No-Churn Ice Cream
- Total Time
- 40 minutes, plus 3 hours' freezing
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:1½ pints
- 6large egg yolks
- ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
- ½cup/79 milliliters light corn syrup (or substitute ⅓ cup agave or honey)
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3cups/710 milliliters heavy cream
- 3ounces/85 grams cream cheese, cubed, at room temperature
- ⅓cup/79 milliliters whole milk
- Your flavoring of choice (see note)
Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk together yolks, sugar, corn syrup, and salt until smooth.
- Step 2
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a simmer.
- Step 3
Whisking yolks constantly, slowly pour half the hot cream into the egg mixture. Scrape custard back into saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard is thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon (180 degrees on an instant-read or candy thermometer). Do not let mixture come to a simmer or it could curdle. Remove from heat, whisk in cream cheese, then strain into a heatproof bowl.
- Step 4
Nestle bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water. Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, whip custard until thick and cold, about 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into a loaf pan or a gallon-sized resealable plastic freezer bag. Freeze at least 3 hours or overnight (or up to 1 week).
- Step 5
If you used a pan, fill your sink with hot water and set pan in the water to loosen the ice cream, or cut away the plastic bag from ice cream. Using a big knife, cut chunk of ice cream into 2-inch cubes and put them in a food processor or blender. Pulse cubes with milk until the ice cream is smooth and has the consistency of soft serve. Serve immediately, or return to container and freeze for up to 1 week.
Tips
- Here are 16 ways to flavor your ice cream.
- Vanilla, Coffee or Green Tea: If making vanilla ice cream, slice 2 vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape down the sides. Add seeds and pods; or ½ cup whole coffee beans ground coarsely in a coffee grinder or food processor; or ¼ cup green tea leaves to the cold milk and cream mixture. Let custard steep off the heat for 30 minutes before straining. Freeze.
- Mint or Basil: In a food processor, pulse together 1 cup clean and dry mint or basil leaves with ½ cup granulated sugar until pulverized and bright green. Use herb sugar instead of plain sugar to make the base. Let custard steep off the heat for 30 minutes before straining. Freeze.
- Cinnamon: Break a 4-inch-long cinnamon stick (preferably a fragrant variety like Ceylon or canela) into a food processor. Add ½ cup granulated sugar and pulse until finely ground. Use cinnamon sugar instead of plain sugar to make the base. Let custard steep off the heat for 30 minutes before straining. Freeze.
- Lemon or Lime: In a food processor, pulse together zest of 3 lemons or limes with ½ cup granulated sugar until smooth and brightly colored. Use citrus sugar instead of plain sugar to make the base. Let custard steep off the heat for 30 minutes before straining; freeze. When pulsing cubes; pulse in juice of 1 lemon or lime, and 2 tablespoon milk.
- Strawberry or Raspberry: Make the base with only 2⅓ cups cream. In a blender, purée 1 pound berries, 3 tablespoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Taste; add more sugar and/or lemon if necessary. Purée should be on the sweet side, with some underlying tartness. Strain if using raspberries. Reserve ⅓ cup purée, stir the rest into the base before freezing. When pulsing cubes, use reserved purée instead of milk.
- Peach or Apricot: Pit and dice 1½ pounds peaches or apricots (no need to peel them). In a medium pot of medium heat, gently simmer fruit with ¼ cup sugar until fruit is tender, about 10 minutes. Purée in a food processor or blender. Make the base with only 2 cups cream. Reserve ⅓ cup puree; stir the rest into warm, strained base, along with ½ cup crème fraîche and a few drops almond extract, if desired. When pulsing cubes, use reserved purée instead of milk.
- Cherry: In a medium pot over medium heat, simmer 3 cups pitted cherries (from about 1 pound) with two to three tablespoons sugar (to taste) until cherries are very soft, about 10 minutes. Purée in a food processor or blender. Make the base with 2 cups cream. Reserve ⅓ cup purée; stir the rest into warm, strained base, along with ½ cup crème fraîche and a few drops kirsch, if desired. When pulsing cubes, use reserved purée instead of milk.
- Banana: In a blender, purée 4 very ripe medium bananas, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt until smooth. Make the base with 2 cups cream. Reserve ⅓ cup purée; stir the rest into warm, strained base, along with ½ cup crème fraîche. When pulsing cubes, use reserved purée instead of milk.
