How To Make Your Own Vegan Ice Cream

If you are lactose intolerant, vegan, or simply dairy-free, hearing the ice cream truck may not give you the same insurmountable joy as it does others — so it's important to build up your collection of vegan ice cream recipes. After all, summer just isn't the same without a frozen treat in your hand, and making your own ice cream hardly means that you are missing out on all the fun.

After you whip up your own dairy- and egg-free ice cream thanks to these recipes, you'll be inspired to get a little creative. Maybe you will even make an ice cream sandwich out of your new creation. Or perhaps you'll use your vegan ice cream to top off a delicious vegan dessert. As long as you've got some ice cream in-hand, nothing can go wrong.

With a couple key ingredients like bananas, coconut milk, and of course plenty of tasty toppings, vegan ice cream is surprisingly easy to make, whether or not you own an ice cream maker. The summer isn't over yet, and there is still time to indulge in a little sweetness, so have fun with it. Try out these 12 recipes for a sweet cool-down that's not too unhealthy either.

1. Three-Ingredient Ice Cream

A Beautiful Mess knows how to make some healthy, delicious variations on this frozen banana-based vegan ice cream. It's completely tasty, and pretty good for you, too.

2. Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream Cookie Dough Blizzard

This summertime favorite frozen treat is totally possible to make at home — and Half Baked Harvest makes it super creamy with coconut milk as its base.

3. Fig, Coconut, And Blackberry Ice Cream

Coconut milk is a go-to for dairy-free desserts, but Green Kitchen Stories uses figs to give this ice cream an unexpected source of sweetness.

4. Almond Joy Ice Cream

With just a handful of ingredients, Naturally Ella recreates one of our favorite candy bars in the form of a not-too-unhealthy frozen dessert.

5. Matcha Coconut Ice Cream

With matcha, coconut milk, and a dash of maple syrup, Love and Lemons' green ice cream is pretty much one of the trendiest desserts we've come across.

6. Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Soft-Serve

This recipe is by Oh She Glows is pretty fail-proof — but it only gets better when it's scooped into popsicle molds and frozen into shape.

7. Banana Nut Ice Cream

With a touch of cocoa powder and brown sugar, A Beautiful Mess makes non-dairy ice cream that still tastes like a sweet treat.

8. Vegan Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream

There's nothing like a colorful, fruity bowl of ice cream in the summer. The Kitchn breaks down how to make an easy strawberry-vanilla variation.

9. Vanilla Avocado Banana Ice Cream

This ice cream by Averie Cooks is simply further proof that avocados make everything better. End of story.

10. Mocha Chip Ice Cream

House of Yumm proves that you don't need milk to make coffee taste delicious. This vegan java chip ice cream is super simple to make in an ice cream machine.

11. Meyer Lemon Ice Cream

Make good use of juicy, plump Meyer lemons with Love and Lemons' simple citrus recipe.

12. The Big Vegan Banana Split

This here may be the ultimate recipe as far as vegan desserts go. Oh She Glows isn't kidding around with this epic treat.

Images: A Beautiful Mess (2); Half Baked Harvest; Green Kitchen Stories; Naturally Ella; Love and Lemons; Oh She Glows (3); The Kitchn; Averie Cooks; House of Yumm