This creamy oat milk ice cream is a vanilla scoop the whole allergy family can share: no dairy, no eggs, and no nuts in the recipe. It starts with regular carton oat milk, sweetened condensed oat milk, and coconut cream, cooked briefly with arrowroot or cornstarch into a silky, pudding-like base. Chill it well, churn it in your ice cream maker, and you get a rich, scoopable dairy-free ice cream without the custard or the cashews.

Allergens: Contains: oats (oat milk), coconut (coconut cream; condensed coconut milk if used); soy only if you use the soy milk option. Free of: dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts.

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Why You’ll Love This Oat Milk Ice Cream

• Nut-free and dairy-free: Many dairy-free ice creams rely on cashews or almond milk. This one doesn’t.
• Egg-free: A starch-thickened base replaces the egg-yolk custard.
• Uses store-bought oat milk: No homemade oat milk needed.
• Make-ahead dessert: The base chills overnight, so it’s ready to churn the next day.

What You’ll Need

• A churn-style ice cream maker (freezer-bowl or compressor models both work; freeze the bowl ahead if yours needs it)
• A medium saucepan and whisk
• An airtight ice cream container or a loaf pan
• Sweetened condensed oat milk (or sweetened condensed coconut milk)

Ingredient Notes

• Oat milk: 2 1/4 cups unsweetened vanilla oat milk. Creamy or barista-style works best, because more fat means creamier ice cream.
• Sweetened condensed oat milk: Adds body and sweetness. Sweetened condensed coconut milk also works.
• Coconut cream: One 13.5 oz can for richness. To reduce the coconut, use soy milk instead. Soy is a top allergen, so only use it if it’s safe for your family.
• Vanilla: 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, plus seeds from 1 to 2 vanilla beans if you’d like those pretty flecks.
• Arrowroot or cornstarch: Thickens the base so it churns up smooth instead of icy.

How to Make Oat Milk Ice Cream

1. Whisk. Whisk everything together in a saucepan until there are no starch lumps.

2. Cook. Whisk constantly over medium-high heat until it just simmers. Then lower the heat to medium-low and keep whisking for 7 to 8 minutes, until it’s pudding-thick and pulling away from the sides.

3. Chill. Cool for 10 minutes, then refrigerate about 4 hours or overnight until fully cold.

4. Churn and freeze. Churn for 30 to 40 minutes, then freeze at least 2 hours until scoopable.

Oat Milk Ice Cream Recipe

Nut-Free Oat Milk Vanilla Ice Cream

Creamy homemade oat milk ice cream made with carton oat milk and a quick cooked, starch-thickened base. No eggs, no dairy, no nuts. Made in a churn-style ice cream maker.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chill, churn, and freeze 6 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Total Time 7 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings: 5 cups

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/4 cups unsweetened vanilla oat milk creamy or barista-style works best
• 1 7 oz can sweetened condensed oat milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk
• 1 13.5 oz can coconut cream or soy milk to minimize coconut
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar adjust to taste
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• pinch sea salt
• seeds from 1-2 vanilla beans optional

Method

 

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk all the ingredients together until completely smooth, with no starch lumps.
2. Set over medium-high heat and whisk constantly until it just starts to simmer.
3. Lower the heat to medium-low and keep whisking 7 to 8 minutes, until thickened to a pudding-like consistency that starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
4. Pour into a clean bowl and cool at room temperature about 10 minutes.
5. Cover and refrigerate until fully cold, about 4 hours or overnight.
6. Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions until thick soft-serve consistency, usually 30 to 40 minutes.
7. Transfer to a chilled airtight container or loaf pan and freeze at least 2 hours, until scoopable.
8. Let sit at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.

Notes

Allergens: Contains: oats (oat milk), coconut (coconut cream; condensed coconut milk if used); soy only if you use the soy milk option. Free of: dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts.

Choose the creamiest oat milk you can find; higher fat means creamier ice cream. Thorough chilling before churning is extra important with oat milk bases.

Tips for Creamy Dairy-Free Ice Cream

• Chill the base thoroughly. This matters even more with oat milk. A cold base churns creamier.
• Use the creamiest oat milk you can find.
• Let it soften 5 to 10 minutes on the counter before scooping.
• Press parchment onto the surface before freezing to help prevent ice crystals.

Ways to Serve It

Swirl in my strawberry raspberry chia jam before the final freeze, serve it next to a square of rice krispie treats without butter, or pair it with a cake topped with one of my vegan frosting recipes.

Storage

Freeze in an airtight container or a covered loaf pan. Homemade ice cream is best within a week or two, before ice crystals set in.

Oat Milk Ice Cream FAQ

Can you make ice cream with oat milk?

Yes. Oat milk on its own is thin, so this recipe adds condensed oat milk, coconut cream, and a starch-thickened base for creaminess.

Why is my oat milk ice cream icy?

Usually the base wasn’t cold enough before churning, or the oat milk was too low in fat. Chill overnight and use a creamy or barista-style oat milk.

Is this ice cream nut-free?

There are no nuts in the recipe. Some oat milk brands also make nut milks, so check for shared-facility warnings.

Can I make it without an ice cream maker?

This recipe is written for a churn-style ice cream maker. Without one, the texture will be icier.

Does it taste like coconut?

You may notice a little coconut from the coconut cream. Use soy milk instead if it’s safe for your family.

A quick note on photos: I’ve been perfecting these recipes for years, but I never published them because photographing everything takes so much time. As a busy working, homeschooling mom, I decided it was more important to get them out there to help other allergy families. So many of the photos here are AI-generated to show what the dish looks like, but the recipes themselves are real, made in my kitchen and tested on my family.

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Helpful tip: Best Egg Substitute for Pancakes: Flax vs. Applesauce vs. Banana (and More)

Allergy note: I write these recipes with allergy families in mind, but every allergy is different. Always check labels on every product, every time, for allergens and cross-contamination (“may contain” or shared-facility) warnings, since formulations change. When in doubt, check with your allergist.