Vegan Key Lime Ice Cream – a refined sugar-free and paleo friendly key lime ice cream made with a secret ingredient…can you guess what it is??
Avocados!
Cue record scratch.
Do what?
For reals, avocados are the secret ingredient in this key lime ice cream.
As seen in guacamole.
As seen in all the dinner salads to make them more palatable.
As seen in many-a-vegan-and-or-paleo baked good for fat infusion and butter reduction.
I know, it’s a mind blow…but you guys, avocados make the creamiest, dreamiest, most scoopable vegan homemade ice cream that ever made your tongue’s acquaintance.
Because vegan (or paleo) ice creams need a little help in the texture department, I’m always on the prowl for secrets to make it soft that don’t (obvi) involve egg yolks or heavy cream. As it turns out, avocados get the job done in great form!
I promise, you can’t taste the avocado, on account of all the lime juice and pure maple syrup. It really just tastes like key lime coconut bliss.
And it’s about as addicting as a Netflix Original. Following this key lime adventure, I made a chocolate version (sans lime juice butofcourse, cause that’d just be weird), and it turned out marvelously as well. It almost comes out with a gelato-like consistency.
How to Make Vegan Key Lime Ice Cream:
We all know how much I love to use my blender for preparing sweet treats, and this recipe was no exception. All of the ingredients went into my Wolf Blender, then straight into my ice cream maker. No heating necessary, no stirring or whisking…just the zippity do dah in the ol’ blender (or food processor if that’s your jam).
All things considered, this ice cream is:
- Paleo-friendly
- Egg-free
- Dairy-free
- Refined sugar-free
- Super fatty
- Fatty, fat, fat
- But the healthy kind though
- Worth the extra time at the gym
- Will give you wings
- Your one stop shop for tongue bud bliss
This ice cream was inspired by those No-Bake Vegan Key Lime Tarts I showed you a while back.
I ended up freezing a lot of them, and noticed upon consumption that the filling stayed soft and creamy, at which point it dawned on me, lose the silly crust, I just need the filling, and then it dawned on me some more that holy MACKEREL, I can just make ice cream out of the filling and so on and so forth.
So I basically took the exact recipe for the tart filling and turned it into ice cream.
Sweetener Options:
I like using pure maple syrup, but you can also use honey or coconut palm syrup. Make this recipe low-carb and keto by replacing the liquid sweetener with a powdered zero-sugar sweetener, such as Swerve, Stevia, or Monk Fruit. If using a zero-sugar sweetener, start with 1/3 cup and increase up to 1/2 cup to your personal taste.
No regrets. Just tears of joy. My hips don’t lie. Roll with it.
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this Vegan Key Lime Ice Cream, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
More Delicious Ice Cream Recipes:
- Keto Coffee Ice Cream
- Keto Vanilla Ice Cream
- Paleo Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Boozy Roasted Cherry Dark Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
- Green Tea Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Here’s that recipe I’ve been talking about:
Key Lime Avocado Vegan Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 large avocados peeled and pitted
- 3/4 cup key lime juice
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
Instructions
- Start by placing the bowl of your ice cream maker in your freezer and freeze overnight.
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
- Transfer ice cream base to your ice cream maker and churn until thick and creamy.
- Serve immediately for soft serve consistency, or transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze until hardened, about 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, thaw ice cream 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.
This looks delicious but I’m leaving out the coconut oil. No matter how well I blend it, it always makes little nasty clumps in the ice cream maker. With the coconut milk and the avocado, don’t know why you’d need it anyway.
The “nasty” clumps you are referring to are just parts of the oil that has hardened.. Coconut oil has many health benefits and also recent studies have shown that coconut oil can help the decline of ahlzhymers disease.. It is in no shape or form..nasty.
Press it in a wire mesh sieve whilst cold, if it is lumpy. Works pretty well.
Avocado in ice cream????!!! MIND BLOWN. I must try this creamy dreamy beauticiousness ASAP.
This ice cream looks creamy and dreamy and I wish I had a bowl of it in front of me right now!
This makes me feel really good inside. Like, it’s probably going to change the way I think about ice cream…for the better!
Avocados in ice cream are totally chill!! I love this use of them, the color is perfect for the key lime flavor. 🙂
I want to make this but I don’t have an ice cream maker. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Kimberly, you can make the recipe without an ice cream maker, no problem. Once it’s finished blending, simply pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze for 5 -6 hours or until it’s frozen. If you’re able to, open the container every hour and stir the ice cream..no big deal if you’re not home to do this, though. It will still turn out super creamy and flavorful, but will be more solid/less airy than if you use an ice cream maker. You’ll likely need to thaw it for 8 to 10 minutes before trying to scoop it, as it’ll be pretty hard 😉 Hope you enjoy!!
I am lucky I didn’t search a lot I found your recipe on my Screen. This will be Treat for my husband tonight.
I’ve been wanting to try ice cream with coconut milk and avocados. Found a good place to start-thanks for sharing:)
This ice cream is pitch perfect for the upcoming summer days! I love that you used lime!
Well that looks like the creamiest, dreamiest key lime dessert ever! My husband is a huge fan of key lime – I can’t wait to try this for him! Way to go for making it vegan!! 😀
Awesome as I am melting now with this vegan ice cream. I am in search of how to make an ice cream. I am not vegan but I want to try this. I don’t have an ice cream maker but only a blender. I am hoping it will be a success.
