3-Ingredient No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

The easiest homemade vanilla ice cream recipe you’ll ever make. Just three ingredients and no ice cream maker necessary! This no-churn vanilla ice cream recipe is easy to prepare and is quite the crowd-pleaser!

High octane dairy + sugar alert!

I had a heated debate with myself regarding whether or not to post this recipe. I tend to shield you all from the magical ways of heavy duty dairy and refined sugar, but in the end, the recipe won. It’s simply too good not to share.

Kind of like when you go out with your friends, and you’re all, “I’m JUST going to have ONE glass of wine.” and then one turns into two, two turns into three, and all of a sudden you’re all downtown eating a pile of the best chicken wings EVER at 2am purely by your own suggestion.

That’s what this ice cream is like. It sucks you in…makes you naughty. It may be plain vanilla, but you guys: it’s filthy.

Recipe Highlights:

• Only THREE ingredients required: sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract (or vanilla bean)
• Egg-free
• No-Churn (no ice cream maker necessary, but you can use one if you please)
• Prepared in a blender
• Literally takes seconds to make
• The fluffiest, most succulent homemade ice cream
• Your gateway to all the no-churn ice cream flavors

It is the combination of condensed milk and heavy cream that eliminate the need for egg yolks or churning.

Sometimes with homemade ice cream, you get those random little hunks of ice or icy texture…That doesn’t happen with this recipe. It’s basically the best old fashioned vanilla ice cream you can enjoy!

With that said, there isn’t much room for improvisation when it comes to the ingredients you use. If you substitute half & half or go dairy-free, you’ll likely end up with a different (less creamy or soft) result. If you’re okay with that, cool!

How to Make No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream:

Simply add the three ingredients (plus a dash of sea salt) to a blender or food processor and blend just until combined.

Avoid over-blending the mixture, as it could result in a whipped cream-like consistency. This can cause small ice crystals to form in the ice cream while it freezes, giving it an icy texture.

Once you have your ice cream base, you can freeze it immediately in a freezer-safe container. 

If you do own an ice cream maker, chill the ice cream base in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before adding it to your ice cream maker and churning.

Once the ice cream has finished churning, you can serve it immediately for soft serve consistency, or transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 hours.

After the ice cream has sat in the freezer, it will have the same consistency as store-bought ice cream.

Recipe Adaptations:

My primary reason for posting this recipe is it’s basically your gateway to all no-churn ice creams. Simply add your flavors (like peppermint extract, rum or other booze, peanut butter, caramel, cocoa, fresh fruit, etc.), and you can prepare any type of ice cream you desire. One recipe is the gateway to all the fun.

Ice Cream Flavor Ideas:

• If you’re wild and crazy about vanilla bean ice cream, you can replace the vanilla extract with the scrapings of two vanilla beans.
• Add 1/2 cup raw cacao powder to make chocolate ice cream. Toss in some chocolate chips, why don’t ya!
• Blend 1 to 2 cups fresh berries (I recommend strawberries) into the ice cream base.
• Add 1 1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract and 1 cup chocolate chips to make mint chocolate chip ice cream
• Incorporate 1/4 cup instant coffee granules to make coffee ice cream.

Plain vanilla, whaaaaaaa?

More Ice Cream Recipes:

• Paleo Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
• Paleo Coffee Ice Cream
• Vegan Key Lime Ice Cream
• 4-Ingredient No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream
• Roasted Strawberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream
• Rum Raisin Coconut Milk Ice Cream (Vegan)
• Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your all your support!

If you make this No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

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