This no churn vanilla ice cream recipe is rich, creamy, and made with just 4 ingredients, no ice cream maker needed. Grab a spoon and let's make it!
Updated July 28, 2026: I've refreshed this post with new tips, expanded FAQs, and helpful make-ahead instructions based on your questions and feedback. Same delicious recipe, even more helpful! Originally posted on July 15, 2022.
Growing up in northwest Florida, summer meant ice cream, but not everybody had one of those crank machines sitting on the porch. My family figured out a long time ago that you don't need special equipment to put homemade ice cream on the table, and this no churn vanilla ice cream is proof. Every time I make a batch, it takes me right back to hot afternoons and cold spoons.
I've been sharing tested, family-approved comfort food recipes since 2013, and this vanilla base is one I've made more times than I can count. It's the starting point for my No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and so many other frozen treats in my kitchen, so I've learned exactly what makes it turn out creamy instead of icy.
If you've been wanting homemade ice cream without buying another appliance, this is the recipe for you. Let's get started!
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Why You'll Love This No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
- No ice cream maker needed - A mixer and a freezer are all it takes to make rich, scoopable ice cream at home.
- Just 4 simple ingredients - Whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and a vanilla bean. That's the whole list.
- Rich, real vanilla flavor - Pure vanilla extract plus real vanilla bean seeds give you those pretty specks and deep flavor you can't get from the store-bought carton.
- The perfect base recipe - Enjoy it plain, pile it on warm cobbler, or stir in your favorite mix-ins to create any flavor you're craving.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's everything you'll need to make this recipe.
- Whipping Cream - Heavy whipping cream is the backbone of this recipe. Whipping it to stiff peaks traps air in the mixture, which is what keeps the ice cream soft and scoopable without a machine churning it. Look for heavy whipping cream with the highest fat content you can find, more fat means a creamier scoop.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - This provides the sweetness and the rich, dense creaminess, and its sugar content also keeps the ice cream from freezing rock hard. Double-check the label: you want sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. The cans look nearly identical on the shelf, but evaporated milk will not work here.
- Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. With so few ingredients, the vanilla is doing the heavy lifting, and you'll taste the difference.
- Vanilla Bean - Scraping in the seeds from one vanilla bean pod adds an extra layer of flavor and those beautiful black specks. If you can't find one, it's okay to leave it out, the extract still carries the recipe.
👉🏾 See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
How to Make No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Here's a quick overview of the process. Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Whip the Cream to Stiff Peaks
Start with cold whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form. This step is where all the texture comes from, so don't rush it. When you lift the beater, the cream should stand straight up without flopping over. Under-whipped cream is the number one cause of dense, icy no churn ice cream.
Step 2: Add the Sweetened Condensed Milk
Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and mix on low speed just until the mixture thickens and comes together. Low speed matters here, you want to preserve all that air you just whipped in. Some recipes have you fold the condensed milk in by hand, but I've found mixing gently on low works just fine and keeps this a true one-bowl recipe.
Step 3: Flavor with Vanilla
Add the vanilla extract and the scraped vanilla bean seeds, and mix until everything is evenly combined. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl once so the vanilla doesn't hide in one pocket. You want those specks distributed through every scoop.
Step 4: Freeze Until Scoopable
Transfer the mixture to an airtight, freezer-safe container (a metal loaf pan works beautifully) and freeze for at least 6 hours, or until firm enough to scoop. Resist the urge to check on it early, opening the freezer lets warm air in and slows things down.
LaKita's Expert Tips
Here are my best tips for making this recipe turn out perfectly every time.
- Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before you start. Cold equipment helps the cream whip faster and hold more air.
- Use a metal loaf pan if you have one. Metal conducts cold better than glass or plastic, so the ice cream freezes faster with fewer ice crystals.
- Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the ice cream before covering the container. This blocks air contact and prevents freezer burn.
- If you're adding mix-ins, stir them in gently after the base is fully mixed so you don't deflate the whipped cream.
- Homemade no churn ice cream melts faster than store-bought because it doesn't have stabilizers, so scoop and serve right away, especially on a hot Florida afternoon.
- For clean, pretty scoops, dip your ice cream scoop in warm water between servings.
Variations & Substitutions
This recipe is flexible, here are some easy ways to make it your own.
- Cookies and cream - Fold in a cup of crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, or go straight to my full Cookies and Cream Ice Cream recipe.
- Mint chocolate chip - Swap the vanilla for peppermint extract and add mini chocolate chips, or follow my No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream for the tested version.
- Fruit swirl - Ripple in a few spoonfuls of strawberry or peach preserves just before freezing for a pretty marbled effect.
- Chocolate chip - Stir in mini chocolate chips or shaved chocolate. Mini chips stay softer in the freezer than full-size ones.
