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Vanilla Ice Cream made the no-churn way is the creamiest, dreamiest scoop you can make with just three ingredients and no ice cream machine. I whip up a batch with Maddie and Lizzie on a hot summer afternoon and we pile it high with sprinkles. It is the perfect partner for a warm slice of our berry cobbler.
All you do is whip, fold, and freeze, so it is genuinely the easiest homemade ice cream you will ever make.
Vanilla Ice Cream Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 370kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Cold, creamy, and sweet with rich, pure vanilla bean flavor
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our no churn cookie dough ice cream
Quick Answer
To make no-churn Vanilla Ice Cream, whip cold heavy cream until firm peaks form, then gently fold in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean paste. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan, cover, and freeze for at least six hours until firm. The whipped cream traps air so the ice cream stays light and scoopable with no churning required.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Whipped cream replaces the churning. Whipping the heavy cream to firm peaks folds in air, which gives the ice cream its light, scoopable texture without any machine.
- Sweetened condensed milk does double duty. It sweetens the ice cream and its sugar lowers the freezing point, keeping the scoops soft and creamy instead of rock hard.
- Only three ingredients. Cream, condensed milk, and vanilla are all you need, so it is fast, foolproof, and made from pantry and fridge staples.
- Vanilla bean paste adds real flavor. Using paste or pure extract gives you those pretty flecks and a deep, true vanilla flavor that beats anything from a tub.
- It is endlessly customizable. This vanilla base is the blank canvas for any mix-in, swirl, or topping you can dream up.
- No eggs, no cooking, no fuss. Unlike custard-style ice cream, there is no tempering eggs or cooking a base, just whip, fold, and freeze.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is shockingly easy, just three ingredients and no special equipment, not even an ice cream maker.
- It is the ultimate à la mode topping for warm desserts like our peach crumble bars.
- It stays soft and scoopable straight from the freezer, so no waiting around for it to thaw.
Key Ingredients
Three simple ingredients are all it takes for the creamiest homemade ice cream. Here is what each one does.
- Heavy whipping cream: Use cold, full-fat heavy cream, it whips up tall and gives the ice cream its rich, creamy body.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This thick, sweet milk is the magic ingredient that keeps the ice cream soft and scoopable.
- Vanilla bean paste: Paste gives the deepest flavor and pretty vanilla flecks, but pure vanilla extract works too.
- Optional toppings: Sprinkles, hot fudge, fresh fruit, or crushed cookies turn a simple scoop into a sundae.
- A loaf pan: A standard metal or glass loaf pan is the perfect size for freezing this batch evenly.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This vanilla base is a blank canvas, so make it your own:
- Make chocolate chip: Fold in a cup of mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate before freezing.
- Swirl it: Drizzle in hot fudge, caramel, or fruit jam and swirl with a knife for a ribboned look.
- Add cookies: Crush in sandwich cookies or graham crackers for a cookies-and-cream twist.
- Go boozy: Stir in a tablespoon of bourbon or rum, which also helps keep the ice cream extra soft.
How to Make Vanilla Ice Cream
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream with a stand or hand mixer just until firm peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Gently fold in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean paste with a spatula until fully combined and no white streaks remain. Do not stir hard, you want to keep the air in.
- Pour the mixture into a standard loaf pan, smooth the top, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface.
- Freeze for at least 6 hours, or until fully firm, then scoop and serve with the garnishes of your choice.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Chill your bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes first, cold equipment helps the cream whip faster and taller.
- Use cold heavy cream straight from the fridge, warm cream will not whip to firm peaks.
- Do not overwhip the cream, stop at firm peaks or it can turn grainy and start heading toward butter.
- Fold gently when adding the condensed milk so you keep all that air you whipped in for a light texture.
- Press plastic wrap on the surface before freezing to prevent ice crystals from forming on top.
- Let it sit a couple of minutes at room temperature before scooping if your freezer runs very cold.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This no-churn vanilla ice cream is a dream all on its own piled into a bowl with sprinkles, but it truly shines à la mode. Add a scoop to a warm slice of our berry cobbler, apple blackberry crumble, or honey bun bread pudding.
It is the perfect base for a build-your-own sundae bar with hot fudge, caramel, fresh fruit, and crushed cookies. Sandwich it between cookies or serve it next to our caramel apple pie egg rolls for a fun dessert spread.
You can also blend a scoop into a milkshake, float it in root beer, or tuck it between two warm cookies for an ice cream sandwich. Keep a loaf pan in the freezer all summer long and you are always one scoop away from dessert.
Vanilla Ice Cream FAQs
No-churn Vanilla Ice Cream is homemade ice cream made without an ice cream machine. Instead of churning a cooked custard, you whip heavy cream to fold in air, then mix in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and freeze. The result is a rich, creamy, scoopable ice cream with only three ingredients.
Icy ice cream usually means the cream was not whipped to firm peaks, so not enough air was folded in, or the condensed milk was not fully incorporated. Make sure you whip the cold cream until it holds firm peaks and fold gently but thoroughly, and press plastic wrap on the surface before freezing.
Sweetened condensed milk is essential to this no-churn method because it sweetens the ice cream and keeps it soft and scoopable. Without it the ice cream would freeze hard and icy. If you want a different method, you would need a traditional churned custard recipe instead.
Stored in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, this ice cream keeps well for up to two weeks. After that it can start to develop ice crystals and lose its creamy texture, though it will still be safe to eat for about a month.
Yes, pure vanilla extract works perfectly. Use the same amount as the paste. Vanilla bean paste gives you those pretty little flecks and a slightly deeper flavor, but good-quality pure extract makes wonderfully flavored ice cream too. Avoid imitation vanilla for the best taste.
This vanilla base is a blank canvas. Fold in chocolate chips, crushed cookies, chopped candy, or fresh fruit, or swirl in hot fudge, caramel, or jam before freezing. Add mix-ins after folding in the condensed milk and gently distribute them so they do not all sink to the bottom.
Craving more frozen treats? Scoop up our no churn cookie dough ice cream or our oatmeal cream pie ice cream bars next.
No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream using a stand or hand mixer just until firm peaks form– about 2-3 minutes.2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Next, fold in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean paste.2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 6 hours.2 cups heavy whipping cream
- When the ice cream has fully hardened, serve with the garnishes of your choice.2 cups heavy whipping cream
Notes
- The vanilla bean paste can be substituted for 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or the caviar from 2 vanilla beans.
- Freezing six hours is a minimum! Overnight is preferred.
- If you have a plastic ice cream container, use that in place of the loaf pan! It will result in a smoother, creamier ice cream.
- You will want to make sure that the plastic wrap is tightly touching the ice cream when stored so ice crystals do not form.
- You can double this recipe to have more on hand.
- Add anything you want into this ice cream to switch up the flavors such as candy, crushed cookies, other extract flavors, etc.
Nutrition
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good job. well done