Dairy-Free Brown Butter Vanilla Ice Cream

Jun 25, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Ice cream frozen desserts Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Beans Medium

Dairy-free brown butter vanilla ice cream

Dairy-free brown butter ice cream flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An intermediate recipe: 30 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus chilling and freezing; serves 8. Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 30 min

Cook 15 min

Chill & Freeze 8 hr

Total 8 hr 45 min

Servings 8

Diet Dairy free

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (480.0 ml)coconut cream
1.0 cup (240.0 ml)almond milk
¾ cup (150.0 g)granulated sugar
6.0large egg yolks
⅛ tspfine sea salt
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped
3.0 tbsp (42.0 g)browned dairy-free butter, cooled

Make it at home

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Instructions

Warm the cream, milk, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until it steams and small bubbles form at the edges, about 5 minutes. Don't let it boil.
Brown the butter: melt it in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling, until it turns golden and smells nutty (dairy-free butter browns faster, so watch closely), then let it cool slightly, and whisk it into the warm cream mixture.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until the mixture turns pale yellow and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
Slowly pour about a cup of the hot cream into the yolks while whisking constantly, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook gently, stirring, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170°F/77°C).
Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, then chill until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions until thick, with a soft-serve consistency.
Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 4 hours, until firm enough to scoop.

Tips

Brown the butter in a light-colored pan so you can see the color change; it turns from golden to burnt in seconds.
Don't toss the scraped pods: tuck them into a jar of sugar for homemade vanilla sugar.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Choosing vanilla: Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky) suits this recipe best; Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla ice cream?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 8 hr chill & freeze. The recipe makes 8 servings.

How should I store vanilla ice cream?

Keep it in an airtight container in the freezer with plastic wrap pressed on the surface; it tastes best within 2 weeks.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This version uses 1 split vanilla bean. You can swap in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead; they're interchangeable at these amounts. Beans give the most visible specks and the fullest aroma.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

352 Calories / serving

28.0g Fat

23.5g Carbs

4.3g Protein

20.2g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~2816 cal · 224g fat · 188g carbs · 34g protein · 162g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 352 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 67 min·3.9 mi·~7850 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 48 min·2.4 mi·~4800 steps
Moderate cycling 36 min·7.2 mi
Swimming laps 49 min
Jogging 34 min·2.8 mi·~5450 steps
Stair climbing 33 min·~2950 steps
Dancing 57 min
Bodyweight circuit training 36 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 82 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.