Making this Vanilla Ice Cream recipe without an ice cream maker is a delightful summer adventure that’ll tickle your taste buds and bring smiles to faces! This is a fun-filled journey making homemade vanilla ice cream without an ice cream maker. Gather your little ones, put on your aprons, and let’s dive into the world of frozen treats!
Making ice cream from scratch is not only a delicious endeavor but also an exciting activity that engages kids of all ages. This creamy vanilla ice cream that perfectly complements a slice of homemade blueberry pie!
Memories & Giggles
The satisfaction of indulging in a treat that you created together is truly priceless. Let the flavors of summer dance on your tongues, filling the air with giggles and delight. This homemade vanilla ice cream is not just a dessert; it’s the joy of creating memories with your loved ones!
So, learn, laugh, and lick our way to homemade ice cream bliss… Get ready to savor every spoonful of sweet rewards. The memories you’ll make today will forever be etched in their hearts and taste buds. Let the fun begin!
How to Make Vanilla Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker
Gather your ingredients, while the anticipation builds… You’ll combine heavy cream, with whole milk, and a touch of sweetness from granulated sugar. The vanilla extract and, if we’re feeling extra fancy, a split vanilla bean pod infuse this ice cream with the heavenly aroma and flavor of vanilla.
We’ll use a simple freezer bag technique… Prepare yourselves for a bit of shaking, swirling, and lots of laughter as we turn our mixture into a luscious vanilla ice cream!
The excitement on your kids faces is so fun to watch with this magical transformation of liquid into a frozen delight. As we shake that bag of potential, the mixture thickens and freezes into a creamy vanilla ice cream masterpiece! The ice and salt surrounding the bag create the perfect environment for our ice cream to come to life.
Finally, you’ll transfer our perfect Vanilla Ice ream into a lidded container and let it chill in the freezer until it reaches the ideal scoopable consistency. And voilà! The moment of truth arrives as we crown our blueberry pie with a generous scoop of our handmade vanilla ice cream.
I hope you enjoy this handmade vanilla ice cream recipe as much we do. It’s a labor of love & reward!
Key Ingredients
2 cups Heavy Cream: This is the rockstar, the MVP! Heavy cream has a high fat content, and that fat is what gives your ice cream that super smooth, rich, and creamy texture we all crave. Without it, you’d end up with something closer to an icy milk situation, and nobody wants that!
1 cup Whole Milk: Think of whole milk as heavy cream’s trusty sidekick. It adds moisture and helps to balance out the richness of the cream, making the ice cream perfectly scoopable without being too heavy. The fat in whole milk also contributes to a smoother final product.
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar: Sweetness is a must for ice cream, obviously! But sugar does more than just make things taste good. It also helps to lower the freezing point of the mixture, which is crucial for getting that classic ice cream consistency instead of a solid block of ice.
4 Large Egg Yolks: Here’s where things get a little fancy! Egg yolks are packed with fat and lecithin, which act as natural emulsifiers. This means they help to bind the fat and liquid together, creating an even smoother and richer texture. Plus, they add a lovely subtle flavor that screams “homemade goodness.”
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract & 1 Vanilla Bean Pod, split lengthwise (optional): Vanilla is the heart and soul of vanilla ice cream! The extract gives you that classic vanilla punch, while the bean pod takes things to another level. Scraping those tiny black seeds into your mixture not only intensifies the vanilla flavor but also adds those beautiful little flecks that tell everyone this is the real deal.
Pinch of Salt: Just a tiny bit of salt might seem weird in ice cream, but trust me on this! It actually enhances all the other flavors, making the sweetness taste even sweeter and the vanilla even more fragrant. It’s like a secret flavor booster.
Ice Cubes & 1/2 cup Salt (rock salt or kosher salt): Okay, these aren’t in the ice cream, but they’re absolutely key to making it happen without a machine! The ice creates the cold environment needed to freeze the mixture, and the salt lowers the freezing point of the ice bath, making it even colder and speeding up the freezing process. It’s science in action, and it’s what makes this no-churn method work like a charm!
My Top Tips & Tricks for No-Churn Magic
- Low and Slow is the Way to Go (for the Custard): When you’re heating up the cream and milk, and especially when you add the egg yolks back in, keep that heat low! We’re aiming for a nice, thick custard, not scrambled eggs. Patience is your friend here. Stir constantly – like, really constantly – to make sure nothing sticks or cooks too quickly.
- Vanilla Bean Power-Up (If You’ve Got One): If you’re using a vanilla bean, don’t just toss in the pod after scraping the seeds! Let it hang out in the warm cream mixture while it steams. This helps to infuse even more of that amazing vanilla flavor. Just remember to fish it out before you temper the eggs.
- Taming Those Eggs (Tempering is Key!): Don’t skip the step of slowly whisking some of the warm cream into the egg yolks. This little dance is crucial for gently bringing the eggs up to temperature without cooking them. If you rush this, you might end up with eggy bits in your ice cream, and nobody wants that surprise!
Coat the Spoon Test (Your Custard is Ready!): How do you know when your custard is thick enough? The magic words are “coats the back of a spoon.” Dip your spoon into the mixture, and if it leaves a nice, even coating that doesn’t immediately run off, you’re golden!
