Dairy-free ice cream explained: oat, coconut or cashew?
Dairy-free ice cream swaps milk and cream for a plant-based base, most often oat milk, coconut milk or cashew milk, plus a plant fat to make it creamy. Each base gives a different texture and flavour, and each comes with its own allergy considerations. Oat milk is mild and smooth, coconut is rich but tastes of coconut, and cashew is luxurious but off-limits for anyone with a tree nut allergy.
We have made dairy-free ice cream with two of these bases over the years, cashew first and now oat milk. Here is what we have learned about how they compare.
What makes ice cream creamy in the first place?
Fat, sugar and solids. In dairy ice cream, milk fat coats the tiny ice crystals and air bubbles so the texture feels smooth, while milk solids and sugar keep it from freezing rock-hard. A dairy-free recipe has to rebuild all of that without milk. That means choosing a plant milk for body and flavour, adding a plant fat such as coconut oil for richness, and balancing the sugars so it scoops properly.
Get the balance wrong and dairy-free ice cream turns icy, gummy or thin. Get it right and most people can't tell what is missing.
Oat milk
Oat milk makes a smooth, mild base with a gentle cereal sweetness that sits in the background. It lets other flavours lead, which is why it works so well with caramel, chocolate, fruit and spice. On its own oat milk is fairly low in fat, so oat-based ice creams add a plant fat to bring richness.
One thing to know in New Zealand: oats cannot be labelled gluten free under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Coeliac Australia explains that oats contain a gluten-like protein called avenin and are often contaminated with wheat during growing and processing. Oat milk may have no added gluten, but people with coeliac disease should get advice before eating oats.
Coconut milk and cream
Coconut is naturally high in fat, so it makes a very rich, creamy ice cream with little extra help. The downside is flavour: coconut is not shy, and it can dominate delicate flavours. It suits tropical, chocolate and coffee flavours better than, say, vanilla or strawberry. Coconut ice creams can also freeze quite hard, so they often need longer to soften before scooping.
Cashew milk
Cashew milk gives a dense, buttery texture that is the closest thing to dairy cream. It was the base of our first dairy-free range, SUPERFOOD, which used house-made cashew milk. The big limitation is allergy: tree nuts are one of the most common food allergens, so a cashew base rules out a lot of people.
Side-by-side comparison
| Base | Texture | Flavour | Best with | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oat milk | Smooth, light-medium body | Mild, slightly sweet | Caramel, fruit, chocolate, spice | Oats; not labelled gluten free in NZ |
| Coconut | Very rich, can set firm | Clearly coconut | Tropical fruit, chocolate, coffee | Strong flavour; high saturated fat |
| Cashew | Dense, buttery | Nutty, creamy | Caramel, vanilla, chocolate | Tree nut allergy |
| Fruit sorbet | Light, icy | Pure fruit | Berries, citrus, mango | Usually little or no fat |
Dairy-free, vegan or lactose-free?
These labels overlap but are not the same:
- Dairy-free: no milk, cream, butter or other milk ingredients.
- Vegan: no animal products at all, including eggs and honey.
- Lactose-free: real dairy with the lactose broken down or removed. Fine for many people with lactose intolerance, but not for anyone with a milk allergy.
If you have an allergy rather than a preference, the allergen statement on the label matters more than the front-of-pack claim. Our guide to allergens in ice cream explains how to read New Zealand labels.
How to choose a dairy-free ice cream
- Decide what you are avoiding: dairy, all animal products, lactose, nuts or gluten.
- Read the ingredients for the base (oat, coconut, cashew, soy, almond) and any mix-ins.
- Check the allergen statement for "may contain" warnings if you have an allergy.
- Pick a base that suits the flavour: oat for fruit and caramel, coconut for tropical.
- Let it soften a little longer than dairy ice cream before scooping; see how to soften ice cream.
Why dairy-free ice cream can turn icy
Dairy-free ice cream has less of the milk protein and milk sugar that help dairy ice cream hold onto water, so it is a little more sensitive to melting and refreezing. If a tub has been through a few warm trips from freezer to bench, the water separates out and forms crunchy crystals faster than it would in a dairy tub.
You can keep it smooth with a few habits:
- Store it at the back of the freezer, at -18°C or colder, never in the door.
- Press baking paper onto the surface after every serve.
- Scoop what you need and put the tub straight back.
- Let it soften in the fridge rather than on a warm bench.
Our guide to storing ice cream at home explains the science of ice crystals in more detail.
Our dairy-free range
Today our dairy-free flavours are made with oat milk, with no dairy and no egg. Flavours have included caramel hokey pokey, double choc fudge, peanut butter chip, plum, boysenberry chip and mango lassi with cardamom. You will find each one, with full ingredients and allergens, on our dairy-free ice cream page and the main flavours list.
Frequently asked questions
Is dairy-free ice cream the same as vegan ice cream?
Not always. Dairy-free means no milk, cream or butter, but a product could still contain egg or honey. Vegan ice cream contains no animal products at all. Our dairy-free range is made with oat milk and no eggs, so it is both dairy-free and vegan. Always check the label to be sure.
Is sorbet dairy-free?
Traditional sorbet is made from fruit, sugar and water, so it is usually dairy-free, but some recipes or brands add milk or egg white. Sorbet is lighter and icier than plant-based ice cream because it contains little or no fat. Check the ingredients if you need to avoid dairy completely.
Why does some dairy-free ice cream taste of coconut?
Coconut milk and coconut cream are popular dairy-free bases because their high fat content makes ice cream rich and creamy. The trade-off is a noticeable coconut flavour. Oat milk bases are more neutral, which is why fruit, caramel and chocolate flavours often taste cleaner in oat milk ice cream.
Can people with a milk allergy eat dairy-free ice cream?
The recipe contains no milk, but cross-contact can happen if the same kitchen also makes dairy ice cream, as ours does. People with a severe milk allergy should check the label's allergen statement and ask the maker about how the dairy-free range is produced before eating it.
