This recipe, more than perhaps any other, will remind me of the summer of 2020. Normally, we’d be heading to TCBY, getting ice cream at the pool, and picking up cones from local stores. Not so much this year. So we made a ton of homemade ice cream instead! Sure, I buy ice cream from the grocery store too. We go through the stuff. But homemade is always better. ❤️ And this homemade no churn ice cream is so stinkin’ quick and easy to make, I was whipping it up on repeat. (Whipping it up - get it? You have to whip the whipped cream… haha, sorry.) You only need 3 ingredients: heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. That’s all. And wow, this vanilla ice cream is so smooth, soft, perfectly sweet and crazy delicious. The texture, too, is spot on. No grainy bits, no artificial tastes, just clean, pure, cold, yummy ice cream. And it just takes 10 minutes to prep and then sets up beautifully in the freezer. Meaning, it doesn’t stay soft serve soft and it doesn’t get rock hard. It’s perfectly in the middle and ready to pull out and dip a spoon into any time of day. Not that I sneak a spoonful if my kids happen to walk out of the kitchen for 5 minutes. Definitely not. Anyway, you’ll love the taste, you’ll love the texture and you’ll love how simple it is. And amazingly, there’s no ice cream maker needed! I even have one and I still prefer to make homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker. Plus, you don’t have to worry about freezing the ice cream maker core in advance and going through the hassle of messing with it. Nope, no advanced planning required. The kids can even help get this ready, it’s so simple. I have a feeling you’ll be as smitten - and addicted - as we are! (And if you are a chocolate lover, definitely check out this no churn chocolate ice cream. And in the summertime, this homemade peach ice cream is a frozen fruity treat!) OK, let’s get to making this! You can also check out my Google web story for this recipe! Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make no churn ice cream. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
Heavy cream: You’ll need 1 pint — about 2 cups — of heavy whipping cream (or heavy cream, same thing). Details below on how to do the whipping part. I have not tried this with other substitutes, so you’re on your own there. Sweetened condensed milk: You can use a can of regular or fat-free sweetened condensed milk. I’ve tried it with both before. Just be sure you are not using evaporated milk. Not the same. Vanilla - Be sure you are using PURE vanilla extract, not the imitation kind. It makes a big difference in the flavor here.
Freezing Tips:
For freezing, you’ll want to put the ice cream in a freezer-safe container. I use a 9x5 bread pan and it works perfectly. (If you only have an 8x4, that will do, but it’ll be VERY full.) A pie pan or shallow freezer-safe bowl would work too. A large plastic container is fine too. Make sure to clear some space in your freezer where this can rest flat, so it doesn’t leak out of the container before it sets up. Freeze time will vary, but it’s usually ready to eat in 3-4 hours, though it might still be a little bit soft. After 6 hours, it should be completely set up. The ice cream can be kept, covered, in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. If it lasts that long.
If you are intimidated by making your own whipped cream, trust me, it’s super duper easy. Here’s a few pointers if you haven’t done it before.
How to make whipped cream:
You’re all set! You can definitely add some mix-ins to your ice cream to flavor it up if you’d like. You’ll want to add ½ cup to 1 cup and stir to get it really well incorporated before placing the ice cream in the freezer. It also helps to make sure everything is similarly sized and chopped on the small size. Here’s a few ideas to get you thinking.
Ice Cream Flavor Mix-ins:
Cookies and cream (crushed Oreo’s) Fruits: Strawberry, blueberry, peach, etc. (fresh or frozen, chopped if large) S’mores (mini chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers and mini marshmallows) - here’s a s’mores ice cream recipe Chocolate chips Mint chocolate chip (use mint extract and chocolate chips or use mint chocolate chips or chopped Andes mints) Snickers - chopped up candy bars (or choose any other favorite candy)
The sky is the limit - mix and match your favorite add-ins. This vanilla ice cream is perfect for serving over things like cake, brownies and crisps. (Like peach blueberry crumbles, strawberry yogurt cake or healthy apple cobbler.) You can also add some fun toppings to the ice cream, instead of using mix-ins. That’s probably our favorite way to go. We can all choose what we want to add each time and we can change it up day to day. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.
Topping ideas:
Chocolate syrup or caramel sauce Fresh fruit (chopped berries, cherries, etc.) Crushed cookie pieces (such as Oreo’s) Crushed or chopped candy pieces Mini or regular chocolate chips Sprinkles
Feel free to get creative with your mix-ins and your toppings and make this your own very favorite type of ice cream. Honestly though, I love it as is. Nothing else needed. Vanilla is my favorite ice cream flavor and no, you can’t convince me that’s boring. Not when it’s this good. So cheers to the waning days of summer; let’s live them up! ☀️ I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend if you’re here in the U.S. - and I hope you enjoy making this homemade vanilla ice cream no matter the season! XO, Kathryn Heavy cream: Heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream (same thing), is what I’ve used for this. You need 1 pint or about 2 cups. I have not tried this with other substitutes. Sweetened condensed milk: You can use a can of regular or fat-free sweetened condensed milk. I’ve used both before. Just be sure you are not using evaporated milk. Vanilla: Be sure to use PURE vanilla extract, not imitation. It’s super important for the flavor here. Storing: The ice cream can be stored, covered, in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Ideas for mix-ins (use ½-1 cup total):
Cookies and cream (crushed Oreo’s)Fruits: Strawberry, blueberry, peach, etc. (fresh or frozen, chopped if large)S’mores (mini chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers and mini marshmallows)Chocolate chipsMint chocolate chip (use mint extract and chocolate chips or use mint chocolate chips or chopped Andes mints)Snickers - chopped up candy bars (or choose any other favorite candy)
Toppings: Or keep the ice cream as plain vanilla and serve with any of your favorite toppings, such as chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, chopped candies or cookies, sprinkles, etc.
