How to Make Oat Milk Ice Cream

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: January 12, 2021 References Tested

If you’re not a fan of cow’s milk or you can’t eat dairy, oat milk ice cream might just be the treat for you. This creamy, dairy-free ice cream is great if you’d like a frozen treat without the lactose. You can make your very own oat milk ice cream with tons of different flavor combinations right in your own kitchen!

Ingredients

Vanilla Oat Milk Ice Cream

32 fl oz (950 mL) of oat milk
1 vanilla bean
1 US tbsp (15 mL) of vanilla extract
A pinch of sea salt
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup (85 g) of cane sugar
1/4 cup (32 g) of corn starch

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Vanilla Oat Milk Ice Cream

1
Put the oat milk, vanilla bean, extract, and salt in a medium saucepan. Measure out 32 fl oz (950 mL) of oat milk and pour it into the saucepan. Then, add 1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise with the seeds scraped out), 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt and stir everything together.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Make sure you shake up your oat milk before you pour it in! Sometimes, the small pieces of oats can settle at the bottom of the carton.
2
Simmer the ingredients over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Grab a whisk and stir your ingredients gently to avoid scalding them. It may take 4 to 5 minutes to bring your mixture up to the right temperature.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- When small bubbles rise to the top of the liquid, you’ll know the mixture is simmering.
Advertisement
3
Whisk eggs, corn starch, and cane sugar in a bowl. Separate 6 egg yolks from the whites and place the yolks in a large bowl. Add 2/3 cup (85 g) of cane sugar and 1/4 cup (32 g) of corn starch, then whisk them together until everything looks pale yellow.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- This is the custard portion of your ice cream, and it will help make your ice cream rich and creamy.
- Cane sugar is sugar made from sugar cane. If you can’t find cane sugar, granulated sugar is fine too.
- If you aren’t a huge fan of added sugar, use ²⁄₃ c (160 mL) of maple syrup or honey in your mixture instead.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
4
Pour the egg mixture into the oat milk mixture and stir them together. Go slowly at first while the oat milk is still simmering to avoid scalding the eggs. You’ll notice the mixture thicken up as soon as you pour your egg mixture into it, which is a good sign!^{[5]
X
Research source}
- This process will temper your custard, or bring it up to temperature.
5
Cook the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens. Keep stirring constantly to avoid scalding. You’ll know your ice cream mix is ready when you can coat the back of a wooden spoon with it.^{[6]
X
Research source}
6
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate it for 3 to 4 hours. Leave the bowl partially uncovered to let any steam out. If you want to, you can leave it in the fridge overnight.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Cold ingredients churn better and turn into ice cream more easily.
7
Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker for half an hour. Grab the chilled mixture and pour it into the basin of your ice cream maker. Follow your manufacturing instructions to churn the ice cream! Typically, you'll need to churn the mixture for about 30 minutes until it looks like soft serve.
- If you like soft serve, you can eat it now; otherwise, put your ice cream in the freezer for about 4 hours to let it harden.
- You can keep your ice cream in the freezer for about 2 weeks until it starts to lose its flavor.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Flavor Variations

1
Make chocolate ice cream with cocoa powder. Before you chill your mixture, stir in 1/4 cup (32 g) of cocoa powder. Mix it in well and add a handful of chocolate chips for extra chocolatey goodness.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Use dark chocolate cocoa powder for a more rich and robust flavor.
2
Add 10 ounces (0.2 kg) of frozen strawberries for strawberry ice cream. Add your berries into your original mixture in the saucepan for a berry delicious treat. You can also add frozen blackberries, cherries, or raspberries!^{[9]
X
Research source}
- The added sugar from the strawberries will make your ice cream even sweeter.
3
Make banana ice cream with frozen bananas. Freeze 2 to 5 bananas, then cut them into 4 chunks each. Blend your bananas and add them to your mixture after it’s been cooked in the saucepan.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- Bananas will also help your ice cream get smoother and creamier.
- Mix in 1/4 cup (32 g) of chocolate chips if you want a banana chip ice cream instead!
4
Add in crushed cookies for cookies and cream ice cream. Put 10 chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos) in a bag, then crush them up with a rolling pin. Add the cookies to your mixture just before you pour it into your ice cream machine. The cookies will get mixed into the ice cream during the churning process.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- If you’re gluten-free, look for gluten-free sandwich cookies.
5
Use lemon juice or lemon peel to add a citrus-flavored zing. You can make a lemon ice cream or just add some citrus to another flavor. Mix in 1 tsp (4.9 mL) of lemon juice and about 1 tsp (4.2 g) of grated lemon peel.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- Citrus is a great addition to berry ice cream.
6
Stir in instant coffee for coffee-flavored ice cream. Before you chill your ice cream mixture, stir in 2 tsp (8.4 g) of instant coffee. This will make your ice cream taste more like espresso; plus, it will give you a little caffeine kick!^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Add in 1 cup (128 g) of chopped chocolate for a coffee chocolate ice cream.