How to Make Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker

You don’t need any fancy equipment, or even an ice cream maker, to make homemade ice cream. Once you learn how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker, you can make unlimited flavors of homemade ice cream. Grab a bowl and a whisk and get ready to make something delicious!

I’ve been doing my best to make this the summer of homemade ice cream. I have made dozens of batches this summer; so many that I have lost count.  I started out by making our favorites: Raspberry Chocolate Chip, mint chip, and Vanilla Bean Frozen Custard. Then I made a few classics: chocolate chip, cookies, and cream, and hot fudge sundae.

The classics were all based on a sweet cream base. It was a custard base made rich and delicious by using the fresh eggs our chickens and ducks leave in the nest for me each day. I probably would have kept right on making my custard-based ice cream bases all summer long. They were each delicious, made in a similar fashion, and churned up beautifully in my 25 year old ice cream maker.

You may have noticed that I said that I probably would have kept churning that ice cream base. One Saturday, we were treated to an unseasonably cool and rainy day. It was during the peak of raspberry season. So, I had baking sheets full of raspberries air drying on the kitchen counter just begging to be baked into something delicious.

I decided to make a galette filled with our raspberries. It took shape quickly and was baking in the oven and perfuming the farmhouse in the most delicious way early in the day. It baked up beautifully and I set it aside to cool and went about my day.

A bit later, I returned to the farmhouse kitchen to survey my best options for making dinner. I spotted the galette and thought about how much I was looking forward to a slice with a scoop of ice cream for dessert. It was then that I realized that while the freezer was filled with chocolate ice cream and other delicious flavors, none of them were the plain vanilla I wanted to serve with our homemade dessert.

I had the ingredients on hand to make a batch of Vanilla Bean Frozen Custard, but what I didn’t have was the time to create the custard base and allow it to chill fully before churning it in my ice cream maker. I knew from experience that attempting to churn ice cream or custard when it isn’t chilled adequately would lead to a frustrating experience and a lackluster batch of ice cream.

Ice cream can be a difficult item for our family to purchase at the grocery store due to food allergies. Many ice cream makers still don’t’ include allergy information on their packaging and given how prevalent nuts are in popular ice cream flavors, buying a container of ice cream at the store that doesn’t provide us with fully transparent ingredient list and allergen statement isn’t a smart option.

So, even in pre-pandemic times, running to the closest grocery store to pick up a container of ice cream wasn’t as easy as it sounds. If they happen to be out of the handful of safe options for our family, I leave the store without ice cream in my basket. That experience has happened more often than I would like to admit. It’s most likely the reason that I tend to make our own homemade ice cream flavors each summer. While it means more work in the kitchen, it also means that I can skip the frustration of shopping for ice cream and I can stock the freezer with the flavors we love in versions that I know are completely safe for us to enjoy.

As I stood in the kitchen planning my options with heavy cream in hand, I decided that this moment was the perfect time for a kitchen experiment. It was time to give no churn ice cream a try. But first I needed to do a little reading, a bit of research, and gain a better understanding of how I could possibly make a creamy, delicious ice cream without dragging out the ice cream maker.

Traditional ice cream is often made using a base of cream, often with milk and eggs added. The fat in the eggs and cream help to create a base that will churn in an ice cream machine, freezing as it turns, and incorporating air into the base as it freezes. The fat content, introduction of air, and movement of the machine as the liquid freezes creates the magic of a smooth ice cream. Together, these elements prevent tiny ice crystals from forming which can produce an ice cream that is grainy rather than smooth.

In a no churn recipe, there is no movement as the ice cream base freezes. Instead, the base is whipped to incorporate air before being frozen. It’s a simple process, but it requires putting a bit of thought into the ingredients used in order to ensure that the base will freeze in a way that creates a rich, creamy ice cream rather than an icy, grainy ice cream.

I made the first batch according to the recipe I found shared by so many people online. It seemed too easy to whip up the cream, add condensed milk, and then simply place it in the freezer and wait for it to freeze and firm up enough to be transformed into ice cream. I didn’t need to cook the base. I didn’t need to cool it overnight. I didn’t even need to wrangle the ice cream maker out of the cabinet.

I was amazed when I dipped my spoon into the frozen no churn batch of ice cream for the first taste. It was indeed a creamy, rich ice cream that tasted delicious. There were no tiny ice crystals, no grainy texture to speak of. Later than night, it was delicious served on a wedge of the raspberry galette I had made early in the day.

I wanted to tinker with the recipe to see if I could make the process even easier. While it wasn’t complex and didn’t require fancy equipment or ingredients, I wondered if I could make it even simpler. So, I started making batches, adjusting the amount of condensed milk to sweeten the ice cream, substituting different forms of sugar to help stabilize the cream, using a chilled bowl and whisk to see if the time required to whip the cream to nearly stiff peaks changed dramatically.

I started out with the full can of condensed milk that most of the recipes call for. The ice cream froze beautifully, but it was far too sweet for our liking. It was simply too sweet, and the condensed milk completely covered up the rich flavor of the cream and any flavorings or additions we added. So, I started stepping back the proportions of condensed milk by ¼ cup with each batch until we arrived at one that was sweet enough without being overly sweet. It made a delicious topping for warm desserts and a base for creating other ice cream flavors. This was the winner.

