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Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream

Pineapple coconut ice cream with visible pineapple chunks and a creamy coconut custard base. Cook to 175°F, chill for a few hours, then churn with fruit and toasted coconut for a scoopable frozen treat.
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: 420

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook the coconut custard
  1. Heat coconut milk and heavy cream with granulated sugar in a Dutch oven over medium heat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Visual cue: the mixture should look smooth and slightly glossy with no grainy sugar specks.
  2. Whisk the hot coconut mixture slowly into the egg yolks to temper them. Visual cue: keep whisking until the yolks look loosened and smooth rather than streaky.
  3. Return everything to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened to 175°F (about 10 minutes). Visual cue: the custard coats the back of a spoon and doesn’t immediately run off.
  4. Strain the custard into a bowl, then stir in coconut extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Visual cue: the flavorings fully disappear and the custard returns to a uniform creamy color.
Chill, churn, and freeze
  1. Cool the custard completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours until very cold. Visual cue: the mixture thickens slightly and feels chilled throughout.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until it reaches soft-serve texture. Visual cue: it looks pale, airy, and thick enough to hold ridges.
  3. Add the finely diced pineapple and toasted shredded coconut in the last 5 minutes of churning. Visual cue: yellow pineapple bits and toasted coconut flakes become visible throughout the ice cream.
  4. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until scoopable. Visual cue: the surface firms up and scoops cleanly without collapsing.

Notes

For the smoothest custard, keep the heat at a steady simmer and stir constantly so it reaches 175°F without scrambling. Store covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; thaw in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes for easier scooping. Freezing is best for maintaining texture—avoid repeated refreezing after serving. If you want a dairy-light option, use coconut cream in place of heavy cream, keeping the sugar and coconut extract the same.