By Published Aug. 22, 2023.
This is Technique #71 from our 100 Techniques Every Home Cook Can Master.
Each technique is broken into three sections: why it works, key steps, and recipes that use it. Learn these recipe building blocks and you'll be set up for a lifetime of cooking success.
An electric ice cream maker makes it easy to whip up delectable, customizable ice cream at home.
But plenty of us don’t own one. Does that mean we’re out of luck?
We thought so—until we found an heirloom recipe for no-churn ice cream (tucked in a recipe box belonging to an editor’s grandmother) that doesn’t require anything but a blender.
An ice cream maker works by churning a base mixture (usually milk, cream, sugar, and egg yolks) as it freezes, both to keep the ice crystals small as they form and to incorporate air, so that instead of a solid block of icy frozen milk, you end up with velvety, scoopable ice cream.
Prior to churning the mixture, you cook the custard on the stovetop to bring the eggs to a safe temperature and thick texture.
This recipe called for whipping heavy cream in a blender to stiff peaks and then blending in sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, corn syrup, and sugar—about a minute of work. No ice cream machine, no churning, and no eggs. You just pop the blended mixture in the freezer and wait.
(This egg-free ice cream is known as American-style, or Philadelphia-style, as opposed to the French-style that’s made with eggs.)
The whipped cream—or specifically, the air trapped within it—stands in for the air normally incorporated by an ice cream maker. The blender creates the perfect level of fluffy texture. When we tried a stand mixer to whip the cream instead, we introduced too much air and ended up with a texture similar to that of frozen whipped topping.
Corn syrup adds sweetness and also body, since it’s thicker than sugar; it also contributes to the smooth texture. Using sweetened condensed milk in place of some of the cream maintains the ice cream's velvety texture in the freezer. We were able to replace evaporated milk in the heirloom recipe with whole milk with no ill effects.
A generous amount of vanilla extract and a bit of salt (to enhance flavor) produces an intensely flavored classic vanilla ice cream with a perfectly creamy texture. And the cherry on top is that our basic formula is extremely adaptable for any number of flavor add-ins.
You definitely don’t need any fancy gadgets to get smooth, velvety ice cream. Simply pull out your blender to whip cream to light, fluffy peaks and add your other ingredients and flavorings—the options are limitless!
Watch the video below, and follow our simple step-by-step guide to make perfect ice cream at home.
Process chilled heavy cream in blender until soft peaks form.
Scrape down sides of blender jar and continue to process until stiff peaks form.
Stir in condensed milk, whole milk, corn syrup, sugar, salt, and flavorings. Process until thoroughly combined, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.
Pour mixture into loaf pan or square baking pan. Stir or swirl in any mix-ins, such as chopped cookies or candy, caramel sauce, jam, etc., if using. Press plastic wrap flush against surface of cream mixture. Freeze until firm before scooping.
Give a few of our no-churn ice cream recipes below a go and find out just how good it can be.
Ready to learn another technique? Choose from our list of 100 Techniques Every Home Cook Can Master.
