Best No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

We love ice cream and no churn wins hands down every time. This no churn no condensed milk recipe produces the best vanilla ice cream I have ever made. It has the flavour and texture of premium store bought ice cream, and lasts for over a month in the freezer.

Best vanilla no churn ice cream

We love making ice cream and this is the lightest and loveliest homemade ice cream, free of fuss and with no cooking or churning. A custard based no churn ice cream without condensed milk, it has the wonderful texture of premium store ice cream without the price tag.

Most people make no churn ice cream using condensed milk. This makes a delicious, if rather dense, ice cream, and I often make it that way. This lighter, custard-based version is my new favourite method, however, and I make a batch most weeks. If you want to make no churn ice cream without condensed milk you need this recipe!

The great thing about this no-churn method is that you get a superior texture to that of condensed milk ice cream without the need to cook your custard. Perfect homemade ice cream really is much easier than you think. There’s no ice cream maker, no pre-freezing. All you need is a basic electric whisk.

Once you have mastered this technique, it can be flavoured any way you like. With ice cream, your imagination really is the limit!

So let me show you how to make no churn vanilla ice cream at home with a recipe that will easily rival any premium brand at the store.

Which type no churn ice cream should I make?

Both methods produce delicious ice cream with very little effort, but I think this version with an egg and without condensed milk wins hands down.

I prefer the no cook custard method without condensed milk because I love the lighter texture. It lasts longer, and isn’t quite as sweet as the condensed milk version. There is one more bowl to wash up with the custard method, but it doesn’t make a lot of difference.

The one factor that may make a difference is if you want to avoid raw eggs. I do use these in my custard no churn ice cream and if you need to avoid these, you should make the condensed milk version instead.

Eating raw eggs

In the UK, look for the lion mark, which indicates that your eggs meet government safety standards. NHS advice states that ‘infants, children, pregnant women and elderly people can now safely eat raw or lightly cooked hen eggs, or foods containing them’ as long as the eggs have this mark.

The change in government advice in recent years is down to improvements in safety standards. It can come as a surprise to those who remember the salmonella scandal of the 1980s and haven’t thought about raw eggs since.

In 2017, however, the advice changed and the eggs that we buy in the supermarket are safe, raw or cooked. If you keep a couple of hens in the back garden, then keep your home laid eggs for cooking.

Outside the UK, check your local safety recommendations. If you are worried, then try my condensed milk ice cream recipes instead.

Why make my best vanilla no churn ice cream recipe?

• This ice cream has just 4 ingredients.
• It is so easy to make: no special equipment (aside from an electric whisk), no pre freezing.
• It is delicious – soft, rich, creamy ice cream that will scoop straight from the freezer.
• Far cheaper than premium store bought ice cream.
• Adaptable – once you have learnt this basic technique, you can make absolutely any flavour of ice cream.
• Scalable – you can easily double the recipe.

No churn vanilla ice cream ingredients

• Double Cream – just regular double cream. You don’t need to splash out on extra thick or a premium cream here. Single cream doesn’t work, and I have not tested with alternative creams. Cream substitutes will work, but I find that they really do not have the texture and taste.

• Egg – One regular / large egg. Not a small one, and preferably free range.

• Sugar – I prefer golden caster, but white caster would work too. You can use granulated, but this will mean more whisking, because it takes longer to dissolve.

• Vanilla Extract / Paste – I like the vanilla bean pastes with the little black flecks of seed, as they have more flavour. It is worth spending more money on a decent brand, because if you buy a cheaper, one you often need twice as much (or more). Avoid false economy!
  
  Vanilla extract contains real vanilla, while vanilla essence is generally synthetic and really does not taste very good. So don’t buy it.

How to make no churn vanilla ice cream without condensed milk – step by step

Step by step instructions, with hints and tips for how to make this perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Crack and separate the egg, and whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Whisk in a teaspoonful of the sugar to stabilise.

Helen’s Top Tip – How to Whisk Egg Whites Successfully

– It is essential that you have no grease, oil or fat in with egg whites or they will not whisk.

– Use a scrupulously clean bowl – choose glass, metal or ceramic, because it is extremely hard to get a plastic bowl clean enough unless it has been through the dishwasher.

– You don’t want any of the egg yolk to mix with the whites, so if you are using more than one egg, don’t break them over the mixing bowl! Separate each egg before you add the white to the bowl with the other whites. Crack each into a small bowl first, one at a time, checking for any stray bits of shell.

– If you break a yolk, set that egg to one side and use it for something else.

– Slightly older eggs whisk better. If using very freshly laid eggs, leave the whites in a bowl for an hour or two before whisking.

Step Two – Whip the cream to firm peaks. This can take a good few minutes.

It must be stiff firm peaks to keep the texture when you add the other ingredients at the next stage, so don’t be impatient. If you over whisk the cream and it goes a bit grainy bring it back by adding a splash of milk.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip

Whisk the egg white first, cream second. If you whisk the egg white first, you can then use the same blades to whisk the cream with no need to wash them first. You can’t do this the other way around!

Step Three – Add the egg yolk, remainder of the sugar and vanilla to the cream. Whisk in. The mixture will become softer but will still hold its shape.

Step Four – Add the egg white. Fold it in as gently as you possibly can, so you don’t knock the air out.

Step Five – Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container and seal with the lid. Freeze for at least six hours.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip

I find a 500 ml plastic takeaway style tray is ideal. It is the perfect size, stacks nicely in the freezer and because it is flat, the ice cream freezes faster. They last for ages and can go through the dishwasher umpteen times. You can buy a big stack of them on Amazon very cheaply.

Serving suggestion

Simple, classic vanilla ice cream is delicious alone or with almost any dessert. Serve with shortbread biscuits, amoretti, or brandy snaps or top it with homemade chocolate sauce, hot fudge sauce or toffee sauce. Enjoy it in a cone with a chocolate flake, with fresh berries, on fruit pies or crumbles … anything goes!

Fior di Latte Ice Cream

Fior di latte is an Italian figure of speech meaning flower of the milk – that is used for dishes made with and to showcase the best dairy.

To make a fior di latte ice cream simply leave the vanilla out. Ideally, upgrade your cream to a golden Jersey or add a good dollop of clotted cream.

Storage

Keeps for a month in the freezer in an airtight container. Scoopable straight from the freezer, this ice cream needs no tempering.

Hints and Tips

• It’s very hard to go wrong with this recipe but you must properly whisk the cream to firm peaks before adding the egg yolks and sugar.

• I use an inexpensive electric hand whisk to make this. You do not need a stand mixer or anything fancy. My electric hand mixer is about 50 years old and works so well. However, when buying one, look at the wattage and get the highest you can (at least 150). I’ve used expensive premium brand ones that simple do not have the power to whip cream and whisk egg white quickly. You do not need to spend more than £15/ $20 on an electric whisk, and can often get one far cheaper.

• This recipe can easily be doubled to make a litre of ice cream (remember to crack and separate each egg separately). It will, however, take longer to whip and whisk. If you want to make more than a litre, then its probably best to do it in batches, or use a stand mixer.

FAQs

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