Delia Smith Coconut Ice Cream

Delia Smith’s coconut ice cream is a custard-based frozen dessert made with coconut milk powder, egg yolks, and whipping cream. From her Summer Collection (1993), it takes 20 minutes of hands-on work plus 4 hours of freezing. A fresh lime syrup served alongside brings sharp citrus contrast.

Smith uses coconut milk powder instead of tinned coconut milk. “Although coconut milk powder doesn’t sound very nice, it is actually a brilliant product,” she writes. The powder dissolves into warm milk for a lighter, cleaner coconut flavour than heavy tinned versions.

The make-or-break step is the double whisking. Smith freezes the mixture for two hours, whisks it to shatter ice crystals, then repeats the whole cycle once more. Skip either round and you’ll get a solid block instead of something scoopable.

Delia Smith Coconut Ice Cream

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

315

kcal

Total time

4

hours 

20

minutes

A tropical custard ice cream from Smith’s Summer Collection (1993), where coconut milk powder does the work that most recipes leave to a tin. The lime syrup cuts through the sweetness and keeps for several days in the fridge.

Ingredients

• For the ice cream:

• 5 level tablespoons coconut milk powder

• 3 large egg yolks

• 1 rounded teaspoon cornflour

• 4 oz (110 g) caster sugar

• 15 fl oz (425 ml) milk

• 2½ fl oz (65 ml) whipping cream

• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• For the lime syrup:

• Zest of 1 lime (removed with a potato peeler), cut into very fine strips

• 4 fl oz (110 ml) fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

• 4 oz (110 g) sugar

• 1 level teaspoon arrowroot

• Equipment

• Polythene freezer box, 6 x 8 inches x 2 inches deep (15 x 20 cm x 5 cm deep)

Directions

• Make the custard base: In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar together until thick and creamy.
• Warm the coconut milk: In a saucepan, warm the milk and, as it warms, gradually add the coconut milk powder, whisking to dissolve it into the milk.
• Temper the eggs: Pour the hot milk mixture over the egg yolks, return the whole lot to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the mixture thickens. Keep stirring to make sure the mixture does not catch on the bottom of the pan. Return it all to the bowl and allow it to become completely cold.
• Combine with cream: Whisk the cream until it thickens slightly, then stir it, together with the vanilla extract, into the cooled custard mixture.
• First freeze and whisk: Transfer it all to the polythene freezer box and put in the coldest part of the freezer for 2 hours, or until it becomes firm at the edges. Empty it out into a mixing bowl and whisk again with an electric hand whisk to break down the ice crystals.
• Second freeze and whisk: Return to the freezer, repeat the whisking process after another 2 hours, then re-freeze until needed.
• Before serving: Place in the fridge for 1 hour before serving. This can, of course, be made in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Make the lime syrup: Put the sugar and 4 fl oz (110 ml) of water into a small, heavy-based saucepan. Bring it very slowly up to a simmer, then stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the zest of lime and simmer very gently for 15 minutes without reducing the volume.
• Thicken the syrup: Mix the arrowroot with the lime juice in a cup. When the syrup is ready, pour it in, stirring all the time. Continue to heat over a gentle heat and allow it to come back to simmering point, by which time it will have thickened very slightly and become clear.
• Cool and store: Leave the syrup to cool and store it in the fridge in a sealed container until needed. It keeps well for several days.

FAQs

Can I use tinned coconut milk instead of coconut milk powder?

You can, but the result will be different. Tinned coconut milk is much fattier than the powder. It’ll produce a denser ice cream that tastes more like frozen coconut cream than Smith’s lighter version.

If you substitute, replace both the milk and the powder with one 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk. You’ll lose the balance Smith designed, though. Her version uses dairy milk as the main liquid, with the powder adding flavour without excess fat.

Do I need an ice cream maker for this recipe?

No, and Smith designed it without one. Her method uses a freezer box and an electric hand whisk. You freeze, whisk, freeze again, whisk again, then do the final freeze.

She does add that “this can, of course, be made in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions.” The Delia Online team confirmed this works well. If you own a machine, churn the custard-cream mixture according to its timing, then transfer to the freezer.

How long does homemade coconut ice cream keep in the freezer?

Without commercial stabilisers, homemade ice cream is best within two weeks. After that, ice crystals form on the surface and the texture turns grainy regardless of wrapping.

Press cling film directly onto the surface before sealing the lid. That barrier stops freezer moisture settling on top, which causes those crystals. Move it to the fridge a full hour before serving, as Smith instructs, or it’ll be too hard to scoop.

Can I make the lime syrup ahead of time?

Yes, and Smith encourages it. She writes that the syrup should be left to cool and stored “in the fridge in a sealed container until needed: it keeps well for several days.”

That makes this recipe practical for entertaining. Make the syrup on Monday, churn the ice cream on Wednesday, serve on Saturday. The syrup actually improves after a day because the lime zest has more time to infuse.

Why does Smith use arrowroot instead of cornflour in the lime syrup?

Arrowroot thickens to a clear, glossy finish. Cornflour turns liquids cloudy and opaque. For a syrup that needs to look like pale green glass drizzled over white ice cream, clarity matters.

Arrowroot also feels lighter on the tongue than cornflour, so the syrup coats the ice cream without any starchy residue. If you can’t find arrowroot, cornflour will thicken the syrup fine, but it’ll look milky instead of translucent. Most supermarkets stock arrowroot near the baking supplies.

Can I serve this ice cream without the lime syrup?

You can, but you’d be missing what makes this recipe stand apart. Smith pairs them deliberately: sweet creamy coconut against sharp fresh lime. She calls the combination “superlative,” and I agree after testing it both ways.

If lime isn’t for you, try a passion fruit coulis or a drizzle of Malibu instead. Both bring the contrast the ice cream needs. On its own the coconut base is pleasant but one-note, and after a few spoonfuls the sweetness feels heavy without something sharp alongside.