This no churn vanilla ice cream is creamy, soft and made easily with no ice cream maker required! Learn how easy it is to make delicious treat for family and friends to enjoy.
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There is nothing better than homemade ice cream on a summer’s day. As a kid, ice cream was one of my favorite desserts during the summer months.
Today, I love a scoop on top of my blueberry cobbler while sitting on my porch. I also use this ice cream when I’m making my homemade vanilla bean Frappuccino. It just tastes so much richer and creamier.
A lot of commercial brands of ice cream aren’t always the best but with just six pantry staple ingredients you can have no churn ice cream in no time. This no churn ice cream recipe is so easy to make and freezes so well.
We don’t need an expensive or fancy ice cream maker to create this delicious dessert. A bonus in making homemade ice cream is that you can customize and add to it whatever you like from crushed cookies to chocolate sauce. I’m excited for you to learn how using this basic ice cream recipe, you can make ice cream at home for all to enjoy.
Reasons to Love
- Easy Recipe. This version of ice cream literally takes only minutes to make and put together before it goes into the freezer. With just six ingredients to combine, you will have a delicious homemade ice cream to enjoy in no time.
- No Churn. No need for an ice cream maker, ice and rock salt to crank for hours to make this yummy ice cream. All you will need is a large bowl and optional standing mixer if you desire to make this happen.
- Customizable. This no churn ice cream recipe is a great starting base for adding in flavors and toppings. See the variation section for those ideas on how to make this ice cream your own.
Ingredients
- Egg yolks- These contain fat and help emulsify the ice cream which creates a creamy and smooth texture.
- Sugar- Granulated white is used as the sweetener. It lowers the freezing point so the ice cream doesn’t freeze into a solid block making it easily scoopable.
- Vanilla extract- Adds that vanilla flavoring to the mixture.
- Evaporated milk- Lends to a creamy texture and helps prevent crystals from forming.
- Heavy whipping cream- Stabilizes the mixture with it’s high fat content helping to make the ice cream richer and creamier.
- Sea salt- Helps bring out the flavor and balances out the sweetness.
Scroll down to the recipe card for quantities used.
Instructions
Let’s grab the ingredients along with a large bowl or standing mixer to start making ice cream.
In a large bowl or using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment add egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Beat until pale yellow and thick ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Heat evaporated milk in a saucepan on the stovetop until simmering, stirring constantly.
Slowly pour the hot evaporated milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until fully combined.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat, whisking constantly, until it reaches 180°F (82°C) and becomes thick and custardy. Be careful not to overheat to avoid scrambling the eggs. Chill the mixture completely.
Whip 1 cup of heavy cream until doubled in volume. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled egg mixture until no lumps remain.
Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze for 4 hours or until solid.
Once frozen, add the ice cream cubes in a food processor.
Process until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed.
Transfer the mixture to a container with a lid and freeze for at least 4 more hours before serving.
Hint: Make sure you do not overfill the ice cube tray to allow room for expansion during freezing. Also consider adding a splash of alcohol to the mixture, like vodka or rum, as it can help prevent the ice cream from becoming too icy and aids in achieving a smoother consistency.
Variations
This recipe is so customizable to your liking. You can use the basic vanilla ice cream recipe and just take off with it. Here are a few suggestions:
- Add cocoa powder. This is an easy one. Just add 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to make homemade chocolate ice cream. Be sure to use high quality unsweetened cocoa for the best tastes.
- Add a flavor extract. Instead of vanilla extract, why not add use a different flavor to change the profile? You can use mint, lemon, orange and almond. All of these are great for summertime.
- Add-ins. Mix in chocolate chips, your favorite chopped candy bar, toffee bits, Andes mints, toasted coconut flakes or sprinkles. All of these go perfect with homemade vanilla ice cream and freeze well.
- Use sauces. No churn ice cream is perfect when drizzled with a chocolate, caramel or strawberry sauce to give it a more decadent flavor.
- Crushed cookies. Cookies are a perfect treat to have with ice cream. They go great alongside or you can crush up your favorite chocolate chip cookies, Oreos or graham cracker cookies to have overtop the ice cream or to mix in.
- Add fruit. Fruit is a wonderful topping to no churn vanilla ice cream. These air fryer pineapple and strawberries tastes amazing with it.
- Use whipped cream. No churn ice cream tastes wonderful when topped with a little whipped cream. Drizzle some chocolate sauce over top and you have yourself a fantastic dessert.
Tips
Top tip: Use full-fat heavy whipping cream. The higher the fat content the less likely ice crystals will form in the ice cream. Low fat creams have a higher water content that can lend to those ice crystals forming.
- Don’t overmix. The ingredients need to be gently mixed so that the texture is smooth and creamy.
- Use a metal loaf pan or container. This is the best type of cookware to use for freezing the ice cream mixture. The metal helps retain the cold temperature and is durable.
- Chill the ice cream. Minimum 6 hours but feel free to chill longer so you can make sure the ice cream mixture is nice and frozen. This is a perfect recipe to make the day before wanting to use.
- Before serving, sit out on countertop. This only need to be done for a few minutes so that the ice cream is let soften. Use a warm spoon to serve.
Serving suggestions
No churn ice cream is great to have on top of brownie bites or a scoop with this chocolate mug cake.
I love this ice cream with my peach cobbler on a summer day. Ice cream pairs so well with fruit. Add a few air fryer apples to it and it tastes like apple pie.
I’m so a huge fan of crumbling up these chocolate chip cookies to go over top too. These brown sugar cookies would also taste wonderful as well.
No churn ice cream makes a great dessert to go along side any bbq or celebration. There are so many great foods you can enjoy ice cream with. The sky is the limit!
Storage
No churn vanilla ice cream can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Transfer to a freezer safe airtight container. To prevent freezer burn or icing, press plastic wrap against the top portion before sealing tightly.
FAQs
What is the difference between no churn ice cream and making ice cream with a machine?
The no churn method is mixing ingredients together then freezing. Using an ice cream machine or maker involves churning the ingredients to make ice cream.
Why is my no churn ice cream icy?
The ice cream may end up separating as it freezes if there isn’t enough fat or one ingredient overpowers the other. With this recipe, we are using full fat heavy whipping cream and egg yolks, so there should be plenty of fat.
Is no churn ice cream creamy?
Oh yes! It is so creamy! The combination of the whipping cream being folded into the egg mixture lends to the rich and creamy textures.
Related Recipes
Here are a few more of my favorite summer desserts:
- Air fryer s'mores are made inside when you don't have an outdoor fire.
- Coconut panna cotta is a cool treat loaded with tropical flavor.
- Strawberry pound cake is a delicious way to enjoy fresh strawberries.
- No-bake cheesecake in jars doesn't require turning on the oven.
- Marshmallow fruit salad is a potluck and picnic favorite.
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Recipe
No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 ounces evaporated milk canned
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl or using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt until pale yellow and thick ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat evaporated milk in a saucepan on the stovetop until simmering, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour the hot evaporated milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until fully combined.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat, whisking constantly, until it reaches 180°F (82°C) and becomes thick and custardy. Be careful not to overheat to avoid scrambling the eggs. Chill the mixture completely.
- Whip 1 cup of heavy cream until doubled in volume. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled egg mixture until no lumps remain. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze for 4 hours or until solid.
- Once frozen, add the ice cream cubes in a food processor. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Transfer the mixture to a container with a lid and freeze for at least 4 more hours before serving.
Chloe
Tried this vanilla ice cream recipe and it was amazing! So creamy and delicious, and I couldn't believe how easy it was to make. No ice cream maker needed and it turned out perfect. The kids absolutely loved it! Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!