There may be few desserts as “American as apple pie,” but in summer, peach pie ice cream strikes the perfect balance between classic Americana and frosty satisfaction. In my vegan version, pieces of tender, buttery pie crust are woven throughout a creamy dairy-free peach base, with splashes of bright peach jam in every bite.
Vegan Peach Pie Ice Cream is Easier than You Think to Churn Out
While complex in flavor, the preparation of this peach pie ice cream is anything but complicated. If you can prepare a cooked custard, you can whip up this base in a flash. And I have shortcut tips for the pie crust, along with other ingredient options, in the following FAQs.
What Pie Crust Do You Recommend?
For cost effectiveness and maximum taste, you can stir up a 1/4 batch of this Buttery Pie Crust dough. It is 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour, 3/4 teaspoon sugar, a pinch of salt, 1/4 cup butter alternative (1/2 stick), and 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cold water. Easy peasy! Or, you can buy a ready-made pie dough in the freezer section of your grocery store. Most brands are vegan! If you want to minimize the heat in your kitchen, use a toaster oven to bake the crust pieces.
What Can I Substitute for the Turbinado Sugar?
You can use another coarse sugar, or use 1 tablespoon brown sugar + 1 tablespoon white sugar for the same flavor effect.
Can I Use Other Fruit in the Ice Cream Recipe?
If peaches aren’t your top pick for summer produce, an equal measure of apricots, plums, or even cherries could be seamlessly substituted. Just like a traditional slice of pie, you can’t go wrong no matter what fruity flavor you choose. You can also mix and match the jam to be the same or complementary to the fruit.
Can I Use Another Milk Beverage in Place of the Coconut Milk?
I don’t recommend it! This is full-fat, canned coconut milk. Milk beverages are watery and won’t provide the same richness. If you do use one, expect more for an ice milk. If you need coconut-free, I would substitute cashew cream instead.
Do I Have to Use Both Cornstarch and Arrowroot Starch?
I like the combination because they each lend slightly different properties. But if you only have one starch on hand, you can use just 2 tablespoons of the single starch.
How Can I Make this as a Peach Ice Cream Pie?
Pre-bake and cool a single pie crust (homemade or store-bought) in a 9-inch round pie pan. Omit the cinnamon-sugar pie crust from the ice cream base. Immediately after churning, spoon the soft ice cream directly into the crust, swirling the peach jam throughout. Let it rest in the freezer to solidify for at least 6 hours before serving, to achieve the cleanest slices. Top with coconut whipped cream, fresh peach slices, or sprigs of mint for a dose of extra flair.
Editor Note: For more of Hannah’s ice cream recipes, enjoy her ice cream cookbooks! Yes, she has published TWO of them: Super Vegan Scoops and Vegan a la Mode.
Special Diet Notes: Vegan Peach Pie Ice Cream
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Just be sure to use the pie crust that suits your dietary needs.
- ½ (about 4.5 ounces) single classic pie crust, unbaked (can use gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup peach jam or preserves
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pound ripe peaches, pitted (about 3 medium)
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk (regular, full fat)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon non-GMO cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out your pie dough to about ⅛-inch thickness, in more or less of an even rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or very sharp knife, slice the dough into 1-inch square pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Add the crust squares and toss to coat.
- Arrange the squares in an even layer on your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the squares for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely.
- Microwave the jam for 15 to 30 seconds, just to loosen it up a bit without getting it too hot. Stir in the water and lemon juice, mixing until smooth and pourable. Cover until ready to use.
- Add the peaches, coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot starch, and salt to your blender. Puree on high, until completely smooth.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any bits of unblended fruit or skin.
- Pour the peach and coconut puree into a medium saucepan and cook on the stove over medium heat. Stir often to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook for 1 minute longer, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla.
- Refrigerate the peach mixture for at least 3 hours.
- Churn the peach mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Once the ice cream has finished churning but is still soft, transfer a few scoops at a time to an air-tight freezer-safe container, drizzling some of the jam and sprinkling a handful of crust pieces over each addition. Lightly stir everything together, to marble the jam throughout but not completely mix it in.
- Freeze the ice cream for 4 hours to set up before serving.
10 Comments
This looks completely delcious, I am still eating peaches everyday so this ice cream is something I need to try.
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Hi Hannah! Have you ever made the ice cream without the crust? I want to try this on Thanksgiving without the crust but wonder if any adjustments need to be made. Thanks so much!
Hi Lori, it should be fine without the crust. Here is another peach ice cream recipe from my collection that I have made as just peach ice cream – http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/peach-crisp-ice-cream – best, Alisa
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Awesome recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Just wondering if there is a substitute for coconut milk that you can recommend for someone with allergies to dairy, eggs, nuts, sunflower seeds, coconut and fish? Is there a soy alternative that will work?
Thanks!
Hi Heather! While there aren’t any substitutes that are quite as rich as coconut milk, plain soy creamer does come pretty close and can work nicely in this recipe. Just bear in mind that it may turn out harder to scoop than the original formula, and if you don’t have a problem with alcohol, you may wish to add in a tablespoon or two of vodka to keep it a bit softer. Enjoy!