This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
This 3-ingredient strawberry ice cream recipe yields thick, creamy ice cream that’s wildly refreshing. I love that you don’t even need an ice cream maker!
Love easy ice cream recipes? Try my oat milk ice cream, coconut ice cream, and almond milk ice cream.
Nowadays, healthier strawberry ice creams line the shelves of every mainstream grocery store. I’m all for it, but let’s just say the ingredient lists are about as long as a CVS receipt.
That’s why I’ve become obsessed with making my own ice cream at home. It’s healthier, cheaper, and tastes better, too.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 3 key ingredients. Yes, you read that right: all you need are strawberries, maple syrup, and coconut milk.
- Full of fresh strawberry flavor. There are no extracts or syrups in this recipe. What you see is what you get.
- No ice cream machine is needed. All you need is a blender (or food processor) and a loaf pan to make smooth and creamy ice cream.
- You won’t miss the dairy. No one can tell there is no cream or cow’s milk in this.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This is so good!!!!!!! I forgot about it, and it’s been a few days in the freezer, but it still tastes amazing ♥️” – Justice
Ingredients needed
- Chilled coconut milk. Preferably canned, full-fat coconut milk, which will give the ice cream a smooth and rich texture. Refrigerate the cans so the ice cream gets cold faster.
- Maple syrup. My #1 sticky sweetener of choice, but agave nectar also works. If you don’t mind the overpowering flavor of honey, you can use that too.
- Strawberries. Use frozen strawberries that haven’t had time to thaw. If there’s any moisture on them, you’ll end up with ice crystals.
- Xanthan gum. Optional but helpful to guarantee smooth, scoopable ice cream.
How to make no churn strawberry ice cream
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Place a loaf pan in the freezer.
Step 2- Combine ingredients. In a blender, add the ingredients (except the xanthan gum) and blend thick and creamy. Don’t over-blend, or it will become too icy when thawing.
Step 3- Add xanthan gum. If using, add it halfway through the blending.
Step 4- Freeze. Pour the ice cream mixture into the loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Every 20-30 minutes for the first hour, stir the ice cream by hand so it doesn’t become icy.
Step 5- Thaw and serve. Let the ice cream thaw for 10-15 minutes before scooping into your bowl.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t use fresh strawberries. I know it may be tempting, but fresh strawberries will change the texture and make it difficult to firm up. If you only have fresh strawberries, freeze them prior to making the ice cream.
- Use an ice cream maker. While definitely optional, it saves me the trouble of churning by hand and gives the ice cream a more soft-serve consistency. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Wet the ice cream scoop. It’ll make scooping the ice cream easier.
Variations
- Make creamier ice cream. Swap the canned coconut milk for canned coconut cream, or discard the liquid at the bottom of the cans.
- Add more strawberry flavor. After blending lightly gold in some strawberry chunks, stewed strawberries, or even strawberry jam. It’ll add a different texture and sweeter flavor.
- Add other berries. Why stop at strawberries? Toss in raspberries, blackberries, blueberries—you name it!
- Enhance the flavor. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon juice to totally transform the flavor.
- Use dairy. Okay, I know I’ve said multiple times how good this is without it, but if you want it to be true blue rich and creamy, use heavy cream.
Storage instructions
To store: Strawberry ice cream can be stored in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 1 week.
To re-freeze: Since there’s no dairy, I don’t recommend re-freezing the strawberry ice cream once it has been thawed. Re-freezing causes the mixture to ice up, and the next time you remove it to enjoy, it will be rock-hard solid.
More frozen treats you’ll love
- Sugar-free ice cream
- Cookie dough ice cream
- Brownie ice cream
- Avocado ice cream
- Superman ice cream
- Protein ice cream
3-Ingredient Strawberry Ice Cream
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
- 14 oz canned coconut milk refrigerated * See notes
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon xantham gum optional
Instructions
- Place a loaf pan in the freezer.
- In a high speed blender or food processor, add your chilled coconut milk, adding the layer of cream first, followed by the liquid. Add your frozen strawberries and maple syrup and blend until thick and creamy. Do not over blend, or it will become too icy when thawing.
- If you choose to use xantham gum, add it halfway through blending and do not over blend.
- Pour the strawberry ice cream mixture into the frozen loaf tin. To ensure it doesn’t become too icy, lightly mix your ice cream ever 20-30 minutes for the first hour.
- Thaw for 10-15 minutes before eating. Lightly wet an ice cream scoop before scooping the ice cream into a bowl.
This is so good!!!!!!! I forgot about it and it’s been a few days in the freezer but it still tastes amazing ♥️
Yay!! thanks, Justice!v
Awesomeness!
Excellent .Really appreciate .❤Thank you
Yummy 😋
Thanks this looks awesome
How long on a vitamix (on high) do I mix approximately so I don’t overmix?