- Chocolate: In a small pot, bring ¾ cup cream and 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder to a simmer. Put 1 cup chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour hot cocoa cream over chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Make base using 1 cup cream, ½ cup milk, and ⅔ cup sugar. Stir chocolate mixture, ¾ cup crème fraîche or sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into base. Freeze.
- Chocolate Hazelnut: Make the base with 2½ cups cream, ½ cup milk, and ⅓ cup sugar. Whisk 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into warm, strained base. Freeze.
- Salted Caramel: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt ¾ cup sugar with 3 tablespoons water, swirling pan frequently, until sugar turns mahogany brown in color (almost but not quite black). Continue making base in the same pot, using ⅓ cup sugar. Make sure caramel melts and cream mixture is completely smooth before adding egg yolks. Freeze. After pulsing cubes, stir in ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Maldon).
- Butterscotch Bourbon: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt ½ cup sugar with 3 tablespoons water, swirling pan frequently, until sugar turns reddish brown in color. Continue making base in the same pot, using ⅓ cup sugar. Make sure caramel melts and cream mixture is completely smooth before adding egg yolks. Stir in 1 tablespoon bourbon; freeze.
- Almond: In a medium pot over medium heat, cook ½ cup sliced almonds with 2 tablespoons sugar until deep golden and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate; reserve. In the same pot, toast 1 cup sliced almonds until deep golden, 5 minutes. Proceed with base recipe in the same pot; let the custard steep off the heat for 1 hour before straining (press down hard on the solids). Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to base before freezing. Break reserved nuts into pieces, and after pulsing cubes, fold into base.
- Pistachio or Hazelnut: Make the base using 2 cups cream and 1 cup milk. Whisk 1 cup unsweetened pistachio paste and ¼ teaspoon almond extract into warm, strained base. Freeze.
- Peanut Butter: Make the base using 2 cups cream and 1 cup milk. Whisk 1 cup natural smooth peanut butter and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract into warm, strained base. Freeze.
- Coconut: In a medium pot, toast ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut until deep golden, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; reserve. In the same pot, toast 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut until deep golden, 5 minutes. Proceed with base recipe in the same pot, using 2 cups cream and 1 cup coconut milk or cream. Let custard steep off the heat for 1 hour before straining (press down hard on the solids). After processing cubes, fold in reserved coconut.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Janine
You put the half cream and egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream.
MNL
At what point in the process do you add the ground coffee to the custard? After it is removed from the heat? Do you add it at the start of heating the custard?
Julie
So, if you're not using a food processor or blender, when is that last 1/3 cup of milk stirred in? There's nothing in the video or printed directions that mentions it - I want to share this recipe with a young ice cream loving relative but will wait until I can clarify.
Stacie
Could you please tell me how to make butterscotch ice cream ( vanilla ice cream w butterscotch) I know it’s not as popular but I love it!
Stacie
Ps on the butterscotch ice cream. I want to do it using butterscotch sauce already in a jar
Florence
I tried this recipe for the first time after several attempts at other no-churn recipies. I literally just put it back in after pulsing with milk and already impressed by the silky texture of the base! I mixed on some chocolate chips before putting it back in the freezer and cannot wait to try in a few hours!
diane
Lighten by using 2 c cream & 1 c milk; 3 egg yolks
Julie
So, if you're not using a food processor or blender, when is that last 1/3 cup of milk stirred in? There's nothing in the video or printed directions that mentions it - I want to share this recipe with a young ice cream loving relative but will wait until I can clarify.
Emrie
Oh my goodness. I absolutely destroyed my kitchen trying to make this... This cinnamon is delicious.
MNL
At what point in the process do you add the ground coffee to the custard? After it is removed from the heat? Do you add it at the start of heating the custard?
Lisa Russo
Can you combine this recipe with the method "No Churn Ice Cream"?
lucy
I followed the recipe exactly (and using lavender honey). It is sensational -- ice-cream from a store will taste as if it's made with skim milk after one bite of this concoction.
katarf
"Your flavoring of choice (see note)" Where's the note?
Marsha
When do you add the remaining cream to the mixture? It only talks about adding half of the cream to the egg yolks.
Janine
You put the half cream and egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream.
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