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More Sweet Things
No Churn Homemade Vanilla Icecream
Vanilla ice cream doesn’t need to be complicated. I make mine with just cream, condensed milk, and real vanilla, then let the freezer do the work. No fancy equipment, no stress – just smooth, scoopable ice cream with that classic vanilla flavour we all love. It’s perfect on its own, topped with fruit, or crumbled into desserts. Every time I make a batch, I wonder why I ever bothered buying it from the shops.
Ingredients
- 397g tin sweetened condensed milk
- 600ml double cream (or thickened cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla essence)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whip for 3-4 minutes, or until thick and the surface of the cream begins to ripple.
- Transfer the cream to a lidded container, and seal the lid completely.
- Freeze overnight.
Notes
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste = tsp vanilla essence = 1 vanilla bean pod
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 167Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 62mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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No Churn Homemade Vanilla Ice-cream Recipe
Why I Stopped Buying Vanilla Ice Cream
To me, buying vanilla ice cream is like playing flavour roulette. Sometimes you get creamy and rich, and sometimes you get bland, icy disappointment that tastes like regret. And considering the price of a decent tub these days, it’s not a gamble I’m keen to take. That’s why I started making my own homemade no churn vanilla ice cream. No machine, no eggs, no fuss. Just three ingredients (four if you count salt, which I absolutely do), five minutes of effort, and a few hours in the freezer.
I first came across the idea from Nigella – probably her show rather than the book, although Nigella Christmas is still one of my favourites. I remember watching and thinking, hang on, you can make proper ice cream without churning or fancy gear? Game-changer. So naturally, when I got a new stand mixer, this was one of the first things I tried. And since then, I’ve made version after version – chai, chocolate, mixed berry – you name it, I did it. But vanilla is the one I always come back to. It’s rich but not cloying, smooth without being too soft, and has that proper scoopable texture that doesn’t turn into a puddle the second it leaves the freezer.
And look, I’ve tried a fair few no-churn recipes over the years and a lot of them are way too soft or end up icy. This one is silky and scoopable with just the right firmness. It’s cheap, easy, and honestly? Once you make it, you won’t bother with the store-bought stuff again.
My Husband and the Ice Cream War
So, I’m the type who eats ice cream a spoon at a time. I like to take my time, maybe sneak a bite after dinner or while the kettle’s boiling. A little indulgence here and there. My husband, though? He sees a container of homemade ice cream and treats it like a personal challenge. He’ll sit down, polish it off like it’s a race, and act like it’s completely normal behaviour. And then he has the nerve to look surprised when I’m annoyed. Like he genuinely doesn’t understand why it’s rude to eat an entire container of ice cream someone else made without even asking.
It’s honestly infuriating. I’ll be thinking about that one perfect scoop all day – just a small one, nothing greedy – and by the time I open the freezer, the container’s either in the bin or, worse, shoved back on the shelf completely empty. Who does that? Who puts an empty container back? He does. Every single time.
He doesn’t even wash the dishes. Not after eating it, not after dinner, not ever. The bins get taken out once in a blue moon and somehow that’s meant to earn him a trophy? Meanwhile I’m stuck blending, whipping, freezing, and then cleaning it all up like some unpaid maid while he lounges about licking the spoon whilst playing games. If resentment could be churned, he’d be full of it.
Ingredients Breakdown
This ice cream only needs a few ingredients, and if you bake even semi-regularly, you’ve probably got them already. Sweetened condensed milk (you’ll find it in the baking aisle), thickened or double cream and vanilla. I use vanilla bean paste because I love the richness and those lovely little flecks, but vanilla essence or even a scraped pod will do the job just fine.
The real trick? A pinch of salt. And no, that’s not optional. It’s not just to be clever – salt balances out the sweetness and deepens the flavour so you don’t end up with something that tastes flat or overly sugary. You won’t taste the salt itself, but you’ll notice the difference. I swear by it.
And if you want to get fancy, you absolutely can. Once you’ve whipped it all up, you can fold through frozen berries, swirl in caramel, or scatter in some chopped chocolate. It’s a perfect base for creativity. But even on its own, as pure vanilla – this is the good stuff. No machine needed, no faff, and it tastes like you know what you’re doing.
