Vegan Chai Vanilla Ice Cream

Jul 24, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

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

Vegan chai vanilla ice cream made with Indonesian vanilla

Vegan chai ice cream flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An intermediate recipe: 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus chilling and freezing; serves 8. Best vanilla for this: Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Chill & Freeze 8 hr

Total 8 hr 35 min

Servings 8

Diet Vegan

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (480.0 ml)full-fat coconut cream
1.0 cup (240.0 ml)oat milk
¾ cup (150.0 g)granulated sugar
3.0 tbsp (24.0 g)cornstarch
⅛ tspfine sea salt
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 ½ tsp (4.0 g)chai spice blend

Make it at home

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Instructions

Whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the oat milk until completely smooth.
Warm the coconut cream, the remaining oat milk, the sugar, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture steams, about 5 minutes.
Whisk the chai spice blend into the warm cream mixture.
Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring constantly, until the base thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes.
Strain into a clean bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions until thick.
Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 4 hours, until firm enough to scoop.

Tips

Chai spice blends vary; taste your blend and adjust the amount so the cinnamon doesn't overpower the vanilla.
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: Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic) suits this recipe best; Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla ice cream?

Plan on 20 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.

What makes this recipe vegan?

It uses plant-based swaps for every animal ingredient: full-fat coconut cream, oat milk, cornstarch. Check that your plant butter and other packaged ingredients are certified vegan.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

292 Calories / serving

20.2g Fat

27.9g Carbs

2.3g Protein

21.1g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~2336 cal · 162g fat · 223g carbs · 18g protein · 169g sugar

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

Per serving · 292 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 55 min·3.2 mi·~6450 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 40 min·2.0 mi·~4000 steps
Moderate cycling 30 min·6.0 mi
Swimming laps 41 min
Jogging 29 min·2.4 mi·~4650 steps
Stair climbing 27 min·~2450 steps
Dancing 47 min
Bodyweight circuit training 30 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 68 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.