I grew up thinking ice cream without dairy was basically just a frozen fruit popsicle—icy, hard, and nothing like the real thing. Turns out I was wrong.

The secret is full-fat coconut milk. It’s got the creaminess you need to make ice cream that actually scoops like ice cream. Add in ripe summer peaches and a bit of maple syrup, and you’ve got something that tastes just as good as what you’d get from the shop down the street. The best part? You don’t need an ice cream maker or any fancy equipment. Just a blender and your freezer.

vegan peach ice cream — Image: theamazingfood.com / All Rights reserved

Why You’ll Love This Peach Ice Cream

Dairy-free and vegan – Made with coconut milk instead of heavy cream, this ice cream is perfect if you’re avoiding dairy or following a plant-based diet.
Simple, wholesome ingredients – You only need four basic ingredients to make this creamy treat, and they’re all real food you can feel good about eating.
Naturally sweetened – The ripe peaches and maple syrup (or dates) provide all the sweetness you need without any refined sugar.
Fresh peach flavor – Using real peaches gives you that authentic, fruity taste that’s so much better than artificial flavoring.
No ice cream maker required – You can make this creamy ice cream without any special equipment, just a blender and your freezer.

What Kind of Peaches Should I Use?

Fresh, ripe yellow peaches are your best bet for this ice cream, and you’ll know they’re ready when they give slightly to gentle pressure and smell sweet. If peaches aren’t in season, frozen peaches work just as well and actually make the recipe even easier since you can skip the chilling step for the coconut milk. White peaches can also be used if that’s what you have on hand, though they’ll give you a slightly milder, less tangy flavor. Just make sure your peaches are nice and ripe – underripe peaches won’t blend as smoothly and will leave your ice cream tasting a bit flat.

Options for Substitutions

This simple vegan ice cream is easy to customize with a few swaps:

Coconut milk: Full-fat coconut milk is really important here since it creates that creamy texture. You can try cashew cream as an alternative – just blend 1 cup of soaked cashews with ½ cup water until smooth.
Fresh peaches: No fresh peaches? Frozen peaches work great too. Use about 3 cups of frozen sliced peaches, and skip chilling the coconut milk since the frozen fruit will help with the texture.
Maple syrup: Agave nectar or date syrup are good alternatives if you don’t have maple syrup. The recipe also suggests using pitted dates – if you go this route, blend them well with the other ingredients to avoid chunks.
Yellow peaches: White peaches or nectarines can stand in for yellow peaches. You could even try mangoes or apricots for a different fruit flavor, though the taste will obviously change.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Making

The biggest mistake when making vegan ice cream is forgetting to freeze your ice cream maker bowl for the full 12 hours – if it’s not completely frozen, your ice cream will never reach the right consistency and you’ll end up with a soupy mess instead of creamy scoops.

Another common error is using underripe peaches, which will give you a bland, disappointing flavor, so make sure your peaches are fragrant and give slightly when you press them gently.

If you’re using the date option for sweetening, blend them with a bit of the coconut milk first to avoid chunks in your final product, and remember that coconut milk should only be chilled if you’re using fresh peaches – using chilled milk with frozen peaches makes the mixture too thick to blend properly.

For the creamiest texture, don’t skip the final 30-minute freeze in the tray, as this step firms up the ice cream just enough to make it scoopable without being rock-hard.

What to Serve With Peach Ice Cream?

This peach ice cream is perfect on its own, but it’s also great alongside a warm fruit crisp or cobbler – the temperature contrast makes it extra special. I love serving it with a simple shortbread cookie or graham cracker on the side for a little crunch. If you’re feeling fancy, drizzle some extra maple syrup or a bit of melted dark chocolate over the top, and maybe add some toasted pecans or sliced almonds for texture. For a fun summer dessert spread, pair it with fresh berries or grilled peach halves that still have a bit of warmth to them.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your peach ice cream in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 weeks. I like to press a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface before sealing to prevent ice crystals from forming on top.

Scoop: Since homemade ice cream doesn’t have the same stabilizers as store-bought, it can get pretty hard in the freezer. Let it sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes before scooping to make it easier to serve. If it’s really solid, you can also run your ice cream scoop under hot water between scoops.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	60-90 minutes
Total Time	70-105 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy
Servings	4 servings

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

Calories: 900-1100
Protein: 6-8 g
Fat: 48-56 g
Carbohydrates: 120-140 g

Ingredients

14 oz full-fat coconut milk
4 large peaches (peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick wedges)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp sea salt

Step 1: Prepare the Peaches and Chill Your Equipment

4 large peaches

Peel and slice the peaches into 1-inch wedges, removing the pit.

Place them in the freezer while you prepare your ice cream maker bowl.

If using an ice cream maker with a freezer bowl, place it in the freezer now—it needs at least 12 hours to freeze solid, so plan ahead.

If using a churning machine that doesn’t require pre-freezing, you can skip this step.

Having cold equipment is essential for proper ice cream texture and faster churning.

Step 2: Blend the Ice Cream Base

14 oz full-fat coconut milk
4 large peaches
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp sea salt

Open the can of coconut milk without shaking it—you’ll notice the thick cream has separated from the liquid.

Scoop out the solid coconut cream into a blender and add the frozen peach wedges, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and sea salt.

Blend until completely smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.

The frozen peaches will start to soften during blending but that’s perfect—it creates the right texture and chills the base.

I like to taste the mixture at this point and adjust the lemon juice if the peaches taste overly sweet; a little extra brightness makes all the difference.

Step 3: Churn the Ice Cream Mix

blended ice cream base from Step 2

Pour the blended mixture into your pre-frozen ice cream maker bowl and churn according to your machine’s instructions, typically for 25-30 minutes.

The mixture should transform from a liquid into a soft-serve consistency as the churning incorporates air and keeps it moving to prevent large ice crystals from forming.

Stop when it reaches a soft-serve texture—it will still be quite soft but should hold its shape when scooped.

Step 4: Freeze Until Firm

churned ice cream from Step 3

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 30 minutes before serving.

For a scoopable consistency similar to store-bought ice cream, freeze for 2-4 hours.

I find that letting it sit out for 5 minutes before scooping makes it much easier to portion, especially if your freezer runs cold.