Why pay $5-6 for your favorite ice cream in a pint container? Make your own.
This simple No Churn Ice Cream will have you making your favorite ice cream and enjoying it all the time. It take 30 minutes to make and 4 hours to freeze. You don’t need an ice cream machine of any kind, only a mixer to whip the heavy cream.
You will be amazed how amazing this ice cream tastes. Of course, when you have Sweetened Condensed Milk (SCM) and whipping cream as the base, what else do you need. Using high quality ingredients to mix in will make your ice cream soar to the next level. Using a frozen metal loaf pan will make a big difference in how well your ice cream turns out. Glass and ceramic dishes will not get cold enough to give your ice cream the texture it needs.
My son and his wife are into the new flavors of Butterfingers and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Combined, this is the picture above. As he would say, “Let’s GO!” My favorite ice cream is Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. This was so easy to make with fresh cherries and slivers of chopped dark chocolate. Do you have a favorite ice cream flavor? Make it from home and enjoy multiple servings for a farction of the price.
How to Make No Churn Ice Cream
1. Place a metal loaf pan in the freezer for 30 minutes before making ice cream. Having all your bowls and pans very cold helps to freeze the heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk faster. I have noticed, in my research, some people suggest placing a metal bowl in the freezer before whipping the heavy cream. I did not do this and I think my whipped cream whipped up well without that extra step.
Using a metal pan is very crucial. A ceramic or glass pan is not going to work as well. Neither of these pans will get your ice cream cold enough.
2. Start with a 14 oz. can of Sweetened Condensed Milk. This is the base of your ice cream. It acts as the custard. Eggs are often present in a homemade ice cream recipe. The eggs are what binds everything together. But with the magic of Sweetened Condensed Milk (SCM), you get the same properties.
You can add melted dark, milk, white or dark chocolate to the sweetened condensed milk to add a depth of flavor. You can also make dulce de leche with the sweetened condensed milk and use this as your base as well.
Sweetened Condensed Milk is the Main Ingredient
One of my favorite ice cream flavors is from Cold Stone. I love the founders favorite with brownies, caramel and fudge sauce with pecans mixed in. I made this using dulce de leche as the base instead of SCM. It turned out soooooo good!
3. Instructions to Make Dulce de Leche. Fill a sauce pan with water and then place a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk, unopened, in the water. Take the paper label off before putting it in the water. A saucepan that is a little taller and less wide is perfect for this. Bring the water to boil and then let it simmer for 2 – 3.5 hours. As the water in the pan evaporates, pour more water into the pan keeping the can covered. If you want a lighter caramel, boil for 2 – 2.5 hours. If you like a deeper darker caramel, cook for 2.5 – 3.5 hours.
Turn the heat off and and let the pan cool down. Do not open the can until it is warm to the touch or cold. The caramel inside can spew out of the can and burn you.
4. Whip the heavy cream. This is where the ice cream gets its volume, instead of churning. Whip the heavy cream on a medium speed for 3 minutes and then increase the speed to high and beat until there are stiff peaks. You want it to be almost butter, but not quite. Have you ever whipped your whipping cream too much, I have?
Good Quality Heavy Cream is Essential
Before you begin to whip the cream, add the flavoring you have chosen. Add the salt and vanilla before you start to beat at hight speed. I like using Clear Vanilla when making vanilla ice cream. It will keep the vanilla ice cream on the white side. Several of the recipes below use cocoa powder in the heavy cream. Add it first and beat slowly until the cocoa powder is incorporated.
Other Recipes you might like on Dinas Diner.
If you want to create, this is the place to start. Add any flavor of extract you want, vanilla, raspberry, peppermint, strawberry, orange, etc and a little salt. You always want a little salt to balance out the sweet.
5. Fold half of the whipped cream into the condensed milk. Using a spatula, pull condensed milk to the top of the whipped cream. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and do it again. After the second scoop of condensed milk has been pulled up, push the spatula through the all the layers to the bottom. Keep doing this until the whipped cream is almost mixed in.
Add the second half of the whipped cream and do the same thing. You want to keep as much air in the whipped cream as possible. Once the ice cream looks almost completely smooth, pour it into the frozen loaf pan.
6. Cover with plastic wrap. Placing a piece of plastic wrap on the ice cream, keeps it from getting too crystalized. This is a great idea to do when you open a carton of ice cream purchased from the grocery store. Placing a thin layer of protection can help keep your ice cream from forming ice crystals which compromises the taste.
