This Vegan Protein Ice Cream recipe is everything you want in a frozen dessert and more! Perfectly sweet and decadent with an ultra creamy texture, this vegan ice cream also packs in some serious protein thanks to silken tofu and nut butter. You can even make it nut-free with a simple swap. This creamy dairy-free treat is sure to wow your taste buds and inspire other fun flavors!
When it comes to vegan ice cream, there's no shortage of options in most grocery stores today. The problem is that many contain a number of added ingredients you may not want in your ice cream, like gums, corn syrup, palm oil, and unidentified "natural flavors," just to name a few!
The good news is that it's easy to make your own non-dairy ice cream at home, and you can control the ingredients.
This homemade tofu ice cream uses basic ingredients that are easy to find at the grocery store and some you probably already have in your kitchen!
For another vegan ice cream with a decent amount of protein, be sure to check out my Chocolate Chickpea Ice Cream!
And for more ways to use silken tofu, check out my collection of Silken Tofu Recipes!
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Why You'll Love Tofu Ice Cream
- It's a healthier ice cream recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth while also giving you a little extra plant-based protein.
- Perfectly creamy ice cream without eggs or dairy!
- Easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients and no gums or anything artificial.
- Just as delicious as traditional protein ice cream. Even non-vegans will love it!
Ingredients
Note that ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Silken Tofu - Provides a neutral-flavored ice cream base instead of coconut milk or other plant-based milks and provides most of the protein in the recipe.
- Peanut Butter - This recipe uses a combination of natural peanut butter and powdered peanut butter which contributes to both the flavor and the protein content.
- Sugar - You can use regular granulated sugar, cane sugar, or coconut sugar if you want to avoid refined sugar.
- Maple Syrup - Optional for more sweetness and a hint of maple flavor.
- Vanilla Extract - Adds vanilla flavor and enhances the other flavors in the ice cream.
- Sea Salt - A touch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances the peanut butter flavor, but you can omit it if you like.
- Refined Coconut Oil - I rarely use coconut oil in my recipes and understand many people choose to avoid it due the saturated fat content. While my other ice cream recipes are oil-free (most are coconut-free, too), this recipe doesn't include oats, and it has a higher water content due to the tofu. Technically, you can omit the oil (it is your ice cream, after all!), but for the best consistency and flavor, I recommend using it. Without the oil the ice cream is very low in fat and will freeze even more solidly.
How to Make Vegan Protein Ice Cream
Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender blender except for the oil. Blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth. Then, with the blender running, drizzle in the melted coconut oil.
Churn the mixture according to the instructions for your ice cream maker.
At this point, the ice cream will have a soft serve consistency.
Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container (for the photo I used a glass loaf pan instead of my Tovolo ice cream containers, to help you better see the consistency). Then cover and freeze for 3-4 hours.
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Tip: If you plan to freeze the ice cream overnight to enjoy the next day, allow it to soften at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
- Other Flavors: Substitute the peanut butter and powdered peanut butter with a combination of almond butter and powdered almond butter or cashew butter and powdered cashew butter to change up the flavor!
- Nut-Free: For a nut-free option, use sunflower seed butter and your favorite vegan protein powder. Vanilla protein powder pairs well with the taste of sunbutter.
- Oil-Free: Although it is highly recommended, you can omit the oil in this recipe if needed. Without the oil, the ice cream is much lower in fat and freezes even more solidly. The flavor and texture are better with it.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this vegan ice cream with your favorite toppings such as chocolate syrup, date caramel, non-dairy whipped topping, dark chocolate chips, sliced bananas, fresh berries, and more!
It's also great on top of freshly baked healthy brownies or in place of the nice cream in these ice cream sandwiches. You can even use it to make a delicious vegan milkshake!
Equipment
Prep is easiest with an ice cream maker. I use this Whynter Upright 2.1 Qt but also recommend the Cuisinart 2-Quart Ice Cream Maker, which I used for many years.
I haven't tested the recipe yet without an ice cream maker, but if you have a no-churn method you prefer, feel free to give it a try! For more detail on how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker, see the "No Churn Instructions" in this post: vegan eggnog ice cream.
How to Store
If you don't plan to enjoy the ice cream on the same day, you'll want to prevent the potential for freezer burn by storing it in an airtight container. I recently started using these Tovolo ice cream containers and love how easy to clean and sturdy they are.
FAQ
I recommend the refrigerated silken tofu, which usually comes in 14 or 16 ounce packages. You'll need 28 ounces for this recipe. If you have two 16 oz. containers, use the leftover tofu to make a tasty tofu smoothie.
Amounts vary depending on the recipe. This vegan tofu ice cream boasts 10 grams of protein per serving!
Top Tip
If you're using an ice cream maker with a removable canister, be sure to freeze the canister for at least 24 hours before you plant to make ice cream.
