Growing up in Montana, some of my best memories are eating homemade ice cream made with an old-fashioned churn. With plenty of rock salt and ice on hand, churning the cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla took some work but the end result was heavenly. Creamy and rich, a bowl of freshly churned vanilla ice cream was worth the wait on a warm big-sky evening.
Although there is nothing like the taste of homemade ice cream made from a hand-cranked churn, finding time to make it the old-fashioned way isn’t always feasible. Not only do you need some extra time, you also need to own a churn. For those of you who don’t have the time or the churn, a no-churn ice cream recipe might be just what you need. Not only is it easy and quick, no-churn ice cream can be made quickly and on the cheap.
The Strawberries ‘n Cream No-Churn Ice Cream recipe below can be made in less than 20 minutes and only requires several hours of freezing time before scooping it into serving bowls. Based on a no-churn vanilla ice cream recipe originally published in Cook’s Country magazine, the recipe below has been altered and taste-tested by husband and kids.
Seasonal fruit creates a no-churn summer ice cream that is tasty and fresh. Although the recipe below calls for strawberries, other seasonal fruit like peaches or cherries can also be substituted for the strawberries. You can even divide the basic no-churn ice cream recipe below between two half-gallon containers and fill up the extra space by stirring in additional sliced fruit for a lower calorie ice cream.
For those times when you need a chocolate fix, you can just as easily substitute pieces of your favorite candy bar for the fruit. In fact, when it comes to adding chocolate, there are endless ways for creating your favorite chocolate ice cream concoction. Caramel and fudge syrup can be folded in for additional creamy texture and premium milk or dark chocolate candy bars can be melted and substituted for the white chocolate chips called for in the recipe.
Another no-churn ice cream treat that is sure to satisfy is the recipe below for No-Churn Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream Cake. Creamy and delicious, this cake is packed with chocolate flavor. A solid chocolate crust provides the foundation for a thick layer of peanut butter and a half-gallon of no-churn chocolate Oreo ice cream. Once frozen solid, slices of this rich dessert are garnished with whipped cream and warm chocolate fudge.
Compared to store-bought ice cream cakes of the same size and costing well over $20, the recipe for the ice cream cake below can be made for just under $8. Not only is this a cost-effective way for creating an ice cream cake from scratch, it is even easier than other recipes that require you to soften store-bought ice cream before spreading over a cookie crust. Furthermore, by having just a few ingredients on hand, this recipe doesn’t have to break your budget when you can’t find your favorite ice cream on sale.
So for those hot and humid summer evenings, whip up a quick batch of no-churn ice cream. By keeping the necessary ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry, you won’t have to make a special trip to the store for those times when you hear your kids or grandkids start yelling, “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.”
Strawberries ‘n Cream No-Churn Ice Cream (makes ½ gallon)
1 ½ cups white chocolate chips OR premium white chocolate bars (9 oz.)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
¾ cup sour cream
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 ½ cups organic heavy whipping cream
3 cups sliced strawberries
1) In small saucepan, melt white chocolate chips over lowest heat. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, sour cream, and sweetened condensed milk. Cool to room temperature.
2) Beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in cooled white chocolate mixture and strawberries. Using spatula, scoop mixture into a half-gallon plastic container with a fitted cover.
3) Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. Serve with additional fresh strawberries.
Kitchen Tip: A rectangular half-gallon Snapware container is the perfect size and shape for storing the no-churn ice cream made from the recipe above.
No-Churn Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream Cake (makes 12 servings)
30 Oreo cookies, crushed and divided
¼ cup butter, melted
6 Hershey Bars (9.3 oz.)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
¾ cup sour cream
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ cups crunchy or creamy peanut butter
2 ½ cups organic heavy whipping cream
1) In small bowl, mix HALF of the crushed Oreos and melted butter. Press firmly onto bottom of 9 in. x 3 in. Springform pan using a potato masher. Freeze until firm (about 20 minutes)
2) Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt Hershey Bars over lowest heat. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, sour cream, and sweetened condensed milk. Cool to room temperature.
3) Spread peanut butter over Oreo crust. Freeze for at least 10 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture and remaining crushed Oreos. Using spatula, scoop mixture over peanut butter layer in Springform pan. Smooth top with spatula. Cover with foil.
5) Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. Garnish slices with whipped cream and warm chocolate fudge.