7. Leave in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight. If you leave it over night, take it out 15-30 minutes before serving. This will bring the ice cream up to the perfect temperature to serve.
Let me know on Instagram or Facebook if you make this. Post a picture and tag me @dinasdiner.
Here are a few products I like to use when making No Church Ice Cream.
When you purchase items from the Amazon links below, I receive a small commission.
No Churn Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
Vanilla Ice Cream
- 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 2 tsp. Clear Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp. Vanilla Bean Paste, or the caviar of one vanilla bean
Chocolate Ice Cream
- 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
- 4 oz. Dark Chocolate, melted
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Chocolate Shavings, instructions below
Cherry with Dark Chocolate Ic Cream
- 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Clear Vanilla
- 4 oz Dark Chocolate, chopped
- 1 Cup Fresh Cherries, pitted
Dulce de Leche Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream
- 14 oz Dulce de Leche, instructions above or purchase
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Clear Vanilla
- 4 Tbsp. Hot Fudge, melted enough to drizzle
- 4 Tbsp. Caramel Ice Cream Topping
- 1/2 Cup Brownie Bits
- 1/2 Cup Pecans
Smore's Ice Cream
- 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 4 oz. Milk Chocolate
- 1/2 Cup Graham Crackers, cut into 1/2 inch squares
- 20 Large Marshmallows, roasted under the broiler and cooled
- 2 oz, Dark Chocolate, Chopped
Butterfinger Reese's Ice Cream
- 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 3 Cups Reese's Peanut Butter Cups chopped
- 1 1.9 oz. Butterfinger Candy Bar, chopped
Instructions
Vanilla Ice Cream
- Place a metal loaf pan in the freezer 15 minutes before making ice cream.
- Pour the contents of the Sweetened Condensed Milk (SCM) in a large bowl.
- Add vanilla to the bowl of heavy cream.
- If using a vanilla bean, soak in boiling water for 15 minutes. Slice in half and scrape out the vanilla caviar.
- Whip the heavy cream until it has very stiff peaks, almost butter, but not quite.
- Pour half of the whipped cream into the bowl with the SCM. Fold the whipped cream in by pulling the SCM from the bottom over the top of the whipped cream.
- Turn the bowl a quarter turn and pull up another spatula of SCM to the top of the whipped cream. This time push the spatula down to the bottom of the bowl.
- The air in the cream is all you have to give lift to the ice cream.
- Continue to fold until the whipped cream is mostly mixed in.
- Add the second half of the whipped cream and fold in the same manner as the first half until almost smooth.
- Pour into the frozen loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and put back in the freezer.
- Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Ice Cream
- Place a metal loaf pan in the freezer 15 minutes before making ice cream.
- Pour the contents of the Sweetened Condensed Milk (SCM) in a large bowl.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, cooking in 30 second intervals stirring vigorously every 30 seconds. If you need more time to melt the chocolate, place it in the microwave in 15 seconds increments. Each microwave is different so watch the chocolate. If it heats too fast or long it will burn on the bottom. Beat until smooth. Cool and set aside.
- To make chocolate shavings, grate 4 oz. of chocolate or cut with a sharp knife into very small pieces.
- Place the heavy cream into a large bowl and add the cocoa powder. Whip on low until the cocoa is mixed in. Turn the mixer to a higher level and beat until it has very stiff peaks, almost butter, but not quite.
- Mix the melted chocolate into the sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Pour half of the chocolate whipped cream into the bowl with the SCM. Fold the whipped cream in by pulling the SCM from the bottom over the top of the whipped cream.
- Turn the bowl a quarter turn and pull up another spatula of SCM to the top of the whipped cream. This time push the spatula down to the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the second half of the whipped cream and fold in the same manner as the first half until almost smooth.
- Pour shavings into the SCM and mix gently until just mixed in.
- Pour into the frozen loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and put back in the freezer.
- Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
Cherry with Dark Chocolate Ic Cream
- Place a metal loaf pan in the freezer 15 minutes before making ice cream.
- Pour the contents of the Sweetened Condensed Milk (SCM) in a large bowl.
- Chop or grate the dark Chocolate into small shavings or pieces.
- Push the pit out of each fresh cherry. Put each cherry on a glass pop bottle. Using a sturdy straw push the pit into the glass bottle. Continue to pit all the the cherries. Cut into fourths or smaller.
