Best Ice Cream Maker for Nice Cream — 3 Dairy-Free Machines That Actually Work

Quick Verdict

“Nice cream” — dairy-free ice cream made from frozen bananas, coconut milk, or nut milks — is harder to make in a traditional churn than custard-based ice cream. The lower fat and different sugar profiles mean more ice crystals and less creamy texture.

• Best overall: Ninja Creami — spins through frozen solid blocks. Banana nice cream comes out smooth as soft serve. The only machine that handles almond milk and oat milk without iciness
• Best compressor: Cuisinart ICE-100 — built-in compressor chills fast enough that coconut cream bases freeze with minimal ice crystals. Our pick for coconut-based nice cream
• Best budget: Cuisinart ICE-21 — works well with high-fat bases (coconut cream, cashew cream). Skip it for thin milks (almond, oat)

Who this is for: Anyone making dairy-free or vegan ice cream at home. These machines handle the unique challenges of non-dairy bases — low fat, high water content, different sugar structures.

What Makes a Machine Good for Nice Cream?

Dairy-free bases share two problems for traditional ice cream makers:

1. Low fat — Fat inhibits ice crystal growth. Coconut cream (20-24% fat) freezes reasonably well. Almond milk (2-3% fat) freezes into a block of ice in most churns.
2. Different sugars — Sugar lowers the freezing point. Many dairy-free sweeteners (agave, maple syrup, date paste) have different freezing point depression than table sugar, making texture unpredictable.

Three machine types handle these differently:

• Traditional churns (Cuisinart ICE-100, ICE-21) — Work well with high-fat bases (coconut cream). Struggle with thin milks.
• Spin & shave (Ninja Creami) — Freezes the base solid, then mechanically shaves it into cream. Works with any base regardless of fat content.
• Compressor machines with very cold bowls — The colder the bowl, the faster the freeze, and the smaller the ice crystals. Compressor models get colder than freezer bowls.

The 3 We Recommend

1. Ninja Creami — Best Overall for Nice Cream ($200)

The Ninja Creami is the best machine for dairy-free ice cream because it doesn’t churn — it freezes the base solid and spins through it at 24,000 RPM, shaving the frozen block into a smooth, creamy texture.

We tested frozen banana nice cream (4 ripe bananas, splash of vanilla) — the Creami produced a texture indistinguishable from soft-serve dairy ice cream. No ice crystals. No iciness. Coconut cream base was even better — rich and scoopable straight from the machine. We tested almond milk (the hardest base for any ice cream maker) — the Creami was the only machine that produced a palatable result. The texture was sorbet-like rather than creamy, but it was smooth and not icy.

The bad: The base must be frozen for 24+ hours. The machine is loud (78dB). Each pint is a single serving — you need multiple containers for batches. The texture is distinctively different from traditional churned ice cream (smoother, denser).

Price: $180-230. Check Price → Verdict: The best ice cream maker for dairy-free bases. Worth buying even if you only make banana nice cream.

2. Cuisinart ICE-100 — Best for Coconut Bases ($300)

The Cuisinart ICE-100’s compressor chills the bowl to -30°C, which means any base freezes fast enough that ice crystals stay small. This makes it the best traditional churn for nice cream.

We tested coconut cream nice cream (full-fat coconut milk, agave, vanilla) — the ICE-100 produced a texture close to dairy ice cream. The high fat content of coconut cream (20-24%) combined with the fast freeze of the compressor created small, uniform crystals. Cashew cream base (soaked cashews blended with coconut milk) was excellent — rich and scoopable. The mix-in dispenser added chocolate chips and crushed nuts evenly during the last 5 minutes. The 1.5qt capacity fits a full batch of nice cream for 6-8 servings.

The bad: It struggles with thin bases (almond milk, oat milk, rice milk) — these come out icy even with the compressor. At $300, it’s expensive if you only make dairy-free ice cream occasionally. The bowl is not removable — you scoop directly from the machine.

Price: $250-350. Check Price → Verdict: The best traditional churn for dairy-free ice cream. Stick with coconut-based or cashew-based bases for best results.

3. Cuisinart ICE-21 — Best Budget Nice Cream ($50)

The Cuisinart ICE-21 works for nice cream if you choose the right base. High-fat bases (coconut cream, cashew cream, full-fat coconut milk) freeze well in the 24-hour-frozen bowl. Thin bases (almond milk, oat milk) do not.

We tested coconut cream with the ICE-21 — the results were good but not as smooth as the ICE-100. Ice crystals were slightly larger (visible under a microscope but barely detectable by taste). The key is to chill the base to 4°C before churning and make sure your freezer is at -18°C or colder. Banana nice cream (blended frozen bananas thinned with coconut milk) worked well — the natural sugars and fiber in the bananas helped control crystallization.

The bad: You must plan 24 hours ahead to freeze the bowl. Only one batch at a time. The results depend heavily on your freezer temperature. Thin milks are a lost cause — don’t even try.

Price: $40-60. Check Price → Verdict: A budget-friendly option for coconut and banana nice cream. Skip it if you want almond or oat milk ice cream.

Comparison Table

Bottom Line

Best for any dairy-free base: Ninja Creami ($200) — the only machine that handles almond milk and oat milk without iciness Best for coconut cream: Cuisinart ICE-100 ($300) — compressor chill creates the smoothest texture for high-fat vegan bases Best budget: Cuisinart ICE-21 ($50) — works well with coconut and banana for the lowest price

For traditional dairy ice cream, see our main ice cream maker guide →

Prices and availability subject to change. We may earn a commission through affiliate links.