Looking for a quick and easy homemade ice cream recipe without an ice cream maker? This one is definitely a must-try! Only 2 ingredients, 10-15 minutes for prep, and there you have it – delicious homemade ice cream to treat your guests and family. Add any flavor to make this ice cream your own!
I am so excited to share with you how to make ice cream by hand! For the longest time, I had no idea how to make soft ice cream without a machine, and I was so delighted to see how simple and easy it was.
All you need is whipping cream and condensed milk. I love using homemade condensed milk because it is cheaper and faster to make than going to the store!
Since both whipping cream and condensed milk are gluten-free, this dessert is perfect for celiacs as well! Serve it in summer after enjoying a serving of fresh Italian Caprese!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- SUPER easy.
- VERY quick.
- Perfect for busy moms!
- Endless variety of mix-ins!
- Make it WITHOUT an ice cream machine!
Ingredients
Sweetened condensed milk - make sure you are using condensed milk and not evaporated milk. Evaporated milk doesn't have sugar and this ice cream method relies on the sugar content of condensed milk for holding the structure!
Heavy whipping cream - generally, the higher the fat content, the better. You can use either sweetened or unsweetened whipped cream!
Substitutes
To make vegan no-churn ice cream, use coconut cream and coconut condensed milk! Do not use evaporated milk in place of condensed milk. Do not use milk in place of heavy cream!
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Check out my 3-ingredient Raffaello and 3-ingredient delicious banana pancakes!
Watch How I Make My No-Churn Ice Cream!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1, whip the heavy cream. In a large mixing bowl whip your cold heavy whipping cream using an electric mixer until you see soft peaks forming. 'Soft peaks' means that the cream doesn't stand up straight once you pull out the whisks.
Step 2, adding sweetened condensed milk. Add your condensed milk to the bowl with whipped cream gradually. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. 'Stiff peaks' means that the mixture doesn't fall back once you pull out the whisks!
Step 3, add your mix-ins. Now you can separate your mixture into a few containers and create a unique flavor for each one! I made peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and plain vanilla ice cream. To incorporate the add-ins just fold them into the cream slightly without letting the air bubbles escape from the bowl too much.
Step 4, freeze and enjoy! Place the ice cream into a freezing container (any plastic container that handles freezing works!). Cover the top of the ice cream with parchment paper to prevent ice from forming (see video!).
Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and transfer to the freezer for at least 6 hours or even better, overnight. Scoop and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Cool your condensed milk and the heavy whipping cream in the fridge before using them to ensure the best results!
- Don’t stir your add-ins too much as it will let out the air bubbles from the whipped cream and make your homemade ice cream heavier.
- Make sure to cover your ice cream with parchment paper before freezing to prevent ice from forming on the top.
- Make homemade condensed milk to control the level of sugar and density of the product! It is really easy to make and you will only need 2 ingredients!
Variations
- For a vegan ice cream recipe, you can use coconut whipped cream and plant-based condensed milk. To make coconut whipped cream you just need to let coconut fat harden in the refrigerator (the white part from high-quality coconut milk), then whip it with a hand mixer. To make plant-based condensed milk just use coconut, almond, cashew, or any other milk and follow my step-by-step condensed milk recipe.
- Chocolate chips. Add chocolate chips before placing the ice cream into the container. Don't stir too much to avoid deflating!
- Fruit and nuts. Add banana, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries to elevate the flavor of your ice cream! Plus, you can add roasted walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and other nuts!
- Cookies. Add Oreos or if you are gluten-free, add gluten-free sourdough chocolate chip cookies (yum!)
- Peanut butter/Nutella. Add peanut butter or Nutella gradually to avoid extra stirring and enjoy your fancy ice cream!
- Caramel or Dulce de Leche. I LOVE Dulce de Leche so much! Dulce de Leche is a fancy way to say "cooked condensed milk", so you can make it by simply boiling a can of condensed milk in a pot with water. I especially like Dulce de Leche in macarons! Here is my recipe for macarons with Dulce buttercream and here is one for Mexican Churro macarons with Dulce de Leche filling!
- Rocky Road! Add mini marshmallows, chocolate syrup, and roasted almonds. Yum!
- S'mores. Graham crackers, marshmallow fluff, and chopped Hersey's chocolate!
Other Methods of Making No-Churn Ice Cream
You can also make ice cream in a plastic bag, or by freezing and stirring your ice cream from time to time, and finally, you can make ice cream in a food processor!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the recipe relies on the sugar content in the sweetened condensed milk!
It will last a couple of months in the freezer! If you accidentally defrosted your ice cream, it might become super hard once you freeze it again. Avoid leaving your ice cream out for too long!
Use more fat! Make sure your whipping cream is high in fat content (at least 35%). If you are making condensed milk yourself, then you can also adjust the fat content of the milk.
You can make ice cream from custard which will take more time and effort but will definitely yield richer results. Eggs will create a better texture and allow for the ice cream to stay firm at room temperature for longer. Check out this recipe for more details on how to make ice cream with eggs!
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine (2 Ingredients!)
Equipment
- containers for freezing
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream at least 35%
- ¾ cup condensed milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whip your heavy whipping cream until you see soft peaks forming. Keep your whipping cream in the fridge before using to ensure best results! You want your heavy cream to have at least 35% of fat, however, this recipe is possible to do with less fat content, you might just get more whipped cream flavor in your ice cream!
- Add your condensed milk to the bowl with whipped cream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Now you can separate your mixture into a few containers and create a unique flavor for each one! I made peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and plain vanilla ice cream. To incorporate the add ins just fold them into the cream slightly without letting the air bubbles escape from the bowl too much.
- Cover your ice cream with parchment paper to prevent ice from forming on the top (see video instructions!). Cover with a lid and transfer to the freezer for at least 6 hours (you can also use zip lock bags for freezing). Scoop and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cool your condensed milk and the heavy whipping cream in the fridge before using them to ensure the best results!
- Don’t stir your add-ins too much as it will let out the air bubbles from the whipped cream and make your homemade ice cream heavier.
- Make sure to cover your ice cream with parchment paper before freezing to prevent ice from forming on the top.
- Make homemade condensed milk to control the level of sugar and density of the product! It is really easy to make and you will only need 2 ingredients!
- Add ¼ cup of cocoa powder to make chocolate ice cream. Stir in some chocolate chips to add a crunch to the ice cream bowl!
- For a vegan ice cream recipe, you can use coconut whipped cream and plant-based condensed milk. To make coconut whipped cream you just need to let coconut fat harden in the refrigerator (the white part from high-quality coconut milk), then whip it with a hand mixer. To make plant-based condensed milk just use coconut, almond, cashew, or any other milk and follow my step-by-step condensed milk recipe.
Nutrition
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Courtney says
OMG this looks so good! I love that it doesn't need an ice cream machine!