This Chocolate Almond Chip Ice Cream is rich and loaded with the healthy crunch of nuts and chocolate chips–delicious clean-eating at its best. It's sure to please and is much cheaper than store-bought dairy-free ice cream.

Plus, as an added bonus, it works for almost any special diet since it's dairy-free with vegan, paleo, low carb, & AIP options.

chocolate almond chip ice cream in a small bowl.

Here is another dairy-free ice cream recipe that will surely satisfy your sweet tooth!

I mentioned in my post on Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream that I never could make up my mind about which flavor to get whenever we went out for ice cream.

Well, after writing about our trips to Friendly's and the Sampler of four small scoops that I would always get, I remembered that my other favorite flavor had always been Chocolate Almond Chip.

I even checked out Friendly's website and though I couldn't figure out what other flavors I used to get, the Chocolate Almond Chip ice cream is still there.

There's a reason :-).

Now, I've never been one to turn down ice cream in any form (someday I'll share the gorey details of my summers working in an ice cream parlor), but ice cream full of chunks has always been a favorite of mine.

If you feel the same way, then do I have a treat for you.

Chocolate Almond Chip Ice Cream, full (really full) of almonds and chocolate (or carob) chunks.

(And absent of dairy and sugar, for those on special diets :-)!)

chocolate almond chip ice cream in a pile of bowls with spoons

This whole dairy-free ice cream adventure started on our recent trip to Chicago. My family always likes to visit Whole Foods and Trader Joe's whenever we visit to grab some food to get us through our trip (since we never go out) and to stock up on a few things.

Well, this time we got the chance to sample some coconut milk, no sugar-added ice cream. And we were hooked.

And wouldn't you know it – it was on sale.

Good thing it was on sale, because the regular price was something horrendous. Even on sale, it was $3.59 / pint.

Well, though I am not one to spend $3.59 a pint on anything, I splurged on Mint Chip as well as Chocolate flavors and some gluten-free cones. Guess what our breakfast was the next day :-)!

The consensus in our family was that the chocolate was a bit too bitter, but that didn't stop us from eating it.

Well, that was not the case with this chocolate ice cream. It was gone-gone-gone in a flash!

Ice Cream Maker Tips

I used the Cuisinart Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker to make this, and it turned out great, but you really have to follow the directions with this machine. The bowl needs to be completely chilled in the freezer first, and used immediately, and the mixture needs to be chilled. Otherwise, it's “soft serve city” :(.

If you decide to freeze it and it gets too hard to scoop, try this handy anti-freeze ice cream scoop.

Enjoy!

chocolate almond chip ice cream in a pile of bowls with a hand holding a spoonful of the ice cream

Recipe Notes

Carob: You can use organic carob powder instead of cocoa for AIP.
Coconut Milk: My Easiest Coconut Milk is a great homemade option. You can, of course, substitute dairy or other milk alternatives as you like. Among the dairy-free alternatives, almond will be one of the better options to promote creaminess of the final product, and my Easiest Almond Milk would work great if you would like to make your own.
Sweeteners: Along with xylitol, organic erythritol is a good low-carb sweetener option. Use either maple syrup (here's how to choose a good brand), honey, or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon powdered stevia (here's a post on how to use it) for paleo — maple syrup, honey, or organic coconut sugar for AIP.
Chocolate Chips: You can use carob chips instead of chocolate chips for AIP. Use my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips for a low-carb option.
Almonds: Soak and dehydrate your nuts if possible. Omit for AIP, or use chopped organic tiger nuts.
Thickener: It would probably be OK to not use a thickener as long as you use MCT oil. If you do not use MCT, using gelatin or arrowroot will definitely improve the texture of the ice cream, but it will taste good either way.
THM: If you are using a thickener and are on a low-carb plan (like Trim Healthy Mama), use gelatin, or about ½ the amount of organic glucomannan.
Nut-free: Substitute sunflower seeds for the almonds.

More Dairy-free Ice Cream Treats

Here are some other dairy-free ice cream treats you might want to try.

Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Sugar-free Dairy-free Chocolate Ice Cream
Mocha Chip Ice Cream
Lemon Poppyseed Ice Cream
Sugar-free Fudgesicles – They taste like the real thing!
Sugar-free Lime Popsicles
Homemade Magic Shell – No, this isn't ice cream but it makes any ice cream better.

Ingredients

4 cups coconut milk
1/2 – 3/4 cup low-carb sweetener
3/4 cup cocoa
1-3 tablespoons MCT oil (optional–for creaminess)
1 tablespoon gelatin (or arrowroot; optional thickener)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup almonds (chopped)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Add coconut milk, sweetener, cocoa or carob powder, MCT oil, gelatin (or arrowroot), vanilla, and salt in blender or food processor (NOTE: if using gelatin, add to coconut milk and let it sit for a few minutes before adding other ingredients). Mix well.
Add mixture to ice cream maker and process following manufacturer's instructions.
When mixture starts to thicken, add almonds and chocolate chips.

Notes

- Carob: You can use organic carob powder instead of cocoa for AIP.

- Coconut Milk: My Easiest Coconut Milk is a great homemade option. You can, of course, substitute dairy or other milk alternatives as you like. Among the dairy-free alternatives, almond will be one of the better options to promote creaminess of the final product, and my Easiest Almond Milk would work great if you would like to make your own.

