Coconut Ice Cream (WITH Dairy!)

I’m a huge fan of anything coconut-flavored.  From macaroons to soup to Starbucks’ dearly departed Banana Coconut Frappuccino, if it has coconut, I’m there.

Ice cream seemed like a natural fit for this flavor, but I searched high and low for a coconut ice cream recipe that used real dairy instead of relying solely on coconut milk.  In my mind, it’s hard to call it ice cream if there’s no cream.

In the end, I made my own recipe that’s loaded with coconut flavor while still using a dairy-filled base.  The amount of sugar can be adjusted based on your own preferences and how sweet the coconut is.  Mine was unsweetened, so I used 3/4 cup of sugar, and it’s plenty sweet.

Coconut Ice Cream

1 1/4 c. full fat coconut milk (optional: chill the can, scoop out the cream that rises to the top, and add remaining water to equal 1 1/4 cup)

1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream 

1/2 c. milk 

1/2-3/4 c. sugar 

1 tsp. vanilla 

1/2 c. coconut (optional: pulse in food processor to give a smoother finished texture)

Toasted coconut for garnish

Mix coconut milk, cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  If the coconut milk is lumpy, mix with a hand mixer (it should just take a minute or so to smooth out).  Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.  Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions, about 20 minutes.  Add shredded coconut during last minute of chilling.  Transfer to freezer-safe container and freeze until hard.