Thai Coconut Ice Cream | I Team Gati | ไอศกรีมมะพร้าว

It's hard to believe that it's already August!  Before the last bit of summer fades away, I wanted to share with you this recipe for Thai coconut ice cream.

This coconut ice cream is reminiscent of what hubby had as a child in Thailand.  He tells me that when was a young boy, he enjoyed coconut ice cream on an almost daily basis.  He would meander into the hotel bar where his dad worked and charm the employees with requests for "i team".  And he was so cute that the employees could never refuse his requests 🙂

Now our two adorable young kids do the same thing, wandering into the kitchen and pulling on the freezer door handles daily asking for ice cream.  And yes, their requests are usually granted...

Coconut ice cream is the traditional ice cream flavor in Thailand.  It is the one that you'll find street vendors serving, and it is widely available in restaurants and stores.  Thai coconut ice cream is usually made with coconut milk and a simple syrup, without additional dairy or eggs, giving it a very refreshing and clean coconut flavor.

I first made Thai coconut ice cream using this recipe years ago, before our children were born.  I recently made it again and introduced the kids to it.  Being real ice cream aficionados, they loved it.  I hope you will as well!

Jump to:

• What does Thai Coconut Ice Cream Taste Like?
• How do you make Thai Coconut Ice Cream?
• How do you serve Thai Coconut Ice Cream?
• Recipe

What does Thai Coconut Ice Cream Taste Like?

Thai Coconut Ice cream has a very clean, pure coconut flavor.  It is gentle, not overpowering or "sunscreen-y" like some other coconut-flavored ice creams can be.  The texture of Thai coconut ice cream is more like a sorbet.  It does not contain dairy or eggs, but instead relies solely on coconut milk to provide the creaminess.

The taste and texture will depend somewhat on if you use boxed, canned, or fresh coconut milk, with fresh coconut milk providing the most refreshing version and boxed or canned coconut milks being slightly creamier.  You can see the difference in texture from the photos.  For the ice cream served in a coconut shell above, I grated the meat from a mature coconut and made my own coconut milk (see notes in recipe for details).  For the ice cream served in a bread bun below, I used canned coconut milk.

How do you make Thai Coconut Ice Cream?

Thai Coconut Ice Cream is very easy to make, especially if you use canned or boxed coconut milk.  The ice cream itself has only three ingredients - coconut milk, water, and sugar.  If you are using boxed or canned coconut milk, simply make a simple syrup, add the coconut milk, and let an ice cream maker do the rest!  If you don't have access to an ice cream maker, the "ice cream in a bag" method utilizing ziploc bags, rock salt, and ice works great too!

If you prefer to make this ice cream with fresh coconut milk, it is a bit more labor intensive.  First, you need to crack a mature coconut and get the meat out of it using a traditional Thai coconut meat shredder.  Then you squeeze or blend the coconut milk with water and strain to get pure coconut milk.  From there, follow the same recipe to get a very rich, pure coconut ice cream.

How do you serve Thai Coconut Ice Cream?

Thai coconut ice cream can be served in a cup or cone, or even a hollowed-out coconut shell for a more exciting presentation.  However, in Thailand, you will find that this ice cream is often served between two pieces of fluffy white bread.  When it's served in a bread bun, it's meant to be picked up and eaten just like a sandwich.

Whether served in a cup, cone, or bread bun, a variety of toppings are usually on offer.  Some of the more common topping options include:

• toasted peanuts
• toasted mung beans
• sweetened red beans
• pieces of jackfruit
• barley
• corn

White or black sweetened sticky rice (made the same way you do for mango sticky rice) can be added to the bottom of the cup or bread, and sweetened condensed milk or chocolate syrup may be drizzled on top.

Thai coconut ice cream has a sweet, pure coconut flavor that's perfect for enjoying on hot, sunny days.  Made without dairy or eggs, it is a light and refreshing ice cream.  It's great served on its own, or between two fluffy pieces of bread with various toppings.  We love it, and hope you do too!

Recipe