- Salted caramel - Drizzle caramel sauce over the mixture in the pan and swirl it through with a knife, then finish with a light sprinkle of flaky salt.
- Milkshake base - Blend a few scoops with milk for the easiest homemade shake, it's how I start my Creamy Peanut Butter Shake.
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Make-Ahead & Storage
Make-Ahead
This is naturally a make-ahead dessert since it needs at least 6 hours in the freezer, so I like to mix it up the night before I need it. You can prepare the full recipe up to a couple of days ahead of a cookout or party. Just keep it tightly covered in the freezer until serving time.
Storage & Reheating
Store the vanilla ice cream in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer, with plastic wrap pressed against the surface to keep ice crystals away. It tastes and scoops best within the first 5 days, while the texture is at its creamiest. There's no reheating here, of course. Just let the container sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 minutes before scooping so your spoon glides right through.
What to Serve with No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this dish.
- On warm cobbler - A scoop melting over my Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe with Canned Peaches is about as Southern as summer dessert gets.
- With blackberry cobbler - Try it with my Southern Blackberry Cobbler for that sweet-tart combination.
- Over a warm brownie - My Mug Brownie Recipe plus one scoop is a five-minute dessert for one.
- Classic cones or sundaes - Set out cones, sprinkles, chocolate sauce, and cherries and let the kids build their own.
- Alongside pound cake - A slice of pound cake with a scoop on the side makes a simple dessert feel special.
Frequently Asked Questions
An ice cream maker churns air into the base as it freezes, which keeps it soft and scoopable. In this recipe, the whipped cream does that job. Whipping to stiff peaks traps the air first, and the sugar in the sweetened condensed milk keeps the mixture from freezing solid. Between the two, you get creamy, scoopable ice cream with no machine at all.
Yes, and it works beautifully. Heavy cream has a slightly higher fat content than regular whipping cream, so it whips up a little sturdier and makes an even richer scoop. Either one will give you great results, just make sure whatever you use is cold straight from the fridge.
No, this is the one substitution that will ruin the recipe. Evaporated milk has no added sugar, so the ice cream won't be sweet and it will freeze into a solid, icy block. The cans look very similar at the store, so read the label carefully before it goes in your cart.
The most common cause is under-whipped cream. If the cream doesn't reach stiff peaks, there isn't enough air in the mixture to keep it soft. Icy texture can also come from air exposure in the freezer, which is why I press plastic wrap directly on the surface before covering. A metal pan also helps by freezing the mixture faster, which means smaller ice crystals.
It's at its very best within the first 5 days, when the texture is creamiest. After that it's still safe to eat, but homemade ice cream doesn't have the stabilizers store-bought does, so the texture slowly gets icier the longer it sits. Keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap pressed on the surface to stretch that creamy window as long as possible.
Some recipes call for folding, but I mix mine on low speed right in the same bowl and it turns out creamy every time. The key is keeping the speed low so you don't knock the air out of the whipped cream. One bowl, one mixer, less cleanup, that's a win in my kitchen.
Absolutely, that's one of the best things about this base. Gently stir in up to about a cup of mix-ins after everything is combined, right before the mixture goes into the freezer. Mini chocolate chips, crushed cookies, chopped nuts, and fruit preserves all work wonderfully.
Yes, this recipe doubles easily, just make sure your mixing bowl is large enough for the cream to double in volume as it whips. Freeze the doubled batch in two loaf pans rather than one deep container so it freezes evenly and stays creamy throughout.
A metal loaf pan is my favorite because metal gets cold fast, which helps the ice cream freeze quickly with smaller ice crystals. Any airtight, freezer-safe container works, though. Just press plastic wrap against the surface before you put the lid or cover on.
It's close, but not identical. Traditional homemade ice cream usually starts with a cooked custard base and gets churned in a machine, which makes it a longer project. No churn skips both the cooking and the machine, and the trade-off is that it melts a bit faster since there are no stabilizers, so serve it straight from the freezer.
📖 Recipe
No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- Begin the recipe by using a medium-size mixing bowl on a stand mixer. Add in the 2 cups whipping cream and use a mixer on medium speed to begin whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Pour in the 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk and continue mixing at low speed until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Add in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 vanilla bean. Mix until combined.
- Place the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for 4 to 6 hours. Remove from the freezer to serve in an ice cream cone or bowl. Enjoy!
- Store the ice cream in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 5 days.
Did You Make This Recipe?
There's nothing like pulling a pan of homemade ice cream out of the freezer and watching everybody reach for a spoon. If you give this no churn vanilla ice cream a try, I'd love to know what you think! Leave a comment below, share a photo on Instagram and tag @SimplyLaKita, or save it on Pinterest for later. And if you have any questions, drop them in the comments. I'm always happy to help.
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