice cream
If you're into homemade frozen treats, don't sleep on this vegan milkshake recipe. It tastes exactly like the drive-through vanilla milkshakes you remember from childhood!
FAQs
You sure can! Over the years many readers have reported excellent results making this recipe in the Ninja Creami.
This recipe is vegan, though some call for eggs, which means they are not vegan-friendly. Several brands of commercial vegan oat milk ice creams are available, such as ones by Oatly, So Delicious, and Planet Oat.
Absolutely. From granulated sugar to agave nectar, this is a versatile vegan ice cream recipe that allows for plenty of experimentation. Keep in mind, though, sugar content is important to the overall consistency of ice cream. So I don't recommend reducing it by a significant amount .
Top Tips
- Once the ice cream has been in the freezer for 4+ hours it will be pretty solidly frozen. Just let it soften for about 10 minutes, and you're good to go.
- You may want to freeze it in individual servings. I use these Tovolo ice cream containers (they come in different sizes). Then you can just pull one or two from the freezer and not have to soften the whole batch!
I hope you enjoy this unique oat ice cream as much as we do. If so, be sure to comment below and rate the recipe.
If you’re on instagram, tag me in a photo of your vegan ice cream with @myquietkitchen. I always love to see what you’re making!
Recipe Video
Recipe
Vegan Oat Milk Ice Cream (No Coconut)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups unsweetened oat milk - or soy, cashew, or almond milk
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup raw cashews - can sub ½ cup cashew butter; see Notes for options
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons alcohol such as vodka, gin, or bourbon, optional - See Notes
Instructions
- If you don't have an ice cream maker, find detailed no-churn instructions above. If your ice cream maker has a removable canister, be sure to place in the freezer at least 24 hours in advance.
- In a small sauce pan, combine the oats and 1 cup of the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until soft, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- In a blender combine the remaining 2 cups of milk and 1 cup cashews. Blend on high until completely smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides if needed, so there aren't any unblended bits. Next, add the cooked oats, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and alcohol, if using. Blend again until smooth. Refrigerate until cold.
- Churn the mixture according the instructions for your ice cream maker. At this point the ice cream will be similar to soft serve consistency. For a firmer, scoop-able texture, transfer to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 3–4 hours.
- Around the 4 hour mark, and definitely once the ice cream has been in the freezer overnight, it will be too hard to scoop right away. It's important to let the oat ice cream soften at room temperature for about 10 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.
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 great 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.