Up until last year, I didn’t own an ice cream maker. (And the only reason I have one now is that I won one in a giveaway.)

But, I would always envy people who had one. “Ugh, those people with their ice cream makers. So fancy and cool, making their ice cream all the time. Ugh.”

In their defense, it’s totally worth it. Since winning mine I’ve been putting it to extensive use: exhibits A, B, C, D, and E.

But, fear not. I hear the cries of the people, of you who are weary of one more appliance; the cost, the space, the time it takes to pull it out of that dusty corner cabinet, etc. And I answer with this:

Let not your lack of ice cream maker stand in the way of enjoying delicious, creamy, full-fat ice cream at home. Behold: No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with all the richness, flavor and creaminess of the real thing, no ice cream maker required.

Here’s the deal. If you make coconut whipped cream and sweeten it with dates, good things happen. Such good things, in fact, that it makes the perfect base for creamy, dreamy ice cream, no churning required.

The magic happens with the full-fat coconut cream, the vigorous whipping, and the mysterious date and its amazing ability to resist freezing (a fact I discovered when making 5-Ingredient Caramel Peanut Butter Truffles). The result is an amazingly versatile ice cream base with tons of air incorporated sans churning.

Throw in some cocoa powder and BAM: a fluffy chocolate mousse-like base that freezes up beautifully.

What’s more? This recipe requires just 5 ingredients:

Coconut Milk or Cream

Cocoa Powder

Almond Milk

Dates

Vanilla

That’s it! And prep time is only 30 minutes. The difficult part is the waiting for it to freeze. And if you’re impatient like me you poke your finger in the freezer every 15 minutes to see if it’s ready. Patience, young one. It’s worth the wait.

This ice cream is kind of amazing! It’s:

Creamy

Rich

Chocolatey

Fluffy

Perfectly Sweet

Scoopable

Refined sugar free

Natural

& Seriously simple

Plus, it’s extremely customizable! Though I’ve yet to try other flavors, I can only assume that the base would work well with peanut butter, strawberries, and perhaps even dairy-free yogurt! Oh man, the possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to experiment.

If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We love seeing our creations come to life in your kitchens. Cheers!

P.S. Stay tuned! There are more uses to come for this recipe this weekend.