Making a trip to the local ice cream shop is a must during the hot summer months. But sometimes, it’s just too hot to go out! Did you know you can make homemade ice cream with just a few simple ingredients and no fancy equipment? Homemade ice cream is easy and delicious and fully customizable. Plus, it’s a fun summer activity for the whole family.
A Scoop of History
Believe it or not, early frozen desserts date back centuries: Persians were chilling sweet concoctions as early as 550 BC, and the Roman elite enjoyed snow-dusted treats in the 1st century. Fast forward to the 16th century: Europeans began using ice-and-salt mixtures to freeze cream and other desserts. By the 18th century, hand-cranked freezers invented in England and America made homemade ice cream a real possibility–no need to be royal. Today, we’ve left behind the rock‑salt buckets and embraced everything from electric churners to no-churn magic.
Try it Yourself
Ready to get started making your own ice cream? Start with this recipe which is no-churn and requires just three ingredients: heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. No-churn methods use whipped cream’s air and condensed milk’s sugars to mimic churned ice cream’s smoothness. Once you have this recipe mastered, you can customize it with any of your favorite ingredients.
Up next is a Philadelphia-style ice cream with just five ingredients to make: cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Philadelphia style ice cream is simply ice cream made with no eggs. This ice cream is dead simple. Stir everything together in a saucepan, simmer, stir, chill, and churn; less than ten minutes of actual prep time. If you have an ice cream maker, this recipe will work with it: hand crank, electric crank, freezer bowl, and ice cream compressor. No equipment? No worries: here’s how you can make ice cream without a machine.
Mix-in Magic
As Food & Wine explains, adding swirls and chunk, like chocolate shards, jam, nuts, or caramel ripples, elevates homemade ice cream to scoop-shop status. The contrast adds flavor depth and satisfying texture in every bite.
Here are a few recipes to try your hand at traditional mix-ins:
Ready to go rogue? These three unique ice creams will turn your kitchen into the hottest ice cream shop in town.
Final Scoop
Whether you’re in a no-fuss, chill/spoon/freeze mode or channeling your inner ice-cream scientist with custard cooking and churning, these recipes are your ticket to endless summer scoops. Think creamy vanilla kissed with minty chocolate, salted caramel ribbons, or strawberry-cheesecake delight: made with love, whimsy and real milk.
So stock up on milk, gather your mix-ins, and let the DIY ice cream-making adventure begin. Your freezer, and your taste buds, won’t know what hit them!