Easy Vegan Matcha Ice Cream Recipe (3 ingredients)

Vegan matcha ice cream is a luscious green treat infused with earthy green tea that will tantalise your taste buds. With every scoop, you'll feel the cool and smooth texture of the ice cream melt in your mouth, leaving you craving more. If this sounds delicious, you must learn how to make vegan matcha ice cream.  

Chefs typically create vegan matcha coconut ice cream from three simple ingredients: plant-based milk, sugar, and green tea powder. However, there are numerous ways to make it, including a version that uses coconut cream for added richness and flavour. Our vegan version is better in terms of taste and texture because it is free from dairy, which can often leave a lingering aftertaste.

To create our recipe, we experimented with various ratios of ingredients and different preparation methods. Ultimately, we settled on a no-churn version that requires only three ingredients and less than two hours of preparation time.

As a result, our recipe is less expensive than store-bought desserts and offers the added benefit of being dairy-free and easily customisable to your preferences. 

Whether you prefer coconut or not, our easy vegan matcha ice cream recipe has covered you with two options. So, it's time to try our recipe and indulge in some guilt-free, healthy pleasure. 

Jump to:

• Easy Vegan Matcha Ice Cream (3 ingredients)
• How to make vegan matcha ice cream (no machine) 
• Green Tea Ice Cream without Coconut Cream
• Make Vegan Matcha Ice Cream (with ice cream maker)
• Vegan Matcha Ice Cream Toppings
• Vegan Matcha Ice Cream Cooking Tips 
• How to store
• Easy Vegan Matcha Ice Cream Recipe (3 ingredients)

Easy Vegan Matcha Ice Cream (3 ingredients)

The three main ingredients in our easy vegan matcha ice cream recipe are coconut cream, green tea powder, and sweetener. We will use sweetened condensed coconut milk as the sweetener in our recipe. This dessert is vegan, so no eggs are required.

Matcha

For this green tea dessert, we recommend that you use high-quality culinary-grade green tea powder. This grade provides a bright green colour and a smooth, sweet taste. 

You can also use ceremonial-grade matcha powder if you enjoy its intense flavour. However, it is much more expensive, and the Japanese usually drink this type of premium green tea powder. 

Although culinary grade matcha is the second-highest grade, it still lends a grassy and smooth taste, much like its ceremonial equivalent. However, desserts such as matcha cookies usually use culinary-grade matcha powder as it is more affordable and lends a relatively smooth taste to any dessert.

Coconut cream

When making this dairy-free matcha ice cream, it is essential to use thick, full-fat coconut cream. This ingredient helps to create the dairy-free dessert's texture and richness. However, if you’d prefer a non-vegan green tea ice cream, add some dairy milk. It will make the dessert even more indulgent.

How to make vegan matcha ice cream (no machine) 

The best vegan matcha ice cream recipe does not require a machine since it uses coconut cream. The high-fat content from the coconut helps to thicken the mixture, while the matcha and sweetener add flavour. Although using an ice cream maker is much easier - you can still easily make our vegan matcha ice cream recipe without a machine!

Before you begin, chill your coconut cream and other ingredients before making your green tea dessert. Chill for at least 24 hours. This step will help the mixture freeze faster and produce a thick and smooth texture. In addition, doing this will allow the cream to separate from the liquid, making it easier to use.

Then, whisk the chilled coconut cream, green tea powder, and sweetener in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Whisk until there are no lumps. You can also use an electric whisk.

Next, freeze the mixture. Pour it into a freezer-safe container, such as an ice tray and place it in the freezer. Remove the container from the freezer every hour and stir or whisk the mixture vigorously for a few minutes. This action will incorporate air into the mix. It will also help prevent ice crystals from forming. Repeat this process every hour for a couple of hours until the vegan matcha coconut ice cream reaches your desired consistency. 

After freezing your green tea dessert, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping. This step will help it soften slightly and make it easier to scoop.

Green Tea Ice Cream without Coconut Cream

For those who don't like the taste of coconut, green tea ice cream without coconut cream is a great option. However, if you skip the coconut, then you'll require an ice cream machine. This coconut-free version is only for people with a machine. Without a machine, you won’t be able to achieve a smooth and thick texture.

You can use the same ingredients: green tea powder, plant-based milk, and sugar. But instead, pour your chilled mixture into the machine's pre-frozen container. The device will churn your mixture into a soft-serve consistency. Finally, you just need to let it sit in the freezer overnight. This method will not be used in our recipe below. 

Matcha

When making green tea ice cream without coconut cream, we recommend that you use high-quality culinary-grade matcha powder.

Plant-based milk

Choosing a thick, rich variety such as oat or soy milk is essential when making vegan matcha ice cream without coconut cream. Thin or watery plant-based milk will produce less thick and smooth, satisfying results.

Oat milk is a popular choice for making this dairy-free matcha ice cream because it has a milky and slightly sweet flavour that pairs well with the earthy taste of green tea. It also has a similar consistency to dairy milk, making it an excellent substitute for traditional recipes. Oat milk is also rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals, making it a healthy option for those looking to add more plant-based foods to their diet.

Soy milk is another excellent option. Soy milk has a smooth and thick texture similar to dairy milk, and it is rich in protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients. It also has a neutral flavour that can be easily flavoured with green tea powder and other ingredients. Almond is another wonderful choice of milk that is not too sweet and does not overpower the taste of green tea. 

