No ice cream maker? No problem! This simple 3-ingredient no churn ice cream base is the easiest way to make creamy homemade ice cream that isn’t icy. Make this recipe your own using one of the 10 favorite flavor mix-in ideas!
What Does “No-Churn” Mean?
Really good, totally indulgent, creamy ice creams can be time consuming at best (don’t forget to freeze that ice cream maker bowl first!) and temperamental at worst (why did my custard base turn into scrambled eggs?). Taking on the task of making your own homemade ice cream can sometimes be enough to throw in the towel and send you to the street corner with the kids to wait for the ice cream man to drive by.
But there’s a way to avoid all of that and still get your licks in. It only takes a hand mixer, a couple of bowls, and three ingredients to make.
Say hello to one of my favorite kitchen hacks, this recipe for homemade, no-churn ice cream.
“No-churn” ice cream means there’s no need for an ice cream machine to make creamy, homemade vanilla ice cream that’s ready to lick in just a few hours. Most homemade ice creams start with an egg custard base that is cooked and tended to with the same care as your first born child. This one doesn’t.
★★★★★
I gave 5, but this recipe deserves 10 gold stars for simplicity & deliciousness! :) My husband and hard to please teen LOVES this! I made it with homemade vanilla & it turned out perfect in texture & flavor! It was so creamy & didn’t have any ice crystals (like when I tried other recipes!) I will play around with other flavors, now that I have a base. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
~Michele, FoodieCrush reader
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- This recipe requires so few ingredients, so it’s important that you buy exactly what’s listed in the recipe card below. Don’t try to substitute lower fat or lower sugar alternatives otherwise your ice cream won’t turn out right.
- If adding additional extracts — like almond or mint — be sure to add only a little bit at a time. Vanilla extract is tough to overdo, but other extracts are much more potent.
- If adding mix-ins, chop ’em up. Larger nuts, chocolate chips, M&M’s, and such become rock hard when frozen, so it helps if they’re chopped up first.
Ingredients in No-Churn Ice Cream
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Heavy whipping cream — Take care not to overwhip the cream or else you’ll wind up with butter on your hands. You’re looking for it to be perfectly fluffy and for it to hold stiff peaks when you pull the beaters out of it.
- Sweetened condensed milk — Thick, sweet, and syrupy this is the key ingredient to making ultra rich and creamy ice cream without a machine.
- Vanilla extract — You can go a little more heavy handed on the vanilla for a stronger flavor. Or, swap it out with another extract altogether (but use caution because certain extracts are incredibly potent.)
Heidi’s Tip: This no-churn ice cream base makes vanilla ice cream, but there are so many ways to doctor it up to create various flavor combos. Keep reading to see my suggestions!
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker
- Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. I like to do this in a few batches to ensure even incorporation while keeping the cream light and airy.
- Add flavor mix ins. At this stage, you can fold in any desired flavorings or mix-ins.
- Freeze, then serve! The base needs to chill in the freezer for a good 4 to 6 hours. Let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature before scooping. I like to wet an ice cream scoop under warm tap water, wipe it dry with a towel, then spoon the ice cream into dishes or scoop onto cones.
Heidi’s Tip: This style of ice cream will melt a little quicker than usual custard based ice creams, but that’s okay! More incentive to lick it up fast!
Storage Tip: Choosing the Right Containers
Once you’ve made your base, you’ll need containers for freezing. You can use an 8×5-inch bread loaf pan for your container but know that a metal container will freeze the ice cream faster and better than a glass pan.
If you will be making ice cream often, consider investing in an insulated ice cream tub or container, or, I like using paper containers with lids for on-the-go individual servings.
Flavors and Mix-Ins to Try
I like to make the no-churn ice cream base and then let everyone’s individual taste buds take over to invent their own favorite flavor. Plus, if you’re looking to create a DIY ice cream bar that doesn’t take forever to create, this recipe will be the secret to your success.
- Peppered Strawberry Bean: Vanilla bean, frozen strawberries, black pepper, white chocolate chips
- Key Lime Pie: White chocolate chips, graham cracker pieces, lime juice, lime zest
- Minty Mini-Chocolate Chip: Fresh minced mint leaves, peppermint extract, green food coloring, mini chocolate chips
- The Islander: Toasted coconut with pineapple chunks, macadamia nuts and salted caramel
- German Chocolate Cake: Cocoa powder, chocolate cake pieces, toasted coconut & pecans, caramel drizzle
- Gimme Some More S’mores: Mini marshmallows/toasted marshmallow, graham cracker crumbles, chocolate chunks
- The Kitchen Sink: M&M’s, toasted peanuts, popcorn, pretzels and salted caramel
- Elvis Thrust: Peanut butter, bananas, honey (Tip: Mix the peanut butter with a little cream so it stays creamy instead of turning rock hard when it freezes.)
