Desserts
No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Silky, scoopable homemade ice cream — no machine required. This no churn ice cream uses just heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and real vanilla for a creamy freezer dessert that rivals the churned stuff.
Ingredients
- •2 cups (475 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (at least 36% fat)
- •1 (14 oz / 397 g) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
- •2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean)
- •Pinch of fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 24 g
Instructions
- 1
Chill a large mixing bowl and the whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes — cold equipment whips faster and gives more volume.
- 2
In the chilled bowl, pour in the 2 cups cold heavy cream. Whip on medium-high with a stand or hand mixer for 3–4 minutes, until stiff peaks form — the cream should hold a peak that stands straight up when you lift the whisk.
- 3
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the entire can of sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, and the pinch of salt until smooth.
- 4
Add about one-third of the whipped cream to the condensed milk mixture and stir vigorously to lighten it. Then add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold with a spatula, cutting down through the center and lifting up around the sides, until no white streaks remain. Do not stir — folding keeps the air in.
- 5
Pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan (metal freezes faster than glass). Smooth the top with a spatula and press a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals.
- 6
Freeze for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, until firm enough to scoop.
- 7
Let the loaf pan sit on the counter for 3–5 minutes before scooping, then dig in with a warm scoop.
Cook's tips
- → Use FULL-fat heavy whipping cream (36%+). Light cream or half-and-half won't whip and the ice cream will freeze rock-hard.
- → The same fold-and-freeze technique is the base for every fruit-forward no-churn variation — puréed strawberries, mango, or watermelon can be swirled into the base at the end for a fruit no-churn ice cream without any changes to the ratio.
- → For a firmer, easier-to-scoop texture, freeze the empty loaf pan for 15 minutes before pouring the mixture in.
- → Doneness test: after 6 hours it should hold a scoop-shape without immediately melting; if it still looks slushy, freeze another 2–3 hours.
