This Vegan Nutella Ice Cream is a dream dessert for chocolate-hazelnut lovers. It requires just 6 simple ingredients to deliver a creamy, fluffy, and entirely plant-based treat. By combining home-roasted hazelnuts with melted dairy-free chocolate, you create a rich, better-for-you homemade “Nutella” that pulls double duty as both the decadent ice cream base and a thick, fudgy ripple swirled throughout at the end and this can paired with Gluten-Free Peach Crisp for a refreshing experience
Recipe Highlights
- From-Scratch Flavor: Bypasses store-bought spreads by blending warm, roasted hazelnuts directly with melted vegan chocolate.
- Incredibly Creamy Texture: Light canned coconut milk ensures a silky, scoopable consistency without requiring heavy dairy cream or eggs.
- The Fudgy Ribbon: A small portion of the homemade chocolate-hazelnut paste is set aside and folded into the churned ice cream to create rich, concentrated swirls.
- Summer Party Friendly: The liquid base can be blended and chilled in advance, making it an easy option to prep ahead for warm-weather gatherings.
6 Key Ingredients
- Hazelnuts: Whole raw nuts, roasted to loosen their skins, release their natural oils, and deepen their nutty aroma.
- Dairy-Free Chocolate: Melted smooth and blended directly with the processed nuts to form the chocolate-hazelnut paste.
- Canned Light Coconut Milk: Provides a smooth, liquid body that aerates perfectly during churning while keeping the final profile light.
- Cane Sugar: Adds a clean sweetness to balance the bitter notes of the cocoa.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances and deepens the chocolate and hazelnut flavors.
- Sea Salt: A vital pinch to cut through the sugar and sharpen the overall flavor profile.
Step-by-Step Preparation
1. Roast and Skin the Hazelnuts
Roast raw hazelnuts in the oven until fragrant and the outer skins begin to crack. Transfer the warm hazelnuts to a clean kitchen towel and rub them together vigorously to slip off the loose, bitter outer skins.
2. Create the “Nutella” Base
Transfer the warm, peeled hazelnuts to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until they turn smooth, liquid, and completely uniform. Pour in your melted dairy-free chocolate and blend again until a glossy spread forms.
Important: Spoon a few tablespoons of this fresh chocolate-hazelnut spread into a separate bowl and set it aside to use for your swirls later.
3. Blend the Liquid Batter
Add the canned light coconut milk, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt directly to the remaining chocolate-hazelnut paste left inside your blender jar. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth and liquid.
4. Chill Thoroughly
Pour the liquid ice cream base into a container, cover it, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or until thoroughly cold). Chilling the base ensures it expands and freezes correctly once it hits the ice cream machine.
5. Churn and Ripple
Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and let it churn according to the manufacturer’s directions (usually about 30 minutes) until it reaches a thick, soft-serve consistency.
Transfer the churned ice cream into a freezer-safe container or loaf pan. Drop dollops of your reserved chocolate-hazelnut spread across the top, then gently drag a butter knife through the ice cream to create beautiful, marbled ribbons. Freeze for a few hours until firm enough to scoop cleanly!
