3-Ingredient No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Real, creamy, scoopable homemade vanilla ice cream made with just three ingredients. No machine, no gadgets, no fuss. Ten minutes of work, a few hours in the freezer, and you're done.
Servings: 8
Calories: 364kcal
Cost: $3–$4
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- 9x5 loaf pan or freezer-safe container with lid
- rubber spatula
- mixing bowl chilled
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chill mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting.
- Pour cold heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for 3–5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
- Stir vanilla extract into the sweetened condensed milk until combined. Pour the entire mixture over the whipped cream.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until fully combined and no streaks remain. Do not stir. Folding protects the air you whipped in.
- Pour into a 9x5 loaf pan or freezer-safe container. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream (this prevents ice crystals from forming). Cover with a lid or additional plastic wrap.
- Freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight for best results.
- Before serving, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes. Scoop and serve.
Notes
Don't skip the chill step. A cold bowl and cold beaters whip cream faster and to a higher volume. It's worth the 10 minutes.
Watch for stiff peaks. Then stop. Overwhipping turns cream into butter. The moment peaks hold their shape when you lift the beaters, you're done.
Sweetened condensed milk ≠ evaporated milk. They look nearly identical on the shelf. Sweetened condensed milk is thick and sweet. Evaporated milk is thin and unsweetened. Double-check the label before you pour.
Real vanilla matters here. With only three ingredients, each one pulls more weight. Pure vanilla extract makes a noticeable difference in flavor.
For clean scoops:Dip your ice cream scoop in hot water between servings.
Storage: Keep covered in the back of the freezer for up to 2 weeks. After that, ice crystals may begin to form on the surface.
Flavor Variations: This base recipe is endlessly flexible. See the full article for 10 flavor ideas including Salted Caramel, Mint Chocolate Chip, Coffee, Cookies & Cream, and more.
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 242mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 0.2mg