- Whip the heavy cream until it has very stiff peaks, almost butter, but not quite.
- Pour half of the whipped cream into the bowl with the SCM. Fold the whipped cream in by pulling the SCM from the bottom over the top of the whipped cream.
- Turn the bowl a quarter turn and pull up another spatula of SCM to the top of the whipped cream. This time push the spatula down to the bottom of the bowl. Keep turning and folding until almost smooth, but not quite.
- Add the second half of the whipped cream and fold in the same manner as the first half.
- When the ice cream is almost smooth add the sliced cherries and chocolate shavings.
- Stir until smooth and pour into the frozen loaf pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
Dulce de Leche Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream
- Place a metal loaf pan in the freezer 15 minutes before making ice cream.
- Cut brownie bites into small pieces and set aside.
- I made a batch of Ghirardelli Brownies the night before and cut into small pieces.
- Cut pecans into small pieces and set aside.
- Melt hot fudge until it is pourable but will not melt ice cream.
- Whip the heavy cream with vanilla and salt until it has very stiff peaks, almost butter, but not quite.
- Pour the contents of the can of Dulce de Leche (DdL) in a large bowl.
- Pour half of the whipped cream into the bowl with the DdL. Fold the whipped cream in by pulling the Ddl from the bottom over the top of the whipped cream.
- Turn the bowl a quarter turn and pull up another spatula of DdL to the top of the whipped cream. This time push the spatula down to the bottom of the bowl. Keep turning and folding until almost smooth, but not quite.
- Pour the other half over the whipped cream over the DdL mixture and fold it in.
- When the ice cream is almost smooth drizzle on caramel ice cream topping and the hot fudge. Sprinkle the brownie bite pieces and nuts on top.
- Fold in the toppings until just mixed in and the ice cream is smooth. Pour into the frozen loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
Smore's Ice Cream
- Place a metal loaf pan in the freezer 15 minutes before making ice cream.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute in 30 second intervals stirring vigorously after each. If you need more time to melt the chocolate, place it in the microwave in 15 seconds increments. Each microwave is different so watch the chocolate. If it heats too fast or long it will burn on the bottom. Beat until smooth. Cool and set aside.
- Place the 20 marshmallows on a cooking sheet and place under the broiler for about 1 1/2 minutes. When brown and toasted on top, flip the marshmallows over. I used another small cookie sheet and flipped them upside down. Brown the other side. It only takes about one minute.
- Once the marshmallows have charred on both sides, take them out of the oven to cool.
- Make Chocolate shavings by grating, using a peeler or chopping with a knife.
- Cut four rectangles of graham crackers on the perforated marks. Cut each into smaller piece until all pieces are about 1/2 inch.
- Pour the contents of the Sweetened Condensed Milk in a large bowl.
- Mix in the melted chocolate until smooth.
- Place the heavy cream into a large bowl and add the cocoa powder. Whip on low until the cocoa is mixed in. Turn the mixer to a higher level and beat until it has very stiff peaks, almost butter, but not quite.
- Fold in half of the whipped cream to the SCM mixture. Mix until almost smooth, but not quite.
- Pull apart the cooled marshmallows and put 10 of them in the whip cream SCM mixture. Mix and pull the marshmallows apart as you mix.
- Pour in the other half of the chocolate whipped cream and fold into the SCM mixture. When it is almost smooth, but not quite. Add the other 10 toasted marshmallows. Pull them apart and add to the SCM mixture.
- Add in the graham crackers, chocolate shavings and the other half cup of small marshmallows. Fold everything together.
- Pour into the frozen loaf pan. Cover with the plastic wrap
- Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
Butterfinger Reese's Ice Cream
- Place a metal loaf pan in the freezer 15 minutes before making ice cream.
- Pour the contents of the Sweetened Condensed Milk (SCM) in a large bowl.
- Whip the heavy cream until it has very stiff peaks, almost butter, but not quite.
- Fold in half of the whipped cream to the SCM mixture. Folding from the bottom of the pan to the top. Keep turning the bowl so you are pulling from all angles. Mix until almost smooth, but not quite.
- Pour in the other half of the whipped cream and fold into the SCM mixture like you did the first half. When it is almost smooth, fold in the Butterfinger and the Reese's Peanut Butter bits.
- Pour into the frozen loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for four hours.
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