No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
There’s nothing better in warm weather or during a heatwave than enjoying a creamy and refreshing no-churn vanilla ice cream. This homemade version, which I’ve been making for years, is a fantastic alternative to store-bought ice cream. It’s easy to prepare, requires just a few ingredients, and delivers impressive results, all without an ice cream maker.
You don’t need to take it out of the freezer multiple times to stir and prevent ice crystals. This method guarantees a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s just as satisfying.
This ice cream base is also ideal for creating a variety of flavors, vanilla, of course, but also chocolate, cherry, pistachio, or anything else you love. Once you’ve made the base, simply divide and customize it.
Many people are reluctant to try no-machine ice cream for fear of icy results, but I’ve been there. Then I discovered this simple and reliable method that consistently produces creamy, scoopable results.
Don’t hesitate to try it. It’s quick, versatile, and easily rivals traditional custard-based ice cream.
vanilla ice cream for Christmas dessert
Table of Contents
Video Recipe
Ingredients
Use in a 22 cm (8.7 in) silicone mold or serve in individual cups.
- 330 g (11.6 oz) very cold heavy cream with over 32% fat
- 3 eggs
- 125 g (4.4 oz) sugar
- 130 g (4.6 oz) unsweetened condensed milk (very cold – leave in the freezer for 2 to 5 hours)
- 1 large vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 150 g (5.3 oz) caramelized almond brittle (nougatine). It’s optional
Rocher Glaze (if you opt for ice cream in a mold)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark or milk chocolate, or a mix of both
- 50 g (1.8 oz) unsalted butter
- 20 g (0.7 oz) chopped almonds
How to Prepare No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream?
Place the can of unsweetened condensed milk in the freezer for 2 to 5 hours. It should be very cold, almost frozen. Once ready, start preparing your ice cream. If it becomes too hard, leave it at room temperature for a few minutes.
Prepare the egg and sugar mixture: beat the egg yolks with the sugar for at least 10 minutes. The mixture should become pale, smooth, and very frothy.
If you’re making plain vanilla ice cream, add the seeds from the vanilla bean at this stage and whisk them into the mixture.
Whip the very cold heavy cream until firm, then set aside in the refrigerator.
Beat the chilled condensed milk for at least 10 minutes until it triples in volume and becomes smooth and airy.
Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Incorporate the egg yolk mixture into the beaten condensed milk, whisking briefly until well combined.
Then, fold this mixture into the whipped cream in several additions, using a whisk.
Finally, gently fold in the stiff egg whites in 3 or 4 additions, always using a whisk to keep the texture light and smooth.
Your no-churn ice cream is now ready!
You can divide it into several portions and customize each one with your favorite mix-ins: crushed Oreos, melted chocolate, caramel swirls, chopped Snickers, Daim pieces, Kinder Bueno bits, etc. (see suggested variations later in the article).
For Vanilla Ice Cream with Nougatine
Simply fold chopped caramelized almond brittle (nougatine) into your vanilla base, then pour into a mold, preferably silicone for easy unmolding. Freeze overnight before serving.
The Next Day: Prepare the Rocher Glaze
You can follow the method in the video.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. Once melted and smooth, remove from heat and stir in the toasted chopped almonds.
Take the ice cream out of the freezer and unmold it onto a wire rack. Pour the Rocher glaze evenly over the top, then immediately transfer the ice cream to a serving dish.
Decorate with whipped cream and nougatine balls. You can return it to the freezer until ready to serve.
How to Prepare Different Ice Cream Flavors
Once the basic ice cream mixture is ready (as explained in the previous step), simply divide it into several bowls to create a variety of flavors. When I want to make multiple flavors, I usually double or triple the base recipe, depending on how many I’m planning to prepare.
Here are some ideas and how to make them:
Vanilla ice cream: Add the seeds of one or two vanilla beans and mix well. You can also use vanilla extract if you don’t have beans.
Chocolate ice cream: Mix in some melted and cooled chocolate.
Pistachio ice cream: Stir in pistachio paste to taste, depending on how intense you want the flavor.
Strawberry ice cream: Add strawberry coulis to the mixture. You can also use other fruit coulis such as mango, lemon, or mixed berries.
Cookie dough ice cream: Fold in small chunks or balls of raw cookie dough for a deliciously indulgent version.
