No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream uses just a few ingredients for a super vanilla-y, creamy, and rich ice cream. This recipe also includes a secret ingredient that makes it resemble a vanilla frozen custard! No ice cream maker required!

Homemade Ice Cream

Did you ever make homemade vanilla ice cream as a child? I remember making it with my softball team, it literally took an entire team to make it. We each took turns cranking away on the handle of this old fashioned ice cream barrel.

Since the base for no-churn ice cream is just whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk, most people making vanilla flavor ice cream just add vanilla extract to the mix.

In my opinion, this leaves the flavor lacking a bit which is why I add an additional ingredient that truly makes this recipe tastes like the rich and creamy, golden vanilla ice cream we all love!

This No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream recipe is the perfect stand-alone dessert or sweet side to cakes, pies, and more! Serve it with Berry Pie, Chocolate Cake, or use it in Root Beer Floats!

Ingredients For No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

Traditionally, ice cream is made with milk and sugar and can take upwards of three days to make. But this no-churn ice cream skips the lengthy preparation process an opts for heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and the KEY Secret ingredient: Instant vanilla pudding mix!

The pudding mix is essential as it helps add tons of flavor AND it prevents it from melting super fast which is a common issue with no-churn ice cream.

The pudding mix actually makes this ice cream taste more like a frozen custard because it makes it creamy and dense. But without eggs, this recipe still falls in line with ice cream or somewhere between the two anyway.

How To Make No Churn Ice Cream With Condensed Milk

1. Add the heavy cream and vanilla pudding mix to a chilled metal bowl.
2. Immediately whip cream mixture until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the vanilla extract.
4. Add the sweetened condensed milk.
5. Fold everything together with a rubber spatula.
6. Transfer the condensed milk mixture to a loaf pan or ice cream tub and place in the freezer for at least 8 hours before consuming.

Ice Cream Mix-In Ideas

If you’re not feeling like vanilla, add in some extra ingredients to create fun flavors from your base recipe. Just make sure to fold everything in before freezing!

Cookies & Cream: Fold in crushed Oreos.
S’mores: Fold in crushed graham crackers, chopped chocolate, and marshmallow fluff.
Peanut Butter Pie: Fold in crushed graham crackers, creamy peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and peanut butter cups.
Strawberry Cheesecake: Fold in chopped strawberries, whipped cream cheese, and crushed graham crackers.
Cookie Dough: Make a batch of Edible Cookie Dough and roll it into little balls and fold them in.
Bourbon: Add a few tablespoons of bourbon to the mix for a boozy twist!

How To Store Ice Cream

Ice cream should be sealed once it’s made to prevent freezer burn. When making this in a bread loaf pan, this can be tricky if you’re not consuming it right away.

While metal pans serve ice cream well because they freeze it quicker, if you’re not crunched for time, I recommend investing in a reusable ice cream tub. You could even get mini ice cream containers so everyone in the family can customize their mix-ins!

More Desserts To Cool Down With

• No Bake Cheesecake with Cool Whip – Best enjoyed with fresh berries!
• Coffee Milkshake – A sweet combination of coffee and ice cream!
• No Bake Banana Split Cake – Great for large crowds!
• Peanut Butter Milkshake (Freak Shake) – An over-the-top dessert!

This post was originally published in June 2014 and was updated in July 2019.