Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine

Skip the ice cream shop! With only 4 ingredients this ultra rich, no churn ice cream is a breeze to make at home. You won't believe how easy this Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine is to make. It's perfect for homemade ice cream sandwiches.

Recipe review

A quick look at this recipe

• Recipe Name: Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine
• Ready In: 10 minutes prep and 6 hours in freezer
• Serves: 8
• Calories: 391 per serving
• Main Ingredients: Heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk
• Difficulty: Easy

Desserts like Margarine Pound Cake, Soft Pumpkin Cookies, Old Fashioned Rice Pudding and homemade ice cream were always a part of my childhood. But making ice cream way back when I was a kid more complicated.

Our family had one of those clunky wooden bucket ice cream makers. It needed lots of ice, rock salt, and attention to make homemade ice cream.

But now, I make a simple version of homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker. My easy ice cream recipe requires much less hands on time.

The hardest part of the making this no churn ice cream is waiting for it to freeze. This cookies and cream ice cream is a favorite!

Why you'll love this homemade ice cream recipe

• No special equipment is needed to make rich and creamy ice cream. A stand mixer, hand mixer or a whisk and a metal loaf pan are all you'll need.
• The recipe doesn't include a long list of ingredients. This is a 4 ingredient ice cream recipe.
• The ice cream is unbelievably rich and creamy. You'll swear this is the BEST ice cream.
• Make this frozen treat recipe your favorite flavor. Mix in cookie bits, chopped nuts, M&Ms, chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, fudge sauce before freezing the ice cream.

How long does it take to make ice cream?

It takes only 10 minutes to mix up the ingredients for this decadent ice cream. After making the ice cream mixture, it's transferred to the freezer. It'll have soft serve consistency after about 2 hours. After 6 hours, the ice cream will be hard enough to scoop.

Ingredients for whipped cream ice cream

Making ice cream at home without a machine only takes a few ingredients. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.

• Sweetened condensed milk
• Vanilla extract
• Kosher salt
• Heavy whipping cream
• Your favorite ice cream mix ins ~ cookies, brownie bits, sprinkles, chocolate chips

How to make ice cream at home

No churn ice cream is a simple to make. Whip up a batch in about 10 minutes. Then the freezer does the rest of the work for you. This is a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for complete instructions.

1. Step 1: Combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and kosher salt. Set aside.

1. Step 2: Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.

1. Step 3: Fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream.

1. Step 4: Stir in the crushed cookies.

1. Step 5: Spread the ice cream mixture into a chilled loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 6 hours. The ice cream will be ready to scoop into bowls, on top of a delicious chocolate cake or sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies.

expert tips

• Don't overwhip the heavy cream. If the cream is whipped too much, it'll turn into butter.
• Freeze the empty loaf pan before adding the ice cream mixture. The faster you freeze the ice cream, the smaller the ice crystals will be. The result will be extra creamy and smooth ice cream.

No churn ice cream flavor ideas

• Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies
• Peanut butter and chocolate chips
• Blueberries
• Chopped and mashed peaches and bananas
• Fudge sauce, mini marshmallows and chopped salted peanuts
• Toffee candy pieces and chopped pecans
• Mint or peppermint extract - add 1 teaspoon along with the other ingredients
• Chocolate cherry cake - crumble 2 large pieces of this cake mix cake recipe and stir in with the other ingredients

How to store ice cream

If ice cream is only going to be stored for a couple days, leave it in the loaf pan covered with plastic wrap. Any longer and I recommend transferring it to one of these meal prep containers.

It's fun to have single servings of creamy homemade ice cream the freezer. I love these 1 cup deli containers for an easy grab and go frozen snack.

Frequently asked questions

The sweetened condensed milk acts as the sweetener for the ice cream. It's also a stabilizer and prevents ice crystals from forming so the ice cream is extra creamy.

You can store homemade ice cream in the freezer for up to a month. But it has the best rich flavor and creamy texture when eaten within about 2 weeks.