Strain for Super Smoothness: Trust me on this one – straining the custard through a fine-mesh sieve is a game-changer. It catches any stray bits of cooked egg or vanilla bean pod, giving you that ultra-smooth, luxurious texture.
Chill Out (Patience is a Virtue, Again!): Don’t even think about trying to freeze your ice cream base if it’s not completely chilled. A good few hours in the fridge, or even better, overnight, will make the freezing process much more efficient and result in a smoother final product.
Bag It Right (Minimize Air, Maximize Smoothness): When you pour the chilled mixture into the plastic bag, try to squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing it. Less air means less chance of ice crystals forming and a smoother, creamier texture.
Salty Ice Bath Magic: That ice and salt mixture is the secret weapon for no-churn ice cream. The salt lowers the freezing point of the ice, making it super cold and allowing your ice cream to freeze faster and more evenly. Make sure the ice level is higher than the liquid in the bag for the best results.
Massage Your Way to Creaminess: Don’t just let the bag sit in the ice bath! Gently massaging and moving the bag around helps to break up ice crystals as they form, giving you a smoother, more scoopable ice cream. It’s a little bit of arm work, but totally worth it!
The Final Freeze (Don’t Rush the Finish Line): Once your ice cream has thickened in the ice bath, it’ll still be a bit soft. Transferring it to a lidded container and giving it a few more hours in the freezer will allow it to firm up to that perfect, scoopable consistency.
Serving Suggestion (Because Why Not?): And you’re right, there’s nothing quite like a scoop of homemade vanilla on a warm slice of pie! Don’t be afraid to get creative with your toppings too – fresh berries, chocolate sauce, chopped nuts… the possibilities are endless!
Scoop a generous portion of the homemade vanilla ice cream onto a slice of Cherry, or blueberry pie and savor the flavors.
Let me know what YOU think!
If you make this homemade ice cream… Please leave a review on the recipe card or in the comments below! Thank YOU!
Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe without an Ice Cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean pod split lengthwise, and scooped (optional)
- Pinch salt
- 6 cups Ice cubes
- 1/2 cup salt rock salt or kosher salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and half of the granulated sugar. If you have a vanilla bean pod, I scrape the seeds from the pod and add them to the saucepan along with the pod itself. I place the saucepan over medium heat and let the mixture heat until it starts to steam, making sure not to let it boil.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining granulated sugar until they are well combined.
- Next, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the heated cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. This step is important as it helps to temper the eggs and bring them to a warmer temperature.
- Once the egg mixture is warmed, pour it back into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture, whisking constantly to ensure it is well incorporated.
- Now, return the saucepan to the stove over low heat and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes. I need to be careful not to let it boil.
- Once the mixture has thickened, (and coats the back of a spoon) remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, stirring well to combine all the flavors.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight to make it is thoroughly chilled.
- Once the mixture is chilled, Pour it into a large resealable plastic bag. Before sealing the bag, press out any excess air to prevent freezer burn and get a smoother texture.
- In a large bowl or basin, fill it halfway with ice cubes and then add the salt. The salt helps to lower the freezing point of the ice and create a freezing environment for the ice cream.
- Carefully place the sealed bag of ice cream mixture into the bowl with the ice and salt. Make sure the ice level is higher than the liquid level in the bag.
- Use your hands to gently move and massage the bag for about 10-15 minutes. This helps the mixture to thicken and become the desired ice cream consistency. The ice and salt mixture surrounding the bag create a freezing environment.
- Once it's thick, remove the bag from the ice. Wipe off any salt residue from the bag and carefully open it.
- Transfer the soft ice cream into a freezer safe lidded container. Cover it tightly and place it in the freezer for an another 2- to 4 hours… Just until it’s cold enough to become firm.
- Scoop a generous portion of the homemade vanilla ice cream onto a slice of Cherry, or blueberry pie and savor the flavors.
Nutrition
About Juliea
Juliea Huffaker is the creator of Farmhouse Harvest, and dedicated to teaching from-scratch cooking, sourdough baking, gardening, and food preservation. With over 25 years of hands-on experience she has preserved hundreds of jars of produce, mastered the art of meats and sourdough baking, and nurtured a thriving organic garden. Her recipes and articles have been featured across the web. And she’s passionate about inspiring others to embrace a simpler, self-sufficient life style.
8 comments
Dusty
Love homemade ice cream! I must try your recipe!
Anja
Such a great recipe for anyone who doesn’t have an electric ice cream maker! Yay!
Renee Schiepers
I think the kids will love to try making this ice cream! Thank you for sharing!
juliea
Hi Renee! Yea… They will have so much fun, and enjoy the reward of their labor!
Nicole M
Omg this is bringing back memories of making ice cream in bags as a kid! I totally forgot you could do this. I’m so excited to try! Thanks for sharing!
juliea
Hi Nichole! We made this as a kid too for family reunions! I posted this for the 4th of July… My kids will love doing it this year too!
Kimberley
This sounds so fun. I’d love to try it, let alone the kids! Thank you for sharing! X
juliea
Hi Kimberly! Thank you.. It’s pretty fun… and yummy too! Hope ya’ll have fun with it!