Homemade Ice Cream Without a Ice Cream Maker

Make Ice Cream Without a Machine with just three ingredients, one simple no-churn method, and lots of flavor ideas and tips! Step-by-step recipe, and the recipe to make your condensed milk at home! Keep reading this step-by-step guide, and learn how to make ice cream at home!

We love ice cream, and even if it’s different from our Italian gelato, we cannot make without it. That’s why we’ve been experimenting for years, and we finally found a recipe that is so easy and so rewarding we have to share with you! Our homemade ice cream without the ice cream maker and only three ingredients is what you need!

What is the trick to making this 3-ingredient ice cream at home? The secret is in three ingredients: heavy whipping cream, condensed milk (which you can make at home as we explain below), and natural flavorings. Mix everything, put in the refrigerator, and leave to rest for a few hours. That’s it: your ice cream is ready, and it’s just waiting for you!

The result will blow your mind: a creamy homemade ice cream that softens and becomes even better as soon as you take it out of the freezer. The inventor of this recipe, or the one who made it public, is Martha Stewart, who has made it one of her workhorses for many years now.

Enough with the chit chat!

Here is the tried and tested recipe for making ice cream at home without a machine: below the method, we answer to the most frequently asked questions, leaving you the best tips to make delicious homemade ice cream and even the recipe to make condensed milk at home!

Homemade Ice Cream: Tips and Ideas

Below you will find a selection of tips that you will need to make this ice cream at home without the need for an ice cream maker. Read them on, and you will also find the recipe for making homemade condensed milk.

Is it That Simple to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine?

Yes, it’s effortless. There is no trick, and there is no deception: the ice cream made in this way is creamy and soft when you take it with a spoon, perfect to eat with chocolate chip cookies or even alone. A whim that risks becoming a real obsession.

Can You Make Condensed Milk at Home?

Of course, and by any means, we recommend you to do it to avoid using a product that, even if of the best brand, is still abundant in refined sugars and preservatives. To make condensed milk at home, you need 450 ml (15 ounces) of whole milk and 140 grams (2/3 cups) of sugar (this dose is calculated based on the quantity of ice cream you want to make, in this case, 1 Kg/2 pint). Put the milk and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over low heat until the sugar has dissolved; lower the temperature and simmer gently for about 35-40 minutes, or until the milk has darkened and until it becomes creamy. Transfer the condensed milk into a glass bowl and allow it to cool completely before using it.

Can You Make this No-Churn Ice Cream with Different Flavors?

Of course, we’ve just shown you how to make homemade vanilla ice cream at home, but you can try as many flavors as you like.
The followings are some of the ice cream flavors we’ve been making:

• Coffee: Mix two teaspoons of instant coffee with three tablespoons of fresh whipped cream. Add the mixture once the condensed milk and cream are mixed.
• Chocolate: Melt a few pieces of bitter chocolate in the heavy, not whipped cream in a bain-marie. Please leave it to cool and add to the mixture.
• Mint: Add one teaspoon of mint syrup to the mixture and mix well. For a more robust flavor, add 2 tsp. For an even better flavor, also add whole chocolate chips.
• Biscuits: Crumble some chocolate biscuits inside the vanilla ice cream, mix, and you’re done.

Can You Make this Ice Cream with Fresh Fruit?

Sure! Remember that the ideal fruit for making ice cream at home is seasonal and contains a lot of liquid. To avoid that the fruit liquid compromises the consistency of your ice cream, blend your fruit by reducing it to puree and add it to the mixture at the end, after having filtered it. Also, remember that fruit will make your ice cream extremely sweet, so you must necessarily reduce the amount of condensed milk; otherwise, your ice cream will be excessively sugary.

How Long Does This No-Churn 3-Ingredient Ice Cream Last in the Freezer?

Months, but only if you resist and don’t devour it all. Remember always to keep the container tightly closed to avoid contamination.

Can You Use This Recipe to Make Lactose Free Ice Cream Without a Machine?

Yes, you need to use a lactose-free cream and lactose-free condensed milk. The result does not change, but be careful to use only fresh lactose-free cream; otherwise, the ice cream’s flavor will be completely different.

Can You Use This Recipe to Make Refined Free Ice Cream at Home?

Yes, use stevia or another natural sweetener to make your condensed milk, and if you use distinctive flavors or toppings, make sure that they are sugar-free.

Useful Accessories For Your Homemade Ice Cream Without Ice Cream Maker

Even if you don’t need the ice cream maker to make this ice cream, some accessories and products can contribute to the ice cream’s success.

• Vanilla extract: for an adequately made vanilla ice cream, it is good to use a pure and excellent quality vanilla extract. Vanilla powder is forbidden because it’s too strong, and it gives a strange taste and texture to your ice cream. Neither is vanilla syrup, that is way too sweet. We recommend this vanilla extract from Nielsen Massey for your ice cream because of its flavor and texture.
• Isothermal ice cream cube: the perfect solution for storing ice cream even for months, preventing it from absorbing the odors of the freezer and freezing on the surface. This cube from Tovolo is perfect for home use.
• Cone-shaped molds: with the cone-shaped shapes, you can serve your ice cream on the stick, for an astonishing effect. For example, you could decorate them with chopped hazelnuts or dark chocolate or even colored sprinkles. These by Silikomart are essential and excellent for the creamy consistency of this ice cream without ice cream maker.
• Non-stick ice cream spoon: a classic spoon indeed is enough to get a scoop of ice cream, but having one that allows you to pull up the ice cream even when it is not yet wholly softened is salvation. This spoon from Spring Chef is inexpensive and works great.

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