This isn't just another oat milk ice cream. It's next-level creamy thanks to one important ingredient... real oats! The natural starches work their magic to create a lower-fat non-dairy ice cream that melts beautifully and tastes more indulgent than it actually is. No coconut, eggs, or oil needed!
This oat ice cream is vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Basically, it's full-on dessert magic and a reader favorite!
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What Makes It Different
Oats, baby! Not just oat milk, but real, soft, creamy, cooked oats blended into the dairy-free base 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 in this ice 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 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 firmer, 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!
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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 healthy ice cream you'll know it was all worth it!
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 oatmilk ice cream with one of these easy no-churn 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.
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.
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
Shelley says
The best ice cream recipe I've ever made. It was so easy to make. I used vodka. I also pre-soaked the cashews because I've learned from other recipes that that helps the cashews to blend more easily. I substitutes the maple syrup with honey (1:1) and that worked very well. I'm making this again and will try bourbon with the maple syrup. This is such a great recipe because I've got one person with a gluten allergy and another who is lactose intolerant. The cashews and oats must be what makes this ice cream so creamy. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jeanette says
We tried this recipe out this Easter weekend. It was an absolute hit for vegans and non-vegans alike! My husband and I have been following a low fat plant based diet for over a year now, on a journey to reverse insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Although this recipe does have 9 g of fat per serving, it is much lower than the dairy alternative and without the saturated fat that dairy or coconut offers. It's such a delicious option for a special occasion. The combination of the oats and the cashews made it incredibly creamy. I used vanilla oat milk, vanilla and vanilla vodka in the recipe which made it beautifully vanilla flavored. I think I will use vanilla bean paste next time as I really love vanilla. A chocolate version with the addition of cocoa is also on the list to try. I think I'll pour it into popsicle molds to make homemade fudgesicles. We have the Ninja Creami and it worked wonderfully in the machine. We did blend it twice (a tip from another Creami owner) with the addition of a bit of oat milk between the first and second blend. It came out like soft serve! In the future, I will tweak the volume so that it fits perfectly in the Creami containers.
Thanks for the innovative idea of blending cooked oats and soaked cashews into this creamy masterpiece.
Glenys Bellaney says
I made this on the weekend as we had vegan family over for lunch and we were all so impressed, it was absolutely delicious. They said it is the best vegan ice-cream they have had. Gave them your recipe. I haven't got an ice cream maker but now thinking about getting one as my husband can't tolerate cream and he loved your recipe also. Thank you so much.
Willa says
I tried this recipe in the Creami and it worked out great. And when I say great, I mean the best ice-cream texture I’ve ever made with the Creami. It would definitely rival any premium ice-cream texture, it was not icy, and there was no respin needed (if you’re familiar with the Creami you know about this) and also, most importantly, delicious. I did use half the amount of maple syrup and it was perfectly sweet. This recipe is a winner.
One issue: 7 servings!?! That is hard to make happen.
Crystal Reid says
This was the first recipe I tried in my new ice cream maker; love it! Pretty sure I didn't blend the oats long enough as I have a few chunks in it. The taste is amazing; just have to tweak the texture. So excited to try it again.
Question : can I just add some strawberry powder / cocoa powder to make strawberry / chocolate ice cream?
jess says
A year late, but you could definitely add 50g or so cocoa powder to the oats as they're cooking. Adding it at that stage will bloom the cocoa, melting the fats to make it more luscious and intensifying the flavour and colour.
Nadia says
I was really prepared to hate this. I expected it to be icy and not at all creamy, but I was SO WRONG! I initially made this oat milk ice cream for a girlfriend who is nursing and whose baby is reacting poorly to dairy. I’m now just going to switch to this for myself because it is so much lower in fat and still so creamy! If you didn’t tell me it wasn’t made with dairy I never would have believed it. Adding the cooked oats was a genius move.
Seth says
This recipe is incredible. I've probably made it 8 or 10 times since this summer. It's always a hit with my family.
Christal says
I churned this in the morning, so I knew it would need to thaw. Therefore, I put it in the fridge a couple hours before I served it. That worked well and I liked the texture. I would have preferred for it to be sweeter, so next time I make it, I will add some more sweetner-probably stevia.
I have tried and experimented with many dairy free ice cream recipes over many years and this one is one of the best. I am going to try the butter pecan recipe next!
PJ says
I love the ideas behind this recipe and am going to try it this afternoon (with macadamias in place of cashews as we have an allergy on the family). One tip I got from a raspberry sorbet recipe from Americas Test Kitchen is to freeze a cup of the mixture whilst cooking the remaining in the fridge. The frozen portion is then added into the chilled mix and stirred to combine. This apparently seeds ice crystal formation which rapidly increases the freezing process, leading to smaller ice crystals and a smoother ice cream. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sara says
I'm allergic to nuts. Is there a replacement [also allergic to milk, coconut and most other tasty things in life] you can recommend? I'm dying to find a replacement ice cream.
Thanks!
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Sara - Are you okay with seeds and oils like avocado, grapeseed, etc? If so, that could serve as the fat in your ice cream. This one calls for sunflower seed butter and chocolate: https://myquietkitchen.com/chocolate-chickpea-ice-cream/
I don't have a tested vanilla version yet, but that's probably something I should work on!
Nadine says
I am allergic to oats. Can I omit the oats or replace with something else? Also, I assumed that I was ok to use almond milk.
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Nadine - The oats add body and contribute to the creaminess, but you can certainly find ways around using them. I would increase the amount of cashews and add a different type of starch. This ice cream recipe might help: https://myquietkitchen.com/chocolate-chickpea-ice-cream/
Ramae says
Lovely vegan ice cream recipe. Followed the recipe to a tee, and it was a hit with both me and my son. Plus my dog can safely enjoy it! Thanks so much for these healthy and amazing recipes!
Erin Jenkins says
Didn't work out well for me, I thought the maple was too overwhelming but that could be fixed, what i really didn't like was that it was crumbly and an unusual texture, don't know what's gone wrong.
Lori says
Hmm, I'm not sure about the texture you're describing, and yes, sounds like you would prefer it with regular sugar instead of maple. Obviously it's lower in fat than some vegan ice creams, like ones made with coconut milk or oils, for example. So I'm not sure if you might be comparing it to those or to dairy ice cream, or what kind of expectations you had. At any rate, I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out for you!