No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

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Make this rich, creamy vanilla ice cream even without an ice cream maker.

By

Adam Dolge

Updated on July 26, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream — Photo:
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

Active Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 15 mins

Servings:

8 servings

You don’t need an ice cream maker to whip up this creamy vanilla ice cream. This ice cream comes together easily; it’s not overly sweet, but has a lovely vanilla flavor. Using whole vanilla beans is the secret to giving this ice cream its rich flavor, but you can swap in half a teaspoon of vanilla paste if you have some on-hand. If you use whole vanilla beans, be sure to save them to infuse the flavor info sugar or even vodka.

The texture is rich and creamy, similar to a frozen mousse. The secret to this unbeatable texture is making sure you whip your cream to stiff peaks so it doesn’t deflate. Make sure the cream is cold and gently fold it into the condensed milk mixture so the cream does not deflate. Once it’s frozen, it’s ready to scoop atop pound cake, drizzle with chocolate sauce for a sundae, or eat straight with a spoon.

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Ingredients

1 vanilla bean pod
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch table salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape out seeds. Transfer seeds to a large bowl; reserve pod for another use (see Tip). Add condensed milk, vanilla, and salt to vanilla seeds in a large bowl, and stir until well combined, about 30 seconds. Beat cream with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
Gently fold in one-third whipped cream into condensed milk mixture, folding until slightly loosened. Fold remaining whipped cream into condensed milk mixture, folding until no streaks remain, being careful not to deflate cream. Transfer mixture to a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours. Remove from freezer 5 minutes before scooping. Store leftover ice cream in an airtight container in freezer for up to 1 month.