This Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream is super easy to make without an ice cream maker. Thanks to the creamy frozen banana base this pineapple nice cream recipe is dairy free, vegan, and paleo. Add frozen coconut milk for a tropical piña colada twist.
How to make Pineapple Ice Cream – in a blender or food processor
Food Processor:
I find that my food processor is the best at turning frozen ingredients into creamy, smooth ice cream. I just add all ingredients in, close the lid and turn it on.
It will be loud at first, but as the frozen ingredients break down more things quiet down. At this point you might think that these frozen fruit crumbles will never turn into a smooth and creamy texture, but just keep going.
It may be necessary to stop the food processor a few times to scrape down the sides. Or to break up any large lumps that form and don’t seem to want to break down.
But finally, after just a few minutes you’ll end up with luscious and smooth homemade Pineapple Ice Cream.
Serve it right away for the melty soft serve texture. Or transfer the pineapple and coconut ice cream mixture to a container and let it firm up in the freezer for about 2 hours. This way you’ll end up with firmer ice cream texture.
If you need to keep it in the freezer any longer than that, the vegan pineapple ice cream might get quite firm. If that happens, remove it from the freezer and let it soften on the counter for a few minutes before attempting to scoop it.
Blender Method:
Quite honestly, I find that blenders don’t do as good a job of making nice cream. Usually blender require a good amount of liquid to keep the ingredients moving along. But with too much liquid the texture will quickly turn more into a smoothie than ice cream.
For making this pineapple ice cream recipe in a blender I recommend only high-speed appliances like Vitamix or Blendtec.
How to make Pineapple Ice Cream in a Vitamix:
Add all ingredients to the blender jar, turn on the Vitamix and quickly move to the highest blending speed. Meanwhile use the tamper to push the ingredients into the blades. This will also keep the Vitamix from overheating
How to make Pineapple Nice Cream in a Blendtec:
Add all ingredients into the twister jar. Close the lid and turn it while the blender is in process. The prongs in the lid will ensure that the ingredients keep moving along and are a being processed by the blades.
How To Freeze Coconut Milk – for Smoothies or Pineapple Nice Cream
Freezing liquids can oftentimes be a pain. If you use a jar or Ziploc they can take forever to thaw.
Whenever you have some leftover coconut milk, fill it into your ice cube tray. This way you have small portions that thaw quickly (if necessary) to use for anything from smoothies to sauces and of course nice cream.
A frozen coconut milk cube is perfect to take simple pineapple flavour to the next level of Piña Colada!
Tools I used in this Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream
Of course there is my beloved food processor. I don’t think I would have ever started loving nice cream so much without this trusty small appliance.
I feel like I have tried every coconut milk brand under the sun, and I even love to make my own at home, but when it comes to store brands Aroy-D is and has been my favorite every since I first had them in Thailand.
For scooping nice cream I like to use my cookie scoop because it makes smaller scoops.
More delicious recipes related to this:
VIDEO: How to make Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream
Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream
This Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream is super easy to make without an ice cream maker. Thanks to the creamy frozen banana base this pineapple nice cream recipe is dairy free, vegan, and paleo. Add frozen coconut milk for a tropical piña colada twist.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana in chunks or slices
- ½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 2 tablespoons frozen coconut milk ~1 large ice cube*
Instructions
To a food processor add frozen banana slices or chunks, frozen pineapple chunks and the frozen coconut milk cube.
Turn on the food processor and blend all ingredients until smooth. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a time or two.
Serve right away for a creamy soft-serve texture. For firmer ice cream texture transfer to a container and freeze for 2 hours.
Serve topped with mint leaves and fresh pineapple chunks.
How to make Pineapple Ice Cream in Vitamix (or other high-speed blender):
To make nice cream in a Vitamix I recommend using a tamper to push the frozen ingredients right into the blades. This also prevents the blender from overheating.
When using a Blendtec, I recommend the twister jar. It is specifically designed for blending harder/drier ingredients. The prongs in the lid ensure that the mixture inside doesn't get stuck and keeps moving into the blades.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*optional for a Piña Colada twist
** This recipe makes 1 generous portion (or 2 small ones). Simply multiply the ingredients to make more servings.
Alicia Gaylord
Can you make this with almond milk