Go Back

Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream

Pineapple coconut ice cream made with a silky custard base and visible pineapple chunks churned in for a tropical, creamy frozen dessert. Sweet-tart pineapple meets rich coconut, with toasted shredded coconut added near the end for a light crunch.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Coconut custard base
  • 13.5 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1.5 cups fresh pineapple finely diced
  • 0.5 tsp coconut extract
  • 0.25 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 salt pinch
  • 0.5 cup toasted shredded coconut

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the custard
  1. In a saucepan, heat the full-fat coconut milk, heavy cream, and granulated sugar until the sugar dissolves, whisking as it warms to keep it smooth.
  2. In a bowl, slowly whisk the hot coconut mixture into the 4 egg yolks to temper them, keeping the flow steady to avoid scrambling.
  3. Return everything to the saucepan and cook at 175F, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  4. Strain the custard, then stir in the coconut extract, vanilla extract, and salt until evenly combined.
  5. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours (chilling + freezing schedule) until very cold.
Churn and finish
  1. Churn the cold custard in an ice cream maker until it thickens to soft-serve consistency.
  2. Add the finely diced fresh pineapple and toasted shredded coconut in the last 5 minutes of churning so the pineapple pieces stay visible.
  3. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until scoopable, about 4 hours total chilling + freezing time.

Notes

For the smoothest custard, keep stirring while heating to 175F so the yolks don’t curdle. Chill until fully cold (at least 4 hours) for proper churning, and freeze until scoopable before serving. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days (best texture), and freeze up to 1 month. For a dairy-reduced swap, use full-fat coconut milk plus additional coconut cream in place of heavy cream, though the texture will be slightly softer.