This easy recipe for green tea coconut milk ice cream only requires a few basic ingredients: canned coconut milk, matcha, and pure maple syrup! This dairy-free coconut milk ice cream recipe makes a delicious dessert for matcha lovers!
Green tea coconut milk ice cream is the dreamy combo you didn’t know you needed.
Rich, creamy, coconutty, with that earthy matcha edge that makes you go “ooooh.” It’s vegan, paleo, and comes together with just three ingredients. That’s right!
This recipe was born out of a craving (and a lack of store-bought options), and let me tell you – it hits the spot every time.
Whether you’re going dairy-free, ditching refined sugar, or just love a healthy treat that feels a little fancy, this one’s for you.
What is Matcha?
Matcha is powdered green tea made from whole tea leaves stone-ground into a vibrant, fine powder. That means you’re actually consuming the entire leaf – hello, antioxidants!
This magical green dust is loaded with L-theanine (hello calm focus), metabolism-boosting properties, and up to 20 times the antioxidant power of blueberries. If you love green tea, matcha is your next-level upgrade.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I first had green tea ice cream at a Chinese restaurant as a kid – plaid shorts, a side ponytail, and matching scrunchies with my best friend. One bite and I was obsessed. Sweet, creamy, a little earthy – it was unlike anything I’d tasted, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I’m a minimalist at heart and didn’t want to mess around with egg yolks, processed sugar, or a bunch of complicated steps.
So this recipe is simple, nourishing, and super delicious. Here are a few more reasons why you’ll love it:
- Only 3 main ingredients
- Ultra creamy and satisfying
- Dairy-free and vegan
- Naturally sweetened (no refined sugar!)
- Full of antioxidants from the matcha
- Customizable to your taste
Ingredients for Green Tea Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Full-fat coconut milk: It gives the creamiest texture, but you could experiment with cashew cream or a blend of almond + coconut for a lighter option.
Matcha powder: Adds earthy, grassy flavor and a gorgeous color. Start with 1 tablespoon and adjust to taste.
Pure maple syrup: Naturally sweetens the ice cream without overpowering the matcha. You can sub in agave, honey, or coconut nectar.
Pinch of sea salt: Optional, but brings out all the other flavors.
How to Make Green Tea Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Start by freezing your ice cream maker bowl overnight (if your machine requires it).
Then, blend the coconut milk, maple syrup, matcha, and a pinch of salt in a high-powered blender until completely smooth.
If your matcha doesn’t want to blend in, you can gently warm the mixture on the stove and whisk until it’s dissolved. Just be sure to chill it again before churning.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn until thick and creamy – about 30 to 40 minutes.
You can eat it soft-serve style right away (highly recommend) or transfer it to a container and freeze for a couple of hours until scoopable.
When you’re ready to serve, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes so it softens just a bit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this without an ice cream maker?
Yep! Just blend the mixture, pour it into a shallow dish, freeze, and stir it every 30-60 minutes until creamy. Not quite as fluffy, but still delicious.
How long does it last in the freezer?
It’ll keep for up to 2 weeks. Just let it thaw a little before scooping – it gets firm!
What’s the best matcha to use?
Go for a ceremonial or high-quality culinary grade. Lower-quality matcha can taste bitter or dull.
Can I make it lower sugar?
Totally – just reduce the maple syrup or try using a sugar-free liquid sweetener.
Recipe Adaptations and Additions
- Add crunch – Swirl in crushed pistachios, cacao nibs, or toasted coconut flakes at the end for texture.
- Caffeine-free option – Try decaf matcha or replace it with spirulina or moringa powder for a green hue without the buzz.
- Make it creamy-dreamy – Add a tablespoon of cashew butter or a splash of vanilla extract for an extra smooth, luxe texture.
- Boost the matcha – Like it strong? Add another teaspoon of matcha for a bolder, more earthy flavor.
- Lighten it up – Use one can of full-fat coconut milk and one can of light coconut milk for a lighter, refreshing vibe.
- Go tropical – Add shredded coconut or chopped pineapple before freezing for a piña colada-meets-matcha twist.
- Make it minty – Stir in a few drops of peppermint extract for a fresh, cooling flavor that plays surprisingly well with matcha.
- Turn it into popsicles – Pour the mixture into molds instead of churning for easy grab-and-go treats.
What to Serve with Green Tea Coconut Milk Ice Cream
This ice cream shines all on its own with its creamy texture and mellow green tea flavor – but if you want to take things up a notch or impress guests, try pairing it with:
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Mango Matcha Smoothie
- Paleo Blueberry Crumb Bars
- Berry Frozen Yogurt Bark
Other Ice Cream Recipes to Try
- Keto Coffee Ice Cream
- Banana Chickpea Ice Cream
- Rum Raisin Coconut Milk Ice Cream (Vegan)
- 4-Ingredient No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream
Enjoy this dairy-free coconut milk ice cream recipe the next time you have a craving for homemade ice cream!
Green Tea Coconut Milk Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk*
- 1 Tbsp matcha green tea powder to taste see note*
- ½ cup pure maple syrup see note**
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker overnight. Or, follow the instructions according to the manufacturer prior to following the recipe, as needed.
- Add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until all the matcha chunks have dissolved (Note: If you have trouble getting the matcha to dissolve, you can heat the mixture on the stove top and whisk until combined. Be sure you refrigerate the mixture until completely cold before proceeding).