Make Vegan Matcha Ice Cream (with ice cream maker)

To make vegan matcha ice cream with an ice cream maker, simply place the mixture of coconut and sweetener into your blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth. Then, add green tea powder, and blend until smooth, for about 30-60 seconds. 

Finally, use your machine to freeze the mixture. The device will speed up the process of freezing with some churning action. The results are smaller ice crystals and a smoother dessert.

Vegan Matcha Ice Cream Toppings

Adding toppings to your easy vegan matcha ice cream recipe is a fun way to customise the dessert. Chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, and white chocolate are popular choices that can add a delicious crunch. 

Chocolate chips enhance sweetness, while crushed Oreos add a soft crunch. White chocolate can provide a rich complement to the earthy taste of green tea. Why not try making coffee jelly and adding it as a topping for a unique twist? 

Furthermore, adding strawberries to vegan matcha ice cream is another great option. Strawberries provide a slightly tangy flavour that pairs well with the earthy taste of green tea.

Next, try red beans or red bean paste to add an interesting chewy texture to the healthy vegan matcha ice cream. Red beans traditionally pair well with the flavour of green tea - so it’s a great combo if you want to try out more Japanese flavours! 

To incorporate other toppings into your cold dessert, whisk the coconut, green tea powder, and sweetener. Gently mix the chocolate, strawberries or red bean to distribute them throughout the mixture evenly.

Then, follow the same freezing process described earlier, removing the mixture from the freezer and stirring or whisking every hour to prevent ice crystals from forming. Finally, sprinkle the remaining toppings on the top to seal the flavour.

Vegan Matcha Ice Cream Cooking Tips 

Since we've tried our easy vegan matcha ice cream recipe a few times, we've discovered some secrets to ensuring this dairy-free dessert is perfect. If you want to make the ideal green tea dessert, you need to follow a few key steps to avoid issues with taste or texture. Here are our solutions to common yet easily solvable problems.

Not thick enough

If the consistency of the healthy vegan matcha ice cream needs to be thicker, it may be because you have not left it to freeze long enough. In this case, leave it in the freezer for longer (at least two hours) until it reaches the desired consistency.

Another tip is to ensure that you use full-fat coconut cream to provide the necessary fat for a thick consistency. 

Furthermore, you can add a little cornstarch to help thicken the mixture and create a smoother consistency. You can also use a combination of liquid (like agave syrup) and granulated sweeteners (or coconut sugar) to create a lovely, thick, creamy texture. 

Not sweet enough

If you find that your dairy-free dessert is not sweet enough, there are a few things you can do to fix it. First, add some sweeteners such as raw agave or maple syrup. These vegan-friendly options add sweetness to your dessert without using refined sugars.

However, it is crucial to start with a small amount and taste-test the dessert before adding more. Adding too much sweetener can make the result overly sweet and detract from the delicate green tea flavour.

If your dessert still needs to be sweeter, you can gradually add more sweetener. Add until you achieve the desired level of sweetness. Remember, it's always better to add a little bit at a time and taste as you go rather than adding too much all at once.

Can't taste the matcha

If the taste is not strong enough, you can adjust the amount of green tea powder you add to the coconut milk. Green tea powder is the key ingredient that provides a unique and distinct flavour to healthy vegan matcha ice cream. 

Be careful not to add too much green tea powder at once, as this can result in an overpowering bitterness that will mess up the flavour profile of the dessert.

Additionally, green tea powder can vary in intensity, so you must taste the mixture as you add more and adjust the amount accordingly. 

Remember that the intensity of the flavour will also depend on the quality of the green tea powder used. So be sure to use high-quality culinary-grade green tea powder to achieve a smooth and earthy flavour and to avoid the typical bitter aftertaste of powders that are of lower quality.

Too icy

Non-dairy milk tends to have a high water and low-fat content, forming hard and icy crystals when frozen. As more water is in the ice, it will melt faster, leading to changes in the melting process. The melting process can affect the final product's perception of creaminess. 

Therefore, choose plant-based milk that is higher in fat, such as coconut milk, cashew milk, or oat cream, as they can help make your non-dairy treat creamier. Furthermore, the higher fat content will help emulsify the mixture and prevent ice crystals from forming. 

Another tip is to ensure your mixture is chilled thoroughly before churning. This tip will help it freeze more evenly and prevent ice crystals from forming in your vegan matcha ice cream. If you use a machine, over-churning the mixture can cause it to become too icy. Be sure to follow the recommended churning time for your machine. 

How to store

Store your dessert in a shallow container with a tight-fitting lid to minimise the air that comes into contact with the dessert. This type of container helps prevent freezer burn to the dessert and keeps it from absorbing odours from other foods in the freezer. We recommend storing your cold dessert in the back of your freezer, as the temperature is usually more consistent.

If stored properly, this no-churn treat can last up to 2-3 months in the freezer. However, consuming it within the first month is best to ensure optimal freshness and flavour. In addition, green tea acquires a bitter taste when exposed to air, so the longer you keep it, the more bitter your green tea dessert will taste. 

If you enjoy other green tea desserts alongside our best vegan matcha ice cream recipe, you must try making matcha brownies as well. However, if you are feeling adventurous and want to experiment with other interesting textures, why not have a look at our tempura ice cream recipe? It's perfect if you’re looking for a deep-fried, hot and cold guilty escape.

If you love cooking as much as we do, we have plenty more ideas for you to try. So, search for us on Instagram @honestfoodtalks to start your culinary adventure!