Peanut ice cream: Add some roasted salted peanuts and a spoonful of peanut butter.
Coffee ice cream: Dissolve a sachet of instant coffee in a bit of milk and stir it into the base before freezing.
For Stracciatella-Style Chocolate Ice Cream
Melt 200 g of dark chocolate in a double boiler, then let it cool slightly. Stir a small amount of ice cream into the melted chocolate, mix well, then combine this with the remaining ice cream base.
To create the classic stracciatella effect, melt some additional chocolate. In a container, layer ice cream alternated with drizzles of melted chocolate. Use a skewer or stick to create marbled streaks. Repeat until all the ice cream is used.
Place the container in the freezer overnight. You’ll end up with a delicious chocolate ice cream featuring crunchy chocolate streaks!
For Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream
Add a little salted caramel sauce to the ice cream according to your taste, mix well, and place in an airtight container.
Easy caramel ice cream
For the Oreo Ice Cream
Add some crushed Oreos to your ice cream, then mold it into silicone domes.
The next day, unmold the domes onto a wire rack and pour a chocolate rocher glaze over them. Lightly tap the rack to remove excess glaze, decorate each dome with an Oreo, then return to the freezer until ready to serve.
How to Serve Ice Cream
Before freezing, you can pour your ice cream into the mold of your choice. Silicone molds work particularly well for easy unmolding. Feel free to use small individual molds or a large one for a family-sized portion.
Alternatively, you can serve the ice cream directly in cups, mixing flavors as you like, or present it in cones or tulip-shaped waffle cones.
Simply remove the ice cream from the freezer a few minutes before serving, then scoop nice, round balls using an ice cream scoop.
Decorate however you wish, with Russian cigarettes, cat’s tongues, chocolate wafers, and more. Add a rosette of whipped cream or drizzle caramel or melted chocolate on top for a truly gourmet finish.
For a refreshing twist, try adding a scoop of fruit sorbet to each cup.
Other Dessert Recipes
No Churn Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
- Use in a 22 cm (8.7 in ) silicone mold or serve in individual cups.
- 330 g very cold heavy cream with over 32% fat
- 3 eggs
- 125 g granulated sugar
- 130 g unsweetened condensed milk (very cold – leave in the freezer for 2 to 5 hours)
- 1 large vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 150 g caramelized almond brittle (nougatine) optional
Rocher Glaze (if you opt for ice cream in a mold)
- 100 g dark or milk chocolate, or a mix of both
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 20 g chopped almonds
PREPARATION
- Place the can of unsweetened condensed milk in the freezer for 2 to 5 hours. It should be very cold, almost frozen. Once ready, start preparing your ice cream. If it becomes too hard, leave it at room temperature for a few minutes.
- Prepare the egg and sugar mixture: beat the egg yolks with the sugar for at least 10 minutes. The mixture should become pale, smooth, and very frothy.
- If you're making plain vanilla ice cream, add the seeds from the vanilla bean at this stage and whisk them into the mixture.
- Whip the very cold heavy cream until firm, then set aside in the refrigerator.
- Beat the chilled condensed milk for at least 10 minutes until it triples in volume and becomes smooth and airy.
- Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Incorporate the egg yolk mixture into the beaten condensed milk, whisking briefly until well combined.
- Then, fold this mixture into the whipped cream in several additions, using a whisk.
- Finally, gently fold in the stiff egg whites in 3 or 4 additions, always using a whisk to keep the texture light and smooth.
- Your no-churn ice cream is now ready!
- You can divide it into several portions and customize each one with your favorite mix-ins: crushed Oreos, melted chocolate, caramel swirls, chopped Snickers, Daim pieces, Kinder Bueno bits, etc. (see suggested variations above).
For Vanilla Ice Cream with Nougatine
- Simply fold chopped caramelized almond brittle (nougatine) into your vanilla base, then pour into a mold, preferably silicone for easy unmolding. Freeze overnight before serving.
The Next Day: Prepare the Rocher Glaze
- You can follow the method in the video.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. Once melted and smooth, remove from heat and stir in the toasted chopped almonds.
- Take the ice cream out of the freezer and unmold it onto a wire rack. Pour the Rocher glaze evenly over the top, then immediately transfer the ice cream to a serving dish.
- Decorate with whipped cream and nougatine balls. You can return it to the freezer until ready to serve.
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