4 Easy Ways to Make Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Machine

Learn how to make ice cream without an ice cream machine with these four easy methods! I’m sharing all my favorite tips and tricks to help you make all your favorite ice cream flavors from the comfort of your home!

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Have you ever wondered if you can make ice cream without an ice cream maker? The answer is, you betcha!

There’s no need to clutter up your kitchen with a clunky ice cream maker you’ll only use a few times a year. All you need are a few staple kitchen tools to make homemade ice cream with ease!

First, let’s be clear: there are a lot of ways to make ice cream without an ice cream machine. The ones we’re including here are the ones we’ve had success with—and ones that make legit ice cream. Because, yes, you can blend a frozen banana and get a creamy treat, but is it ice cream? Not really!

Pick your favorite method, or try them all!

4 Easy Ways to Make Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Machine

1. How to Make Ice Cream in a Blender

The key to making your own no-churn ice cream and having it actually taste good is starting with custard, just like you would with an ice cream maker. This method involves freezing the custard in ice cube trays, and blending the frozen cubes to make a creamy frozen dessert.

You’ll need:

An ice cream recipe (and its ingredients)
A blender
Ice cube trays (4–6, depending on the size)

Here’s how to do it:

Use your favorite ice cream recipe. I like New England-Style Custard from Serious Eats.
Once the custard is prepared, pour it into the ice cube trays and freeze it.
When frozen, pop the cubes into the blender with the reserved dairy, and blend until the mixture has the consistency of soft serve.
Transfer to a resealable container, and freeze again until set.

making ice cream with a hand mixer in a blue bowl.

2. How to Make Ice Cream in a Bowl

It doesn’t get much easier than this! While you will need to stick around at home to stir your ice cream once in a while, all you need for this recipe is a mixing bowl.

You’ll need:

An ice cream recipe (and its ingredients)
A mixing bowl
A wooden spoon

Here’s how to do it:
Prepare your ice cream base and instead of putting it in an ice cream machine, transfer it to your mixing bowl. Place it in the freezer and stir it every 30 minutes for 4 hours.

How to Make Ice Cream With a Hand Mixer

Consider this an upgrade to the previous method of making ice cream in a bowl! The result is creamier, with fewer ice crystals.

You’ll need:

An ice cream recipe (and its ingredients)
A large mixing bowl
A smaller mixing bowl that fits into the large one
Crushed ice
3/4 cup kosher salt
A hand mixer

Here’s how to do it:

Make your ice cream base according to your favorite recipe.
Combine the ice and salt in the large bowl.
Put the other mixing bowl inside, pushing down so the ice and salt mixture reaches almost to the top.
Pour the custard into a smaller bowl, and beat it with the hand mixer for about 10 minutes.
Freeze for 45 minutes. Then, mix again for 5 minutes.
Remove the smaller bowl, cover, and freeze until it reaches your desired consistency.

strawberry, vanilla, chocolate ice cream with waffle cone on marble stone backgrounds.

3. How to Make No-Churn Ice Cream in a Food Processor

This method is easy and most closely matches the texture of ice cream made in an ice cream maker. The catch is that you’ll need to have a food processor to make it.

You’ll need:

An ice cream recipe (and its ingredients)
A gallon zip-top freezer bag
A food processor

Here’s how to do it:

Prepare your ice cream base, allow it to cool slightly, and transfer it to the freezer bag.
Pop the custard into the freezer, and leave it there until it’s frozen through.
Give the frozen bag a few good whacks against the counter (carefully, of course!) to break it up a bit.
Put the pieces into the food processor, and pulse until you get a creamy, smooth mixture.
Transfer to a resealable container, and freeze again until set.

That’s it! You can start making ice cream right away, and always have a delicious homeamde treat on hand!

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