I have frozen cherries I was going to try.
Thanks so much! It looks amazing
This is so much better than store bought icecream. I think I need to go purchase some pistachios & add those to this amazing icecream.I added Cocoa Nibs & Coconut flakes. I used fresh strawberries but I froze them first. Im adding sliced banana & whipped coconut cream with it. Thank you for this.
The maple syrup flavour was overpowering for me. I would try again, but with a different sweetener. I liked how the xanthum gum thickened it up. I added an ounce of cream cheese too, to fatten it up.
Have you tried adding two TB of cooled, melted coconut oil the last thirty seconds of the blend? It works in cashew no churn non dairy ice cream recipe I tried to keep the ice cream from icing up. I highly recommend to see if it works. I tried it on my nice cream (banana and protein based) and it didn’t really help. But I have a feeling it might work with coconut milk or plant based ice creams.
Made this last night and it was delicious! My husband agreed it was great, and said, why would we ever buy vegan ice cream again haha! Thanks for the recipe!
🙂 You are so welcome, Monica!
Could I use other fruits instead of Strawberries in the 3-Ingredient No Churn Ice Cream?
Like Peaces and/or Mangos?
I don’t see why not!
Love the sweet and salty combo! Sounds like a good one for when the weather finally warms up around here!
….or you could turn on the heater and faceplant in comfort. Not that I’ve ever done that before :s
This sounds absolutely delicious! I have a yonanas machine that easily makes me banana ice cream from frozen bananas but my favourite is to make it with frozen mango and banana and top it with shredded coconut, oh so good 🙂
oh yum that DOES sound delicious- If you get the chance, make a ‘cherry ripe’ ice cream- I made Nicole (Fruitnfitness) make it- frozen cherries, milk, cocoa powder, shredded coconut- So good! In fact, I MAY have a pancake recipe to come involving it..;) Shhh
i saw her make that and thought it sounded amazing!
Nom to a cherry ripe pancake recipe!
YUM! I’ve never tried mock ice cream before (or any of those blender “ice cream” treats you see everywhere). You’re right that it is waaayyy too cold for this around here right now but I’m going to hold onto this unusual sweet and salty combo for when things warm up 😉
how about you turn on the heater and consume it then…something I often did during Winter here haha.
UH THIS LOOKS AMAZING. I LOVE SWEET & SALTY (obvs). I have a secret banana mock cream recipe I need to make for the blog (but e-mail me and I’ll send you the recipe). I read this the other day but commenting on my phone sucks but anyway – point of the story is, I was talking about this recipe to someone last night haha.
Haha I’m not a fan of banana ice creams sadly- only in smoothies with other fruit too haha!
When we hang out, we will be having sweet and salty everything.
Sweet, salty, strawberry, ice cream – I literally can’t think of a better combo 🙂
The perfect combo 😉
Sweet and salty… and coconut?! I need this. I used to make strawberry and pretzel ice cream. Shouldn’t have given away the ice cream maker, but this is perfect for the Vitamix!
Umm……..strawberry and pretzel? I think you need to add pretzels to your next batter bowl 😉
I always put salt in my smoothies – I swear it brings out the sweetness & different flavours. Plus, I like to think I’m getting an extra mineral boost. I have one of those hippie salt lamps next to my bed and one time I licked it. Hahahaha. Um… if I’m being honest I’ve licked it more than once.
Oooh fav ice cream flavour? That’s a tough one. Anything with PB makes me weak in the knees, but I also love a really good quality vanilla bean, coconut or maple walnut. <– I'm a senior citizen/Canadian.
When you come to Kananaskis, I'm going to take you for gluten free crepes in Canmore, and then we'll go for a walk along the river and sing. WIll you hold my hand?
YES- dude, how amazing is salt at bringing out the sweetness in everything! Haha the mineral boost…does Iodised salt count?
I will indeed hold your hand..but make sure I didn’t do an arm workout the day before so it will be extra strong so when I squeeze it, it hurts.
PS I lol’d writing my Monday post for tomorrow.
PPS I had the most EPIC Ice cream flavour today prior to your amazing message.
Wow this sounds delicious! I absolutely love making smoothie bowls that are thick and creamy! I love your salty and sweet combo! And of course, you cant go wrong with coconut butter
xoxo Sarah Grace, Fresh Fit N Healthy.
Thanks, Sarah! smoothies MUST be thick or else it doesn’t count 😉
So if you had to choose – would you pick SALT or SUGAR? This is a life or death question, by the way – ha!
SALT. Always salt. Sugar can go…disintegrate.
SALT POWER!!
I’m a huge fan of salty & sweet so why have I never thought to add salt to my smoothie? Sounds delish.