In the end, I used just around half a can of sweetened condensed milk in a batch. I store the leftovers in a Mason jar in the fridge, ready to make the next batch whenever the mood or need strikes. This recipe is so simple, my ice cream making has become even more frequent. In less than ten minutes, I can gather my ingredients, whip the base until it is frothy like a cloud, and have it in my ice cream container and chilling in the freezer. It’s almost too easy, but in the most delicious way.

I have that raspberry galette, a rainy summer’s day, and the extra time spent at home in 2020 to thank for this delicious recipe. Much like kneading loaves of bread has been a balm for my soul, whipping heavy cream by hand in a large mixing bowl has also been a welcome escape this summer. While I could certainly set up my stand mixer to do the work, there’s something satisfying about whipping the cream by hand, about watching the liquid become thick and airy as my arm provides the motion of incorporating air into the cream.

No, you don’t need to whip the cream by hand, but you certainly can. Use whatever method you prefer from a whisk and mixing bowl to a heavy duty stand mixer or a hand mixer or food processor. The choice is yours and the resulting ice cream will be equally delicious. Each time I make up a batch, I find myself amazed at how simple it is.

I have already started experimenting with a few flavors of this simple no churn ice cream. I’ll be ready to share delicious espresso ice cream and chocolate ice cream recipes with you in the coming weeks. I can’t wait for you to try them all!

If you liked this recipe, you can also make other flavors of ice cream without an ice cream maker….

This recipe doesn’t require any special kitchen tools or equipment, but I do have a few that I reach for whenever I make it.

Homemade ice cream can be frozen in any food safe and freezer safe container. I purchased a few Tovolo 1.5 quart freezer containers a few years ago. The size is perfect for my homemade ice cream recipes and the lid fits well while being easy to remove. They have held up well and show no signs of wear all these batches later.

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No Churn Sweet Cream Ice Cream

Jennifer from 1840 Farm

After a lot of ice cream making and plenty of taste tests here in the farmhouse kitchen, we finally settled on our favorite version. We tend to like our ice cream to be a little less sweet than most of the store-bought brands, and this recipe is plenty sweet for us without being overly sweet. Fortunately, I found that this method is extremely adaptable. If you like your ice cream to be sweeter, you can absolutely add more sweetened condensed milk or sugar to your base before freezing it.

After making dozens of batches using different combinations of cream and condensed milk, I decided to use a bit of powdered sugar to give the cream a bit of structure as I whipped it into medium peaks. I knew from making Chantilly Cream that I preferred powdered sugar to granulated sugar when making sweetened whipped cream and it didn’t disappoint in this recipe. You could also use granulated sugar in an equal amount or completely omit the additional sugar altogether if you prefer.

While I like to whip the cream by hand, you certainly don’t need to. You can use whatever method and helpful appliance you use when whipping cream for other recipes. The end result will be equally delicious and smooth.

This recipe is a traditional Sweet Cream ice cream base which lends itself to being flavored or enhanced with your favorite additions, cookies, or toppings. If you’d prefer to make vanilla or vanilla bean, simply add a generous teaspoon of your favorite vanilla extract or a bit of vanilla bean paste to the cream before whipping.

Author: Jennifer from 1840 Farm

Ingredients

• 16 ounces heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• pinch salt
• 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• 6 ounces (approximately half a can) sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

• Place the cream, salt, and powdered sugar in a large, deep mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Using a whisk or the whisk attachment on your mixer, begin beating the cream until you reach medium peaks.
• Medium peaks have a similar appearance to cool whip. The cream should be glossy and puffy and cling to the whisk if you invert it. The peak of the cream will fall over as gravity pulls on it. This is the point you are attempting to reach before continuing. This stage takes about 3 to 4 minutes to reach when whipping by hand. It may require less time if using a mixer at high speed.
• Add the sweetened condensed milk to the bowl, reserving any unused portion to flavor the next batch and storing in the refrigerator until needed. Using the whisk or mixer, continue whipping the cream until you have arrived at the stiff peak stage.
• Stiff peaks are a bit sturdier (hence stiffer) than the medium peak stage. The cream should be glossy and fluffy. When you invert the whisk from the bowl of cream upwards, the cream should adhere to the whisk and the peak should stand up without falling. I usually reach this stage after about 2 minutes of whipping. A mixer may reach this stage in less time.
• I find that this recipe is very forgiving. So, if you are anywhere past soft medium peaks, it freezes well into a delicious batch of ice cream. If you are unsure, simply stop when your ice cream base looks like whipped cream that could be spooned on top of dessert and hold its shape.
• Transfer the ice cream base to an ice cream freezing container or a loaf pan lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Allow the base to freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight if possible. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen and freezer, you’ll have a delicious soft serve version of the ice cream to taste test after about 4 to 6 hours in the freezer.

Notes

Homemade ice cream can be frozen in any food safe and freezer safe container. I purchased a few Tovolo 1.5 quart freezer containers a few years ago. The size is perfect for my homemade ice cream recipes and the lid fits well while being easy to remove. They have held up well and show no signs of wear all these batches later.

Tried this recipe?Mention @1840Farm or tag #1840FarmFood! We can’t wait to see what you make!