5 Delicious Ice Cream Recipes Without Ice Cream Maker

You don’t need fancy equipment to make delicious dairy or vegan ice cream at home. Scroll down for 5 delicious recipes for ice cream without an ice cream maker.

The average American consumes around twenty-three gallons of ice cream every year. Sure, buying store-bought ice cream is easy and instant, but they are often laden with added sugars, corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors. Various additives and emulsifiers are also added to keep ice crystals from forming and to create a smooth and creamy mouth feel. Mass-produced ice cream is usually packaged in strengthened paper board which is coated in plastic, making some ice cream cartons difficult or impossible to recycle. Plus, with most mass-produced ice cream containing dairy, vegans often have less of a choice of flavors, and it is not the most sustainable choice for our planet.

Depending on how far you live from the store and how hot it is that day, your ice cream may melt on the way home. Refreezing ice cream that has thawed significantly can be dangerous as it is a prime breeding ground for bacteria and illnesses such as listeria. 

Making your own ice cream at home means that you can control the ingredients, reduce waste, make more sustainable and healthy choices and get experimental with the flavors — all without an ice cream maker!

Usually, when making ice cream, you prepare a custard base and then place it into an ice cream maker. This will freeze the liquid as it churns. The constant movement helps to stop larger ice crystals from forming, which will lead to smooth and creamy ice cream. The good news is, that although no-churn ice cream will have a slightly different texture than commercially produced, you can still create a delicious, smooth ice cream that is also healthier for you. 

The Best, Easy, Healthy 4 Ingredient Banana Nice Cream

This healthy 4-ingredient vegan ice cream couldn’t be more simple, or sustainable. It is a great way to use up over-ripe bananas. Instead of tossing out browned bananas, simply peel and dice ripe bananas and store in a lidded container in the freezer. This way, whenever the need for ice cream hits, you can have some prepared in a matter of minutes! You don’t even need to freeze it after blending.

Always use organic produce where available.

Ingredients:

• 2 peeled and diced frozen organic bananas
• 2 tbsp. organic vegan cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. homemade peanut butter
• 3 tbsp. homemade oat milk 

Instructions:

1. Place everything into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. You may have to scrape the sides of the blender halfway through.
2. Either eat straight away or spoon into a freezer-safe, lidded container and store in the freezer. Remove from the freezer and allow to soften up for 5 minutes before serving.

Vegan Raspberry Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker

Dates are not only great at controlling blood sugar but also full of antioxidants and are a natural source of sweetness. Be sure to use full fat, organic coconut milk as it’s the coconut cream that will give the ice cream its smooth texture. Store in the fridge overnight to make it easier to separate the cream from the liquid. When blending the frozen mixture, you want thin shards of bark rather than big thick chunks. Many recipes suggest zip-lock or sandwich bags. We find using one or two shallow dishes does the job just as well, and without the use of single-use plastic.

Ingredients:

• 5 Medjool dates pitted and soaked overnight
• 4 tbsp. oat milk
• 4 cups organic raspberries
• 2 cans organic, full-fat coconut milk
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. organic vanilla paste or extract

Instructions:

1. Blend the soaked dates with the oat milk to form a paste. You may have to add a little more oat milk if it’s very thick.
2. Separate the coconut cream from the liquid, and set the liquid aside. (You can store it in the freezer for up to 3 days and use it in another dish).
3. Add the coconut cream, raspberries, half of the date paste, salt and vanilla to a blender and blend until smooth. If it’s too thick, pour in some of the liquid from the coconut milk can. 
4. Taste. Add more vanilla, if you want, or more of the date paste if you would like it sweeter.
5. Scrape into a shallow, freezer-safe dish or container or ice cube trays, and freeze for 3 hours. 
6. Remove from the freezer, break up and blend until smooth. Scoop into a freezer-safe, lidded container and store in the freezer for up to 1 week.

No Churn Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

This vegan chocolate ice cream is delicious and a great no waste treat as it makes use of the aquafaba that is often thrown away from a can of chickpeas. Perhaps you could make this hummus as an appetizer for friends and then wow them with dessert. Dark chocolate is also a great source of antioxidants, and some studies say it could improve brain function!

You can find vegan whipping cream in your local grocery store or online on Amazon**.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup high quality, organic and fair-trade vegan chocolate, chopped, plus 3 tbsp. for chips
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp. strong black coffee or espresso
• 1 tbsp. organic coconut oil 
• 2 14 oz cans organic chickpeas (we only want the liquid for the recipe)
• scant 1/4 cup organic sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup vegan whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Set a large heatproof bowl over the top of a pan of simmering water and melt the chocolate, the cocoa powder, the coffee and the oil together. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. Drain the liquid from the chickpeas into a medium-sized mixing bowl and save the chickpeas for another dish.
3. Add the sugar and cream of tartar to the aquafaba with a pinch of salt, and whisk until doubled in size, white and thick (just like meringue). Use a stand mixer if you have one, if not an electric whisk will do.  It does take around 5-10 minutes, just persevere!
4. Take another bowl and whisk the vegan whipping cream until stiff.
5. Take a large spoonful of the aquafaba mixture and mix it into the melted chocolate to loosen it up a bit. Then carefully fold the rest of the aquafaba mixture into the melted chocolate. Do not stir vigorously or beat the mixture as all the air will get knocked out of the ‘meringue’.
6. Fold in the whipped cream and reserved chocolate chips to combine.
7. Carefully scrape into a freezer-safe, lidded container and freeze for at least 4 hours. Scoop and enjoy!

Strawberry and Yogurt Ice Cream

A deliciously fruity and slightly tangy treat, which can easily be made vegan if you want! It would also be easy to substitute strawberries for any other seasonal fruit of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup local, organic strawberries washed and chopped
• 1/2 14 ounces can of light condensed milk (you could easily go for vegan condensed milk)
• 2 cups organic Greek yogurt (or a non-flavored oat yogurt alternative)

Instructions:

1. Puree half the strawberries with a stick blender
2. Mix the condensed milk and yogurt together in a bowl and stir in the strawberry puree. Fold in the remaining strawberries.
3. Scrape into a freezer-safe, lidded container and freeze for at least 5 hours, or until solid. 
4. Remove from the freezer for 15 minutes before serving. 

This can be frozen for up to 1 month in the freezer, and can easily be doubled to make use of a glut of strawberries.

Super Simple Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

This super simple ice cream only requires a blender and an ice cube tray, and is deliciously prepared as an ice cream sandwich! Homemade oat milk is sustainable and a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, plus oats can actively improve your health. You can also easily adapt it with different flavor combinations. Try adding cinnamon or chocolate. It would be delicious with this vegan caramel drizzled over the top.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups homemade oat milk
• ½ cup homemade peanut butter 
• ⅓ cup organic maple syrup
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Instructions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and well incorporated.
2. Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.
3. Blend the frozen ice cubes until you achieve a nice, creamy consistency.
4. Pour into a freezer-safe, lidded container for around an hour, and enjoy! 

Read more:

• Nice Cream Recipes: Vegan Banana Ice Cream in 5 Minutes
• Healthy Cheesecake Recipe: Easy, No Bake and Vegan
• How To Keep Strawberries Fresh: Storing Strawberries Like a Pro

** Links to retailers marked with ** or underlined orange are partially partner links: If you buy here, you actively support Utopia.org, because we will receive a small part of the sales proceeds. More info.

Tags: Food Guide Natural Recipes