Thank you so much, Deanna! It enhances the taste!
I’ve never thought of sweet and salty ice cream. It sounds oddishly(?) delicious. 😀
You need to add sea salt to EVERYTHING!
i made peanut butter and banana soft serve long time ago, the best combination. possible. your icecream sounds fantastic,
Peanut butter and banana is an epic combination…actually, I think Parita just posted something using those two which sounded epic!
let me guess.. laura is the salty one? Jk. But i do love sea salt in everything. SO this is a yes! try it on watermelon next
Um… already done geeze 😉 Feta cheese and watermelon is a favourite combination of mine 😉
freakin genius
😯 WHY did I never think to add salt to my smoothies?! OMG… Shame on you for watching me down smoothies for the past two weeks and not telling me!
Ice cream… vanilla. I’ve been a vanilla girl for as long as I can remember, but I have a feeling a lot of that might have to do with the fact that I can’t eat most of the fancier flavours because of my allergies. Cookie dough and moose tracks definitely sound wonderful though… But the good thing about vanilla is you can toss whatever you please into it 🙂
Dude. I didn’t message it to you, but I totally had an ‘Amanda’ flavour gelato after brunch today. Seriously, Spoons worthy!
But for store bought..vanilla takes the…cake?
i need to make this! sounds so mmm mmm good!!
So delicious!
Lot the sweet and salty! I just sweet and salted my egg whites bowl!
Wow, sweet and salty egg whites sound amazing!
Vanilla bean ice cream lady right hurrr.
I love that you call it “vanilla essence”. It’s sort of like how Curt came home to let me know he bought us a “credenza” which supposedly is a fancy name for entertainment unit…I’ve been calling it that ever since.
Hahaha what do you call it? Isn’t that the name?
I’m calling my future child Credenza…what an epic name!
Well now doesn’t this sound amazing! Sweet + Salty for the win!
Morganne would you expect anything less? Whole 30 forgot to mention it makes it’s participants so cheeky :p
whoa the addition of coconut butter i think is what totally takes the cake on this one. I suck at making any sort of smoothie blend thing (mostly out of pure laziness) but I swear if i ever do, saving this one 🙂
Haha go for it, Alex. The worst part is cleaning the damn blender!
This sounds so good! I’m all about the smoothie bowls. I’m also all about smoothies and you’re right–it’s strange considering how cold it’s been lately. Maybe we are all just wishing for summer.. Favorite ice cream hmmmmm nutella. Nutella gelato is by far my favorite.
Erin.
You’ll like my Monday post. I tried the greatest gelato flavour known to human kind! Add sea salt to your next smoothie…epic.
This sounds amazing and so refreshing! I love the addition of sea salt!
I love banana and PB “ice cream” before. It was so delicious! My absolute favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip. Mmmm…I could totally go for a bowl of it for breakfast! 😉
Ice cream for breakfast is completely appropriate! Seriously, I go through sea salt like it’s going out of style!
That is definitely the way to do smoothies or basically anything of the like – suuuuper thick. That’s probably the closest I’ve come to making a mock ice cream.
Favourite ice cream would have to be moose tracks (vanilla with fudge and mini PB cups), chocolate chip cookie dough, or cookies and cream. Is it bad that I’m now seriously considering ice cream for breakfast?
I just told Chelsea you gotta check out my Monday post tomorrow..had the most EPIC ice cream flavour today. EPIC!!!
Love that you made this WITHOUT bananas! I will definitely have to try it out! Most “ice creams” in the HLB world always have a frozen banana which makes me want to hurl 😉
Hahaha exactly- I love bananas but not banana ‘ice cream’- the texture reminds me of baby food.
Holy.delish. I have never tried fake ice cream! Confession: I do not really like it :O
I have really sensitive teeth, or something because ice cream, gelato, smoothies all really hurt my teeth and make me SO cold. 🙁 So I need only little bits to taste.
This looks absolutely amazing. Sweet+Salty = a win though. pretzels et chocolate! <3
Oh no!!! My friend has sensitive teeth and has some mouthwash and toothpaste (Called sensodyne) which usually helps them out! oh my, I’m craving chocolate covered pretzels now!
I love sweet and salty combos! I’ve made fake banana ice cream before, but I’ve never tried it with another fruit. This looks delicious though.
My favourite ice cream flavour is mint chocolate chip!
Dude….stop by on my Monday post. I tried the most epic gelato flavour this weekend. One I know you would appreciate.
The strawberry smoothie looks fab..
Thank you, Praveen! 🙂
This sounds so good! I rarely make things homemade that can be made for me, but I would definitely like to try making mock or real ice cream someday!
I’m working tomorrow, but my mom is visiting on Sunday for a belated birthday visit!
