No ice cream maker? No problem! No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream is easy to make at home without a machine! But why stop there when a plain vanilla base can quickly be customized with your favorite mix-in combinations and flavors!
Easy Homemade Ice Cream
Our No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream recipe is the easiest way to make a delicious homemade ice cream in 15 minutes without an ice cream machine.
Simply prepare your 4-ingredient mixture, pour it into a loaf pan, and freeze until set. The result is a rich and creamy ice cream base that can be turned into your favorite ice cream flavors.
Add swirls of sauce, mix-in chocolate chips and candy or cookie pieces, or stir in colorful sprinkles — the options are endless!
What Is No Churn Ice Cream
No churn ice cream is a method of making homemade ice cream without using an ice cream maker (and no eggs needed). Traditional ice cream recipes are typically made by churning the mixture in an ice cream machine to incorporate air and create a smooth texture. However, you can achieve a similar result without all the work with no-churn ice cream.
Homemade Ice Cream Ingredients
- Sweetened condensed milk: Since condensed milk is already sweetened, it adds sweetness to the ice cream without the need for additional sugar. Plus it helps to keep the ice cream mixture smooth and prevents ice crystals from forming during freezing. Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk!
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste: Feel free to swap the vanilla extract for your favorite flavored extracts.
- Salt: Just a pinch brings out the flavor and balances the sweetness of the ice cream.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream provides the airiness and volume needed.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
- Freeze First: Place your mixing bowl and loaf pan in the freezer for 30 minutes before making your ice cream.
- Make The Mixture: Combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat: Beat the heavy whipping cream in the chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Fold: Once cup at a time, fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture.
- Pour In The Pan: Pour the ice cream into the pan, cover with foil, and place in the freezer.
- Freeze: After 2 hours of freezing add any mix ins and swirl with a knife. Cover and freeze for an additional 3 hours, or until set.
- Serve: Remove ice cream 5 minutes prior to serving to allow it to soften slightly. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Scoop it into a cone or eat it straight from the spoon, homemade ice cream is my kind of comfort food and the perfect way to beat the summer heat!
Why not set up an ice cream sundae bar with your favorite sundae toppings? Let your guests dress up their dessert with whipped cream, chocolate magic shell, chocolate syrup, hot fudge, caramel sauce, chopped candy bars, chocolate chips, crushed cookies, sprinkles, mini marshmallows, chopped nuts, M&M’s, or anything else you can think of!
Tips & Variations
- Revise With Real Vanilla: You can make your ice cream using a real vanilla bean pod. Just take 1 vanilla bean pod, open it up, and scoop out the vanilla bean paste with a small spoon. Decrease the vanilla extract to just 1 tsp and add the paste at same time you add vanilla extract in the recipe.
- Line The Loaf Pan: For easier clean up, line the loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Cover Your Ice Cream with foil or plastic wrap to keep it fresh before you put the container lid on it. This prevents ice crystals from forming on the top of the ice cream during freezing.
More Fun Ice Cream Flavor Ideas
You can add a variety of mix-in combinations to this ice cream recipe before placing it in the freezer. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Strawberry Brownie: Brownie chunks cut into small pieces and strawberries cut up into small pieces. Gently fold into the batter and then pour into the pan and freeze.
- Caramel Cashew: Hershey Caramel Sauce (in the glass container, not plastic squeeze bottle) and chopped cashews. Gently fold cashews into batter and then run ribbons of caramel throughout the batter. Pour into the pan and freeze.
- Caramel Caribou: Hershey Chocolate Bar cut into small pieces and Hershey Caramel Sauce (in the glass container, not plastic squeeze bottle). Gently fold chocolate into batter and then run ribbons of caramel throughout the batter. Pour into the pan and freeze.
- Moose Tracks: Peanut Butter Cups cut into small pieces and Hershey Fudge Sauce. Gently fold peanut butter cups into batter and then run ribbons of fudge sauce throughout the batter. Pour into the pan and freeze.
- Mint Chocolate Chip: Chocolate chips and mint extract. Gently fold into the batter and then pour into the pan and freeze.
- Cookie Dough: Use our Edible Cookie Dough recipe to make tiny cookie dough balls that you can freeze and mix in to the ice cream and make homemade cookie dough ice cream!
- Chocolate Chip Coconut: This was our latest and best ever ice cream recipe! We toasted the coconut for just a few minutes, chopped up milk chocolate and mixed it in. It tasted just like a Mounds candy bar – only better!
Proper Storage
- To Store: Store in the freezer, wrapped with plastic or with an airtight lid on top, for 2-3 months.
More Easy Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
- Mason Jar Ice Cream
- Skrewball Whiskey Ice Cream
- Mexican Ice Cream
- Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
- Apple Pie Ice Cream
If you tried this No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Video
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste – see below
- Pinch salt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream chilled
Instructions
- Place a large mixing bowl, and a loaf pan in the freezer 30 minutes prior to making this recipe.
- In a separate medium bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Set aside.1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, Pinch salt
- Remove the large bowl from the freezer and add the chilled heavy whipping cream. Use an electric hand mixer or standing mixer on high speed to beat together until stiff peaks form.2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Once cup at a time, add whipped cream to the sweetened condensed milk mixture. Carefully fold together with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.
- Pour into loaf pan. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Cover with foil and place in the freezer.
- After 2 hours of freezing add any additional mix in ingredients and swirl with a knife. Cover and return to the freezer for an additional 3 hours, or until set.
- Remove ice cream 5 minutes prior to serving to allow it to soften slightly.
Jenn’s Notes
- You can also make this using a real vanilla bean pod. Just take 1 vanilla bean pod, opened up and vanilla bean paste scooped out with a small spoon, and decrease vanilla extract to just 1 tsp. Add at the same time you add vanilla extract in the recipe.
- For easier cleanup, line the loaf pan with parchment paper
- You can add a variety of mix-in combinations – see mix-in suggestions above in post!
Nutrition Info
Who doesn’t love ice cream? It’s simply the best! This no churn vanilla ice cream recipe is the easiest way to make ice cream without a machine. By adding different toppings, you’ll have a new flavor of ice cream each time you make it. Get ready to scream for this ice cream!
Need the recipe
Hi Ellen, just scroll up to the recipe card! You can even save it or print it out! Hope you enjoy!
I have made this icecream many times, it’s just the best so easy 👍I also add cocoa to make it chocolate