- Sweeteners: Along with xylitol, organic erythritol is a good low-carb sweetener option. Use either maple syrup (here's how to choose a good brand), honey, or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon powdered stevia (here's a post on how to use it) for paleo — maple syrup, honey, or organic coconut sugar for AIP.

- Chocolate Chips: You can use carob chips instead of chocolate chips for AIP. Use my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips for a low-carb option.

- Almonds: Soak and dehydrate your nuts if possible. Omit for AIP, or use chopped organic tiger nuts.

- Thickener: It would probably be OK to not use a thickener as long as you use MCT oil. If you do not use MCT, using gelatin or arrowroot will definitely improve the texture of the ice cream, but it will taste good either way.

- THM: If you are using a thickener and are on a low-carb plan (like Trim Healthy Mama), use gelatin, or about ½ the amount of organic glucomannan.

- Nut-free: Substitute sunflower seeds for the almonds.

Nutrition

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

Let me know how long it lasts (or doesn't) in your house!

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

178 Comments

Amee says:

Jun 14, 2012 at 7:42 pm

This ice cream looks heavenly!!! Thank you for sharing on Fit and Fabulous Fridays!

1. Adrienne says:
  
  Jun 14, 2012 at 7:48 pm
  
  Thanks!!!! Hi Amee!
  
April Harris says:

Jun 14, 2012 at 9:21 am

I really enjoy ice cream with chunks of goodness in it, just like this one! I really like the sound of the chocolate and almond together, and this is such a fabulously adaptable recipe. It’s wonderful to have something you can adapt so everyone can enjoy it.

six sisters says:

Jun 11, 2012 at 10:51 pm

This looks so delicious! We are so happy to have you join us for our “Strut Your Stuff Saturday”. Please come back soon!! -The Sisters

Pam says:

Jun 10, 2012 at 5:50 pm

I substituted Agar Flake for the Arrowroot (simmered 2T in 15oz of the coconut milk for 5 min), and it turned out WONDERFULLY CREAMY!

Love this recipe – Thank you so much for the post!

1. Adrienne says:
  
  Jun 10, 2012 at 9:10 pm
  
  Thank you !!!! We were about to try some more ice cream making experiments!!! I can’t wait to try. Thanks again!!!
  
Judy says:

Jun 9, 2012 at 11:00 pm

I have a friend who is lactose intolerant, she would love this recipe. I’m with you, I like lots of stuff in my ice cream too! Thanks for sharing on Hearth & Soul Hop. 🙂

1. Adrienne says:
  
  Jun 9, 2012 at 11:04 pm
  
  We’ve been thinking about making more “lots of stuff” ice cream soon! 🙂
  
Paige says:

Jun 7, 2012 at 9:13 am

Can’t wait to try this. I am on a dairy free diet.

Thanks for sharing.

Paige

Michelle says:

Jun 7, 2012 at 12:15 am

Hi,
I’m visiting from Chef-in-training and would love for you to share this, or any other recipes you would like to, at my Creative Thursday Link Party at http://www.michellestastycreations.blogspot.com. Have a wonderful week.

Michelle

patricia says:

Jun 6, 2012 at 7:57 pm

Hi I am trying this tonight sounds yummy. As for sugar have you tried Palm sugar, my kids can’t have any cane sugar and we use palm it is a great natural sugar

1. Adrienne says:
  
  Jun 6, 2012 at 8:00 pm
  
  I haven’t used it, but I do have coconut. I am not sure I can handle the glycemic index effect of it but it is a great choice. Hope you like it!!!
  
laribrook says:

May 10, 2012 at 11:03 am

I am going to try this recipe this week! Sounds great. Chocolate, almond & coconut are one of my favorite ice cream ‘flavors’ 🙂 You can also sweeten ice cream w/ maple syrup. last night we made strawberry ice cream in the cuisinart and used 2 tbsp of maple syrup. it was perfect 😉

Kylie says:

May 4, 2012 at 10:23 pm

We made this using Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk. Did you use canned coconut milk? I only ask because following your instructions, I thought ours was pretty creamy. I had the same issue as you, though. I just got my Cuisinart yesterday for my early Mother’s Day gift. 🙂 While the ice cream was originally a good solid consistency, it melted so quickly. We have plenty leftover (we made the whole recipe and there are only two of us), so we will see how it freezes. About 6 weeks ago, I changed my diet to get rid of chronic yeast problems. No dairy, refined sugar, caffeine, soy, and ended up being mostly gluten free as well. I am feeling great, and have learned so much about food! We have been using coconut oil and milk in so much because of its great health benefits. I was thrilled to find Coconut Bliss Ice Cream, but at $7.29 a pint, I only ever bought it once and decided I need an ice cream maker. This recipe was awesome. I used 2tsp of NuNaturals stevia powder instead of another sweetener and sliced almonds. We also added 2tsp of peppermint extract to make a Mint Chocolate Almond Chip ice cream. I think next time I might leave out the chocolate chips. The Almonds gave me enough crunch, but man, was this decadent! I am so excited to experiment with coconut milk ice creams. I agree with the above post. This has got to be served in Heaven! 🙂

1. Adrienne says:
  
  May 5, 2012 at 5:32 pm
  
  I did not use canned milk. I always make my own following the instructions in my Homemade Coconut Milk post. I am so glad you enjoyed it! We haven’t made it in awhile. I am glad to hear that you are doing well w/ your diet. It can help with so many things. Take care.