Easy Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (No Cook!)

This easy vanilla ice-cream recipe doesn’t require eggs or cooking, so it comes together quickly. Depending on how long your ice cream maker takes to churn, you could have ice cream in as little as 15 minutes!  

(If you want to try a recipe that does start with an egg-based custard, try this step-by-step ice cream recipe.)

The 4 Simple Ingredients in Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

This vanilla ice cream recipe calls for just four ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Because this recipe is all about the vanilla , you’ll want to use the best pure vanilla extract you can find, and steer clear of imitation vanilla.

To really take your vanilla ice cream to the next level, you can substitute a vanilla bean for the vanilla extract. Here’s how: Using a paring knife, split a vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and add them and the pod to the cream, milk, and sugar. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes (overnight is better). Remove the pod and freeze your ice cream as normal.

Creamy Ice Cream without the Custard

Most ice cream recipes use egg yolks for flavor, color, and to prevent ice crystallization, which makes the ice cream creamier. In egg-free ice cream recipes like this one, you can get that same creaminess by using whole milk.

While any kind of milk will work, the extra butterfat in whole milk (as well as the cream!) helps retain the texture of your ice cream while it's stored in the freezer. For example, after two days in the freezer, an ice cream made with 1 percent milk can become a little too icy. While it still tastes great, the texture might be a bit of a disappointment. 

How to Make This Easy Ice Cream

Making this ice cream is as simple as dissolving sugar in milk, then stirring in the cream and vanilla and transferring it all to your ice cream maker to churn according to your machine’s directions.

With ice cream recipes that start with a custard, once you've made the mixture you typically need to refrigerate it before putting it in the ice-cream maker. However, since this is a no-cook recipe, the milk and cream should still be plenty cold, so you can go straight from mixing up the base to churning, which can take as little as 15 minutes!

Keep in mind that right after churning, your ice cream will have the texture of soft serve. If you'd like hard ice cream, transfer it to the freezer for a few hours to firm up. While that may delay your homemade treat a bit, the ease of preparing this recipe is still worth it.

Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Tips for the Best Vanilla Ice Cream

• Chill your tools: Store the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer to get a jump start on the freezing process for your ice cream.
• Don't over-whip: Don’t whip the mixture too much once you've added the heavy cream. You don’t want to beat too much air into the mixture before it goes into the ice cream maker, or it will change the texture of the finished product.
• Churn long enough: If you find your ice cream gets too hard or has large ice crystals, try churning the mixture longer. Every machine is different so you might have to experiment to find the sweet spot.

What You’ll Need To Make This Easy Vanilla Ice Cream A Great Whisk An Ice Cream Maker A Handy Ice Cream Scoop

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

“The simple no cook vanilla ice cream is delicious as is or a fantastic base for stirring in more ingredients. I used a bourbon based vanilla extract and was happy with the results. Next time I will stir in vanilla bean paste to enjoy the visual of those beautiful vanilla bean specks.” —Mary Jo Romano

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

2. Whisk together the milk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

   The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

3. Gently stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.

   The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

4. Churn according to the directions of your ice-cream maker's manufacturer. Enjoy immediately as soft serve, or freeze in a covered container to your desired firmness, at least 2 hours or overnight.

   The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Recipe Variations

You can turn this vanilla ice cream into any flavor you can imagine. The mix-in possibilities are endless, so get creative. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Add cocoa powder to make chocolate ice cream.
• Crumble sandwich cookies into the base.
• Toss in chocolate chips.
• Swirl the ice cream with a ribbon of caramel.

How to Store Ice Cream

Once you perfect your ice-cream technique, make multiple batches so you never run out. Be sure to use an air-tight container for the ice cream, and press a layer of plastic wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the ice cream. Properly stored ice cream keeps well for about two months.

Helpful Links

• Two-Ingredient Heavy Cream Substitute
• How to Make Nonalcoholic Vanilla Extract
• Tips for Making Homemade Ice Cream