5 of the Best Dairy-Free 'Ice Cream' Recipes

Prepared with inexpensive ingredients and pantry staples, this dairy-free vanilla "ice cream" is an easy go-to recipe for those who want dairy free and vegan. It uses soy milk and soy milk powder (don't mistake it for soy flour) to give it the creaminess you associate with ice cream. If you want, add dairy-free chocolate chips or dairy-free cookie crumbles before it sets to make your own chocolate chip or cookie chunk flavor. 

This magic recipe requires just one ingredient: frozen bananas. Whiz them into a creamy "ice cream" in the food processor for a healthy treat that tastes indulgent on its own but could easily handle a drizzle of dairy-free dark chocolate syrup or non-dairy whipped topping and a cherry. Start with very ripe bananas for the sweetest result; peel and slice them, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for at least eight hours or overnight.

Coconut milk stands in for the dairy in this creamy concoction using avocados as the base. Honey adds sweetness, balanced by the tartness of lime juice, which also keeps the "ice cream" from turning an unappealing brown color. This stores well in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three weeks, so stock up on ripe avocados when they go on sale at the grocery store. Whether you want to avoid dairy or not, this frozen treat brings the unexpected to the table.

Delicious dairy-free frozen yogurt uses dairy-free soy yogurt, agave nectar, xanthan gum, and finely ground cashews to achieve its pleasant texture and flavor. Serve it alone or with sundae toppings for an extravagant treat. You can purchase frozen yogurt in many grocery stores, but you can control the ingredients when you make it yourself, eliminating additives and limiting the amount of sweetener you use. This recipe does not require an ice-cream maker; you can use your food processor or blender.

Sorbet starts off dairy free, so you generally do not need to make any adjustments; just find a favorite recipe and make room in the freezer. This chocolate sorbet uses dairy-free dark chocolate (you would need to avoid milk chocolate to keep it dairy free) to achieve a creamy, yet refreshing, texture and flavor. Add non-dairy whipped topping for a dairy-free sundae.