Easy No-churn Vanilla Ice Cream (+Secret Ingredient)

A foolproof recipe for easy, no-churn vanilla ice cream with lots of flavor options! Plus, a secret ingredient that will take your homemade ice cream to a whole new level!

I love old-fashioned vanilla ice cream because of its creaminess and rich flavor, especially when it’s made in an ice cream maker. It’s traditionally made with an egg custard base, and then it’s slowly churned in an ice cream machine. The flavor, of course, is phenomenal! 

But…

I always had 2 problems with this. 

First, making traditional ice cream is time-consuming. 

Second, I don’t have an ice cream maker.

The solution?

This foolproof recipe!  Although the texture is softer, it tastes just as good, if not better than churned ice cream.

And it’s A LOT quicker and easier as there’s no need for any special equipment other than a hand mixer.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS NO-CHURN VANILLA ICE CREAM

• It’s cheaper than store-bought.
• It requires ONLY 3 ingredients. 
• You don’t need an ice cream maker.
• There is NO cooking involved.
• It tastes SOOO good!

THE SECRET INGREDIENT

My secret ingredient is ground vanilla bean powder. It’s a fine powder made by grinding dried vanilla bean pods. It has an AMAZING aroma and a wonderful, distinctive flavor. On the market, you may find ground vanilla bean powder that’s sweetened or has additives, but I suggest you get pure vanilla bean powder without any sweeteners or additives. Compared to vanilla extract, ground vanilla bean powder offers a unique flavor. It’s absolutely incredible!

HOW TO MAKE NO-CHURN VANILLA ICE CREAM

After that, cover with plastic wrap and then some aluminum foil and freeze.

To be honest, I never thought that ground vanilla bean powder would make much of a difference! It really blew my mind! Ground vanilla bean powder has become such a game changer for me! It’s a real treasure for home bakers! And I just love those beautiful, tiny black specks, too!

FLAVOR OPTIONS

Cookies and Cream

Just coarsely crush about 10 Oreo cookies and fold them into the mixture before freezing.

Peanut Butter

Add ½ cup peanut butter to the whipped cream and then follow steps 3-6 in the picture tutorial.

Cinnamon Roll

Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or cinnamon sugar to the whipped cream and then follow steps 3-6 in the picture tutorial.

Caramel

After the ice cream has half frozen, drizzle about ½ – 1 cup caramel on top and use a knife to swirl it around. Then freeze completely.

Coffee Ice Cream

Add 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder and 2 tablespoons of  Kahlua (or your favorite coffee liquor) into the mixture and then follow steps 3-6 in the picture tutorial.

Chocolate

Add melted bittersweet chocolate (about 8 oz / 225 g) to the whipped cream and follow steps 3-6 in the picture tutorial.

Double Chocolate

Melt about 4.4 oz / 125 g bittersweet chocolate and mix it with ½ cup sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder. Then swirl it into the mixture before freezing or use a mixer to mix it in the base before freezing.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk.
• Put the can of sweetened condensed milk in the fridge a day ahead.
• Before whipping the cream, put a metal bowl in the freezer. This will help the cream whip faster.
• The higher the fat content in the cream, the bigger the volume of the whipped cream.
• If you’re going to mix in any candy like M&M’s, make sure you chop them first because they get really hard when frozen.
• Keep in mind that some add-ins may affect the overall freezing time.
• To make sure your ice cream doesn’t absorb any odors, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing. This will also prevent any ice crystals from forming on the top.
• Before storing in the freezer, label it with the date you made it.
• Store it in the back of the freezer where the temperature stays the same. Don’t put it in the freezer door.

Let me know how this no-churn vanilla ice cream turns out for you in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!