Easy No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

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Don’t have an ice cream maker? No problem! This Easy No-churn Vanilla Ice Cream is made with 3 ingredients it requires no special equipment, an ice cream maker or any other special tools. 

It’s the perfect treat no matter what time of year. No-churn ice cream is fabulous because it only needs 3 ingredients. Whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk and a real vanilla bean. A little ice cream with some warm apple pie a la mode and your in business!

My kids have a great time deciding if they want it as plain vanilla or if they want to add in their favorite treats. We make this ice cream all year long, but especially in the summer months. 

One year we had an ice cream bar party. The kids had a blast mixing and matching their favorite candies or cookies into the ice cream. It was a hit all the way around. 

What does No-Churn Ice Cream Taste like? 

This ice cream definitely has a taste of vanilla with sweetened condensed milk. The secret to the vanilla taste is the real vanilla bean. Hopefully, you like vanilla? 

You can add your favorite treats like chocolate sauce and caramel sauce to help change the flavor of the ice cream, if you like. 

Why I use Vanilla Beans instead of Vanilla Extract

The addition of real vanilla makes this one of the richest and fullest vanilla flavoring, especially in this ice cream. The only problem with vanilla beans is that they can be expensive. 

I buy mine from Costco. They come in a little container with a handful of vanilla beans. The beans last for up to two years, so using them up will be no problem. You can also buy vanilla beans online.

You can substitute the real vanilla bean in this recipe for real vanilla extract, if you’re having trouble finding real vanilla beans. Adding 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract will substitute for one vanilla bean. 

How long does it take to make No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream? 

It only takes 10 Minutes to make and 4 to 5 hours to chill! Yeah, baby! By pre-freezing your bowl and ice cream storage container, you’ll have some ice cream in no time! 

What can I add to the No-Churn Ice Cream? 

The possibilities are endless. Let your imagination fly with what you can put into the ice cream. Think of cold stone and all the options available at the ice cream parlor. 

The best thing - don’t choose just one. Mix and Match to your heart's content. 

Here are some suggestions to get you started: 

Peanut Butter	Nutella
Cookie batter	Graham Crackers
Butterscotch Chips	M & M’s
Strawberries	Peaches
Cherries	Whipped Cream
Maraschino Cherries	Chopped Nuts
Reeses Peanut Butter Cups	Oreo Cookies
Marshmallows	Chocolate

How long does it take to make No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream? 

It only takes 10 Minutes to make and 4 to 5 hours to chill! Yeah, baby!

By pre-freezing your bowl and ice cream storage container, you’ll have some ice cream in no time! 

One thing to keep in mind that no-churn means it isn’t the type of ice cream you can leave out for 10-15 minutes. It will melt quickly.

So scoop what you want and put the rest back into the freezer ASAP. 

Here are 3 Tips for Storing your Vanilla Ice Cream: 

After making your homemade ice cream you’ll want to store it to keep the temperature even all the way through the ice cream. 

Use special homemade ice cream storage containers like these. The containers are shallow and come with air-tight lids. I like to put a plastic wrap on the top of the ice cream before securing it with my lids.

Store it in the back of the freezer. The temperature is more stable towards the back of the freezer than the front of the freezer. 

Let's Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Cut your vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds.

2. Beat the heavy cream on high until stiff peaks are formed.

3. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla bean seeds and stir.

4. Pour into a freezer-safe homemade ice cream container.

FREE Printable Recipe

Use this ice cream recipe by itself, on pie or a cobbler and enjoy!