What is a serving and how many carbs does it contain? C an it be sugar free using swerve or some other sweetner?
I also get these hardened coconutoil clumbs. WHY don’t we see them on the Pictures of your creamy ice?
Can honey be substituted for maple syrup?
Hi Sharon,
You can definitely use honey! You may want to heat it up a bit so that it doesn’t clump up when it’s mixed with other cold ingredients. Just note the honey will change the flavor of the ice cream, but I suspect it will still be tasty. Hope you enjoy!
I wonder if the type of blender can cause the coconut lumps? I have a Vitamix and it blends everything smooth. I made an avocado lime pie in my food processor and I didnt think it looked smooth enough. Poured it into my Vitamix and it turned out super smooth. Thanks for this recipe. I am going to buy an icecream maker just to make this.
Hi! I was wondering what ice maker you use? Thank you!
Hi Alicia! I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker and absolutely love it 🙂
How many servings does this make? I mean, IF you were gonna share?
Hi Alice! It feeds 3 to 4…assuming one would share 😉
Wow! Avacados in ice cream! I haven’t seen that before. Presumably there for the fat content? Can you taste them at all in the final ice cream?
Thanks
Carl
Hi Carl!
You got it, the avocados are in the recipe for the fat content and the natural creaminess. You can’t taste them at all in the ice cream, as the lime overpowers the subtle avocado flavor 🙂 Hope you enjoy! xx
I can’t have maple syrup , honey or agave. DO you think i could try using powdred ethyritol in its place?
Hi Debbie, I definitely think you can use erythritol. I would start with 1/3 cup and add more according to your desired level of sweetness. Hope you enjoy! xx
Debbie, did you try this?
I want to make this, don’t have lime and would like to do chocolate how much coco should I put in instead of lime?
Amazing, I left out the oil and it was loved by all.
I made this. It’s really not bad at all. Quite tasty. But the color is not like the photo, if you use two whole avocados. It turns out looking more like Guacamole ice cream instead. The next time I made this ice cream with only half an avocado and more coconut milk (coconut cream, actually) and it looked more like the photo. Still very good. So overall, great recipe!
Thanks, Jannah! I appreciate the feedback! xo
Definitely going to try this out. We need more vegan pie recipes! Can’t believe you use avocados!
It’s so great! Hope you love it!
My wife and I have just become vegan … def going to make this..
Hi. Has anyone tried substituting monkfruit sweetener for the maple syrup to cut down on sugar?
Hi Lori,
I haven’t had a chance to try a low-carb version yet, but I assume it will work great! If you happen to have a liquid sugar-free sweetener, it may turn out better, as liquid sweeteners tend to help keep homemade ice cream soft. I use this brand quite a bit: https://amzn.to/2AejooV Let me know if you try it!
Oh my! I just acquired a hand cranked ice cream maker at a thrift store a few days ago and was wondering what my first recipe would be……I wonder no more! I am already a fan just based on the ingredients – I love avocados and lime is my favorite citrus <3 Once I have gathered a couple missing items (or found them hiding in my absurdly stocked pantry LOL) I will check in to report on how it turned out 🙂
Yaaaay looking forward to hearing how it turns out, Sylvie!! xoxo
Oh wow – this looks so so good. And super healthy too!
Let me know if you try it! It has been a favorite on this site for years! 😀 xoxoxo
This sounds scrumptious and I will be trying it this afternoon! One note, however; you know how good the vanilla and orange works in a creamcicle? Have 3ever tried the chocolate orange candy that usually comes out around the holidays? Chocolate and citrus is delectable together! Many years ago, when I worked in a chain that served ice cream and shakes I used to make a special using sherbet and chocolate syrup, almost any citrus flavor works. Folks went nuts for it! So don’t write off the chocolate and lime combo, it rocks!😉
Oh, YES! My brother and I are both obsessed with that chocolate orange candy! We used to always get it in our Christmas stockings 🙂 Love the idea of key lime and chocolate now that you’ve mentioned it! xoxo
@Julia,
I made this tonight and I have to say this taste amazing! Zero taste of avacado and it’s the ONLY way I have been able to keep an avacado down! I am sooo looking forward to the health benefits that comes from something so tasty yet so healthy!? Thank you for sharing this!
Xo
I’m so happy you enjoy it, Sarah!! I felt the same way when I first made it…kinda like I had struck gold, lol. Thanks so much for the sweet note! xoxo
@Julia, I finally got the time to make this, and yummy!!! I followed the recipe almost exactly – left out the vanilla because I dislike the aroma and flavor unless in creamcicle form, and added about 1/4 cup of dairy free dark chocolate chips during the blender step, so some got chopped, some got powdered and some stayed intact for a variety of texture. It so delicious!!! So glad I don’t have to share!
I love that! So happy you made and enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know, Sylvia…much appreciated! xo
Avocados are in most of my homemade, Clean, nutrient dense Smoothies, so this will be a win-win since Key Lime is a hubby fav. I’m loving the total 3 Net Carbs, woohoo!!
So happy you enjoy the recipe, Joy! xoxo
My husband and I don’t consume oils, what could I use as a substitute?
Hi Maria! You can replace the coconut oil with more full-fat canned coconut milk (or coconut cream). Hope you enjoy!