- Pour the green tea ice cream base into your ice cream maker, following your ice cream maker's instructions. My ice cream maker requires me to freeze the bowl overnight before use. Allow the ice cream to churn until very thick, about 30 to 40 minutes. Either enjoy the ice cream like soft serve straight out of the ice cream maker, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze 2 to 3 hours, until completely frozen.
- When ready to eat, thaw the ice cream for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened. Serve heaping scoops and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Hey, this looks fantastic. But I’m wondering if you could substitute honey for the agave? There’s a local honey farm in my area that I like to support.
Would that seriously change the sweetness? And if I adjusted for sweetness, (more or less of the honey compared to agave) would it change the texture of the ice cream drastically?
Hi Taylor, I bet you could substitute agave for the honey no problem! I would assume you could do a 1:1 ratio, but since I have never tried making ice cream with agave, I would do it based on taste. I hope it works out and let me know if you try it!
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This sounds incredible, and so easy to make! Can you replace almond milk for the coconut milk, or no?
Hello! I was wondering the same thing. Did it work for you?
I’ve never made the recipe using almond milk, but my assumption is you would need to add tempered egg yolks to the recipe in order for it to work with almond milk. Coconut milk is naturally thick and full of fat, which means it acts similarly to heavy cream. You can certainly make ice cream using almond milk, but you would need to mimic the same fatty consistency or else it will turn out like ice crystals ( < - again, this is an assumption). Let me know if you try it using almond milk and thanks for your interest!
This sounds so delicious! Weird question…do you think this would keep me up at night if I ate it after dinner? I usually have trouble sleeping if I drink caffeine (iced tea, soda, etc.) after 4pm, but this seems like such a small amount I’m hopeful I can have it during my usual “ice cream time”. 🙂
Hi Samantha, great question, and I have the same issue. I didn’t have problems sleeping after eating the ice cream (and I ate it for a few days in a row after dinner), but if you’re super sensitive to caffeine, I would say maybe scale back on the matcha a little bit. There’s not a whole lot in the recipe, so I don’t think it’d be a problem, but I certainly wouldn’t want you to lose any sleep!! Thanks for your interest and let me know if you end up making the ice cream 😀
OMG I neeeeeed! Love how simple this is. I want to stare at the pictures all day.
Can you please tell me which brand of matcha you buy? I’ve had a few brands in my amazon cart for a while, and I can’t commit! Help! 🙂
Weeeeeell, mine came from G’s mom, who got it from teazone.com but when I go to the site, I can’t find the product 🙁 I checked amazon and all the matcha that comes up seems like it would work just great…let me know what you end up getting, cause I need to re-order soon!
Update: I use Encha Matcha (ceremonial grade), which I buy on Amazon, or I use Mizuba Tea (also ceremonial grade), which I buy on their website 🙂
@Julia, there is a company here in Vermont, Stone Leaf Teahouse, that sells fabulous matcha through the mail.
https://www.stoneleaftea.com/product/org-matcha-grade-2/
I absolutely love this! What great flavors. I really kind of wish I owned an ice cream maker.
Oh, I love how easy this is! So many ice cream recipes are SO involved, so I definitely appreciate a 3-ingredient one. Matcha ice cream is one of my favorites too! We used to go to a restaurant that would serve it with matcha syrup too–double matcha!
MATCHA SYRUP???! I need this!
Oh my, green tea + coconut + ice cream….I’m in love! This looks simply delicious, Julia!
Just gorgeous. And I love the three simple ingredients. What a beauty to behold and what a powerhouse to enjoy! Thank you for sharing!!
I LOVE making ice cream with full-fat coconut milk! But, I have never tried my hand at making a green tea one. This looks and sounds super delicious, not to mention easy! (My Favorite) 🙂
Gorgeous. You have me totally craving this now! Unfortunately no one in my family ever wanted to buy a tub of it at the supermarket but now that I can make it on my own? EXCITEMENT.
Ok, I hate tea. It makes me gag. I know, grows. But I love coconut ice cream. Like love it! Thinking maybe this is the way to get my green tea in? I mean ice cream is always good!
Ohhhh Tieghan…I think you may be the first person I’ve ever met who doesn’t like tea…but you’re a rockin amazing cook, so I’ll let that one slide 😉 You could definitely scale back on the green tea powder or simply make a different coconut milk ice cream 😉 Either way, coconut milk ice cream is amazing – you’d love it! 🙂
This looks awesome. How much would I have to pay you to come deliver to the farm? I need this asap!
I’ll trade ya for a Tumbleweed Farm hat!! 😉
done deal!
oh yes! I’m a huge fan of green tea but never tried it as ice cream before (am I the last one?) lovvve it!! PS. I couldn’t comment on the last post but DANG that pizza! I’m still drooling 🙂 pps. Please make Give Em Kale tshirts 🙂
It’s so funny that you mentioned the T-shirts – I’m actually thinking of doing that! Next time you go out for sushi or chineese, try out some green tea ice cream and let me know what you think!!
I can’t get enough coconut milk these days, so naturally I love this!! I’m also a fan of tea (3 cups per day, normally) so this sounds like my ideal healthy dessert 🙂
I love the healthy fun fact section. I just learned a whole bunch of new green tea info. Thanks! I can’t wait to try this recipe.