Dairy Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Rich, buttery caramel flavor with a satisfying salty finish — this frozen dessert genuinely delivers everything you'd want from a classic scoop, and it does it entirely without cream or butter. The secret is full-fat coconut milk, which brings enough body and richness to build a proper custard base that churns up smooth and scoopable. A deep amber caramel is cooked from scratch, then tempered egg yolks are folded in low and slow until the mixture coats the back of a spoon — real technique, real payoff. Flaky sea salt stirred into the custard and sprinkled on top at serving pulls the whole thing together in that sweet-salty way that makes it genuinely hard to stop at one scoop. The recipe makes 6 servings, so it's a great make-ahead option for a dinner party or a week's worth of after-dinner treats. Chilling the custard overnight before churning is worth the patience — it makes for a noticeably creamier, more cohesive final texture. Store-bought alternatives in this category can taste thin or overly coconutty, but the caramelization here is bold enough to keep that flavor front and center.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the caramel base
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cans (13.5 oz each) full-fat coconut milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more for topping
For serving
- flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Shake the cans of coconut milk well, then pour into a medium saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- 2
Combine the granulated sugar and water in a separate medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until the sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber color, 8–10 minutes. Watch closely once the edges begin to color — the caramel can go from amber to burnt quickly.
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