- Lumberjack: Waffle cone, crumbled bacon, maple syrup
- Cookie Monster: Chocolate chip cookie dough bits, oreo pieces, chocolate chip cookie pieces
Heidi’s Tip: My hot buttered rum recipe uses vanilla ice cream as its rich and creamy base.
FAQs
Sweetened condensed milk is key to making a good homemade ice cream, no-churn or otherwise.
The syrupy liquid is high in sugar, which lets us create an ice cream base that requires no simmering on the stovetop to dissolve any added sugar into the heavy whipping cream, as well as no churning in an ice cream maker.
The high sugar content also lowers the freezing point of the ice cream, which wards off freezer burn. If you’ve had issues with icy no-churn ice cream in the past, it could be because your base didn’t require sweetened condensed milk.
Nope, it won’t work. Evaporated milk has a runnier consistency than sweetened condensed milk and it also lacks the sugar needed to create a creamy, rather than icy, ice cream.
Possibly, but I’ve only made this recipe as written so I can’t say for sure how to make this a dairy-free.
This ice cream will last for months in the freezer, provided you choose a good storage container with a tight lid to keep it from developing freezer burn.
Load Up Your Ice Cream with These Toppings
- Homemade Chocolate Sauce
- Cherry Syrup
- Candied Pecans
- Chopped up Fudgy Brownies
- A shot of espresso or Homemade Baileys
- Sprinkles, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, M&M’s
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
star rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Homemade No-Churn Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the cream until stiff peaks occur, be careful not to over whip. The cream will be done when you pull the beaters out and the cream stands at attention.
- In another large bowl, whisk the vanilla into the sweetened condensed milk. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, slowly incorporating the two mixtures together so it stays light and aerated.
- If making individual flavors, scoop the cream mixture into smaller bowls and gently fold in your desired mix-ins, or if making just one flavor, mix the ingredients directly into the cream mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to an insulated tub or paper containers and freeze for 4-6 hours.
Nutrition
More Easy Ice Cream Recipes You’ll Love
- Peach Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Hazelnut and Salted Caramel Ice Cream
- 4-Ingredient Ice Cream Pie
- Potato Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
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Kim T
This was way too sweet for my family’s taste. The recipe was quick and easy.
Thanks for the insight Kim. Sorry it didn’t fit your sweet tooth.
Anne
So good but can I decrease the sweetened condensed milk? Just a little sweet.
Hey Anne, I’ve only made it as written but let us know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Kimmer
This was SO good. Made mint chip for my stepdaughter’s birthday and we all loved it.
Thanks for making it for such a big day Kimmer, happy to hear everyone liked it!
Susan
Being lactose intolerant I think by using lactose free
sweetened condensed milk, (Walmart has it) and dream whip
dry topping mix made with lactose free whole milk may work.
Not sure how it would freeze, it may need a stabilizer?
Awesome recipe, kids love it, I can’t eat it without a lactaid pill first.
Hi Susan, I’m not sure how it would work but it sounds like you’re on a good track!
Sammi
Super yummy! I added matcha & swirled strawberry purée in mine. I came out so good!
Sounds delicious Sammi! Glad you enjoyed!
Kayla
It turned out to be really good! Thanks for sharing this recipe with me. I ended up adding chocolate chips the second time and it also turned out well!
Happy you enjoyed Kayla
Yvo
I’ve made this quite often. Guests very impressed when you say home made. So easy even I can’t mess it up.
I’m glad you enjoyed!
Franchesca
what a fun easy recipe to make with the kids! we added 4 heaping tbsp of cacao and sprinkled in mini enjoy life chips! It was so hard for us to wait for it to freeze! It was quite delicious! Everyone loved it with fresh strawberries!
Barb
Easy to prepare – great texture and creaminess – – – tho for my tastebuds much too sweet – so here’s my suggestion; reduce the amount of sweetened condensed milk.
Recipe modifications follow to include adding 2 tablespoons espresso powder…………..and mixing all ingredients at the same time in one bowl.
I do place the beaters and the mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before mixing…………
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons espresso powder
Mellycutie
This is the most delicious ice cream EVER!!!! It took a little less than 4 hours i think because we did 6 individual servings. We made a few chocolate using cocoa powder. I had oreos and caramel sauce and a few pieces of Hershey chocolate. My Mom had vanilla with pecans and caramel. Everybody loved it. Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
Anna Marie Martin
How can I make mint chocolate chip?
Add mint extract and chocolate chips!
Traci Swatek-Rice
I made this tonight and it was so good. We did crushed butterfingers and cookie dough syrup instead of vanilla extract. Yummy!
Michelle
Can I put these ingredients into my electric ice cream maker without whipping the cream first? Or, does it have to be made with a mixer?
I only make it as described in the directions and can’t guarantee success with your method.
Donna
I’ve been making this for years, now. Our favorite is strawberry. I add 1 cup of chopped fresh strawberries OR a container (tin) of frozen strawberries.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
That sounds soooo good!