Hope you have a good one with mama runs for food 😉
The mock ice cream was so easy to do- ALMOST like buttering bread.
I haven’t made a mock icecream before – Arman – this is a BRILLIANT masterpiece! Coconut butter and strawberries are AWESOME together – and in “mock” icecream/thick smoothie form -pure gold! With the sea salt – gaawwwsh – I have no words other than send me some on ice -NOW! I stick to froyo as Ice cream and I dont get along, my fav froyo flavor is Moose Tracks – but I will eat any froyo – it’s froyo after all! 🙂
Highs in the 60’s this weekend after snow last week, has me super stoked! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks, Shashi- Sea salt HAS to happen! that is so weird but ice cream works for me, but not froyo!
Nom nom yum yum! I bet that addition of salt just makes the dish!
I love good old banana soft serve – 1 frozen banana blitzed with a little almond milk and served with a dollop of almond butter…. Yummers!
The added nut butter MUST happen!
Completely off topic but YOU GET COMMONWEALTH GAMES! okay, I will rant more in the email to you! :p
I don’t know what the whole Recipe Redux thing is (I get confused easily)… but I DO know that this strawberry smoothie treat looks so great. Definitely a healthified dessert option. Have you tried it without the vanilla?
It’s a monthly link up organised by dieticians where you get given a theme and centre a healthy recipe around it!
I certainly have tried it without the vanilla and it’s just as good- I just love the smell of vanilla essence!
Interesting twist with the sea salt at the end! I am all for making healthier ice cream at home so I can indulge at Gelato Messina – how amazing is that place!?!
Nina, amazing does NOT even describe it! You’ll like my Monday post….oh yeah, two new flavours sampled!
THIS SOUNDS INCREDIBLE!!! Another one for my to-try list. I sometimes just blend frozen fruit and soy yoghurt and add some coconut milk and agave. This turns out as “ice cream” as well. Or I just blend a banana and some pb and freeze it. Also pretty ice-creamy. But I never thought about adding sea salt.
My very favorite sort of ice cream is Bacio. From Giolitti in Rome. And I love some of the Ben & Jerry’s flavors, too.
I’ll get my kick out of sleeping in on Sunday! And the revelation of Red John Sunday evening 🙂 Gosh am I boring…
OH my gee. How AMAZING is Bacio from Italy? I don’t even like the chocolate but the gelato….that, or Ferror Rocher or Rafaello (the white one!).
Yes it’s the Italian version of “Ferrero Küsschen” (google told me you don’t have them in Australia) It’s got a hazelnut in it. Amazing! And I love Rocher and Rafaello ice cream too! And cookie! And cookie dough! And pb cups! I’d prefer the ice cream version of any chocolate to the chocolate itself anytime!
I love “ice cream!” Sometimes even more than ice cream 🙂
I used to have a ‘Yonanas’ machine that I shoved all sorts of fruit through to turn it into creamy froyo goodness but only the bananas came out right. This looks like perfection. Can’t wait to try it!
Hahahaha that is so funny, my friend has one and complained to them because they tried everything under the sun and only bananas worked..everything else turned to baby food.
I Love the sweet and salty combination! This sounds so, so good! Sweet/salty and coconut butter? Yes please! I’m so excited I finally have my vitamix. Need to make this! I have a huge bag of frozen cherries, I wonder if it would be good with those?
Having a vitamix is like having kitchen gold.
Ohh Cherries- Blend it exactly the same but sub the coconut butter for shredded coconut and add cocoa powder- Epic.
I have never thought to add salt on top of a smoothie. Like are you a genius? That is the best idea ever! Like a breakfast margarita! And I mean, coconut makes everything better sooooo…. you’re my favorite.
The best part about a margarita is licking the exterior of salty goodness. Hello bloat. 😉
Oooo I love it! Adding sea salt is such a great idea— sweet and salty= ♥ I’m always up for healthy ice cream too 🙂
You need to add sea salt to all things EVERYTHANG!
And there goes the brazilian again – DELOCIOUS! hahahah I mean delicious. But delocious should definitely be a word.
Woww that looks delocious! I just love blending frozen stuff, mostly bananas and strawberries. I tried with frozen pineapple onde, but it didn’t turn out that great 🙁
I absolutely love healthy smoothies and “ice cream” like this, but real ice cram has become a fear food for 2 years… But my favourite flavour was Dulce de Leche, from Haagen Dazs! I can remember exactly how it tasted!
I hope this year I can conquer this challenge and have it again 🙂
Have an amazing weekend!!!!!!
Ohh I tried frozen pineapple too once..it works well in cocktails and THAT IS IT!
You don’t need to hope, Mayra- You need self believe that it WILL happen. Confidence, belief and happiness.
Can I substitute coconut cream for the coconut milk?
Yes!