3-Ingredient Ice Cream

If you love ice cream but don’t have an ice cream maker, this three ingredient ice cream is for you. Not only is it simpler than most homemade ice cream recipes, it’s also a no-churn recipe that doesn’t require an ice cream maker.

Churning ice cream introduces air, or “overrun,” which makes the ice cream softer. You can make light and airy ice cream at home by alternately freezing and beating the ice cream base, but that’s a lot of effort. It’s much simpler to fall back on heavy cream’s “whipability” and incorporate air before you freeze it.

Ingredients for 3-Ingredient Ice Cream

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• Whipping cream: Heavy cream is the classic base for most kinds of ice cream. Here, its ability to whip up light and fluffy is what makes the no-churn ice cream work.
• Sweetened condensed milk: Condensed milk sweetens the ice cream and helps give it a smoother texture.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract gives the ice cream its primary flavor! Use the best vanilla you’ve got. 
  

Directions

Step 1: Whip the cream

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In a large bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. It should take about two to three minutes.

Editor’s tip: The heavy cream should be as cold as possible in order to incorporate the most air. It helps to chill the bowl and even the beaters, as well.

Step 2: Fold in the remaining ingredients

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In a small bowl, whisk the vanilla into the condensed milk until they’re well combined. Fold this mixture gently into the whipped cream a few tablespoons at a time, until it’s combined.

Step 3: Freeze the ice cream

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Scoop the ice cream mixture into a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Freeze the ice cream until it’s firm throughout. It will take two to four hours, depending on the temperature of your freezer.

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3-Ingredient Ice Cream Variations

• Crave chocolate ice cream: To make chocolate ice cream, whisk 2 to 3 tablespoons of cocoa into the condensed milk before folding it into the whipped cream. Alternatively, you can replace up to 1/3 of the condensed milk with your favorite chocolate syrup. It’s still much simpler than a classic ice cream with a custard base.
• Make maple walnut ice cream: Make the ice cream as directed in the recipe but substitute maple extract for the vanilla extract and fold in 1/2 cup of walnuts (or more, if you’re a nut-lover). Sadly the flavor of real maple syrup isn’t strong enough to use in this kind of ice cream, but you could drizzle some over the top when you serve it. Alternatively, toast a cup of walnuts in a skillet for a minute or two over medium heat, add 1/4 cup maple syrup and stir constantly until the syrup is concentrated and clings to the nuts. Cool the nuts on a sheet of parchment, chop them up and add them to the ice cream.
• Get (kinda) boozy: If you want a more adult flavor, swap out the vanilla for rum or brandy extract. You can use those as an add-in for “adult’ milkshakes or ice cream floats with real spirits and add-ins. Adding 3/4 cup of plumped raisins along with rum extract would give you rum & raisin ice cream, which was a popular favorite back in the 1930s. Both rum and brandy extracts work well with caramel- or butterscotch-flavored add-ins. Flavored baking chips or a drizzle of thick caramel topping folded into the ice cream works well.

How to Store 3-Ingredient Homemade Ice Cream

If you plan to eat the ice cream within the first few days, cover the loaf pan you’d used to freeze it. For longer-term storage, scoop the ice cream into a freezer-safe container with an airtight lid. If the container isn’t completely filled, press a sheet of parchment or other covering directly to its surface to protect it from coming in contact with the air. If you have a vacuum-sealable storage container, which allows for the air to be pumped out after each time it’s opened, that’s even better.

How long will the ice cream keep in my freezer?

Frozen foods stay food-safe as long as they’re never thawed. So the important question is how long they’ll retain their quality and flavor. In a good-quality storage container, with its surface protected by parchment or a similar covering, it can last as long as two to three months. In a vacuum-sealed storage container, if you vacuum-seal it every time you enjoy a bowlful, it can last up to twice as long. It might start to develop “off” flavors in as little as two weeks if its loosely covered in its original loaf pan.

Can I make this ice cream ahead of time?

Yes, you certainly can. It takes a minimum of two to four hours for it to be ready to serve, but there’s no reason you couldn’t make it one or two days ahead of time as long as it’s well-covered in the freezer. You can even make it as early as a week ahead.

3-Ingredient Ice Cream Tips

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Can I use fruit in this kind of ice cream?

Yes, but you’ll have to be cautious with it. Fruit is often quite juicy and those juices become icy when they freeze. You can fold in whole blueberries, raspberries or blackberries after the ice cream is mixed but before it’s frozen. Cherries are better halved and strawberries or a larger tree fruit should be cut into small pieces. Grilling or roasting stone fruit or strawberries (as you would in this contest-winning roasted strawberry sheet cake) helps cook out some of those extra juices and concentrates the fruits’ flavors.

Can I use real spirits or liqueurs instead of extracts?

Yes. Although, it requires added care in a couple of ways. One is that you’ll need to clearly label ice cream containing the real stuff so you don’t mistakenly serve it to children, those who don’t drink or anyone who’s had a substance-abuse problem. The other issue is that alcohol softens ice creams and sorbets, which is why you’ll find it in recipes like this bourbon ice cream. It’s always best to use a recipe that was created with the alcohol in mind. That said, you can usually add 2 to 4 tablespoons of your chosen spirit without making the ice cream too soft. The worst thing that can happen is that it will melt more quickly when you serve it. You can counter that by scooping it into serving bowls and then keeping those bowls in the freezer until it’s dessert time.

This is surprisingly good. What other variations can I try?

We have a lot of other ice cream recipes— for the ice cream itself and recipes to accompany your homemade ice cream. Not all variations work well in a no-churn ice cream like this one, but you should have little trouble finding inspiration to encourage your own experiments. You’ll probably still enjoy eating your mistakes if things don’t quite go to plan.