I hope you enjoy this tofu ice cream recipe! If you give it a try be sure to leave a comment below. If you're on instagram, tag a photo of your high-protein vegan ice cream with @myquietkitchen. I always love to see what you're making!
More Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes
Don't miss this collection of 21 Amazing Vegan Ice Cream Recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Protein Ice Cream (With Silken Tofu)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 28 oz. silken tofu, drained - see Note 1
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, salted
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 Tablespoons powdered peanut butter, unsweetened, or a vegan protein powder - I used PB2 Pure; see Note 2
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, optional
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup melted refined coconut oil, optional - see Note 3
Instructions
- If using an ice cream maker with a removable canister, be sure to freeze the canister for at least 24 hours before making ice cream.
- In a blender combine all ingredients except the oil. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. With the blender running, drizzle in the melted oil.
- Churn the mixture according to the instructions for your ice cream maker. At this point the ice cream will be similar to soft serve. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours. Note that once the protein ice cream has been in the freezer overnight, it is too firm to scoop straight from the freezer. Let it soften at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Maggie says
Can you make this without an ice cream maker and it still be successful edible ice cream?
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Maggie. Yes, I'm sure it will work. Are you familiar with the different no-churn methods? If not, you can find more details in my Eggnog Ice Cream post (it's linked above in the Equipment section).
Hope you enjoy it!
Nina says
Finally an easy, healthy, tasty vegan ice cream recipe! Thank you Lori!
dana.cavin says
Hi Lori, I’m not a huge fan of peanut butter, but I love the idea of using tofu so I made it, replacing coconut oil with cold pressed organic flax oil ( we are usually oil free). The texture was just amazing and I enjoyed the flavour more than I expected, thanks for sharing such a healthy option for ice cream, today I sampled my first vegan mint choc chip ice cream, using this recipe in conjunction with the MCC recipe from your blog, replacing the peanut element with cashew. I’m truly in heaven now it was perfect 😋
Lori Rasmussen says
I'm so glad it was a surprise win for you, Dana! Mint chocolate chip sounds really refreshing right now. 😀
Mark says
This is one of your very best columns. Lots of easy recipes for tofu and new spices to try. What happens if you use oatmeal instead of oil in the ice cream?
Lori Rasmussen says
Thanks, Mark! You can certainly blend a little oatmeal into this ice cream base, similar to my other recipes. It will contribute to the creamy mouthfeel as the ice cream melts, but it won't interfere with water molecules during freezing the same way fat does.
Sena says
This is so good, Lori! I'm glad I have a kitchen scale; I needed a little less than 3 blocks of the Mori-Nu tofu. I bought 2 cases of silken tofu months ago, and this was a great use of 3 blocks. I did use the coconut oil and 1 1/2 tbs of maple syrup. Instead of the peanut butter powder, I used a vanilla protein powder. You were right, of course, that I needed to leave the ice cream sitting out for about 15 minutes to soften it for scooping this evening. Overall, this is so delicious and really easy to make.
Tomi says
This looks good. I can't eat coconut, but I might try oat creamer in its place. I know it will probably affect the hardness when it is frozen, but I think it will be okay for mouth feel. Have you made this with fresh fruit chunks? It would definitely affect the wetness to the ice cream due to water content in the fruit. I will play around with proportions of fluids to accommodate.
Nappie Dee says
I made this and it ROCKED MY WORLD. Not exaggerating at all, it was beyond, beyond gloriously decadent but healthy!
Lori Rasmussen says
What amazing feedback! Thanks so much. I'm glad you liked it!
Charlie says
Can you use maple syrup instead of sugar?
Lori Rasmussen says
Yes, maple syrup will work and taste great. You'll probably only need about 2/3 cup since it is a bit sweeter.
Gathel Canino says
Can this recipe be made in the Ninja Ice Cream maker?
Lori Rasmussen says
I haven't tried the Ninja Creami, but I've heard from several others who have successfully used it with my other ice cream recipes. It should work!
CJ says
Thanks for the great recipe! We added KOS chocolate protein powder and it turned out excellent! Will definitely be making this one again and again!
Sheila says
Hi, I noticed silken tofu comes in different levels of firmness from soft to extra firm. Which level do you use?
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Sheila - The silken tofu I use most often doesn't specify a firmness (you can see a photo of it above). If you want to use a different brand, like Mori-Nu, their soft silken and the organic one are the most similar to the one I used for the ice cream. A firm variety would probably be fine but will have a stronger tofu flavor. Hope that helps!
Sheila says
Thank you for your response. I looked on Amazon and was not able to find the 365 Tofu. I didn't look under Whole Foods Market, maybe that would have helped in my search. I did find the Mori-Nu variety of Tofu. I am anxious to try this ice cream recipe!
keto says
Can you use psyllium ‘egg’ in place of the coconut oil?
Lori Rasmussen says
I've never tried psyllium egg in a frozen dessert, so I'm not sure how it would behave. But I don't think it would do anything beneficial here.