Easy Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine
We LOVE homemade ice cream around here and make good use our our ice cream makers all year round, not just during the summertime. But it’s always fun to make ice cream in a bag! It’s a great solution if you…
- Want ice cream FAST (like 10-15 minutes fast),
- Don’t have an ice cream maker or forgot to stick the freezer bowl back in the freezer, OR …
- Are looking for a fun project to entertain the kids and maybe even teach them a little science at the same time! I’m including my easy vanilla ice cream recipe below, which is the one we most often use when making ice cream this way. It’s the perfect base for all your favorite toppings or mix-ins. And you can easily flavor it by adding mint extract or chocolate syrup. But you can use any of the many ice cream recipes on my site and “churn” them with this method instead of using an ice cream maker (or try my no-churn vanilla ice cream recipe instead). Just keep in mind that you will need to split it into two bags to freeze the whole batch. Just grab some extra helpers to help you shake the bags until the ice cream inside is frozen! When summer hits and the weather is warm, we love making frozen treats! Other reader favorites include our Easy Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie, Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Pops, and Orange Basil Granita!
Why this recipe works
The science behind this way of making ice cream in a bag lies in the salt, which doesn’t go into the ice cream itself but is instead used to lower the temperature of the ice surrounding the bag filled with the ice cream base. As the ice melts, it freezes the ice cream mixture by pulling heat out of the base. Shaking the bag while this heat transfer is happening also helps by adding air to the ice cream, which lightens the texture so the ice cream is nice and creamy. I have found that it almost always takes about 5-10 minutes for the ice cream to freeze in the bags, although it kind of depends on how vigorously you are shaking the bag. It also helps to start with heavy cream that is right-out-of-the-fridge cold. Once the ice cream is frozen, it will be the consistency of delicious vanilla soft-serve. You can either eat it right away, straight out of the bag, or scoop it into bowls or on cones. Or if you prefer your ice cream to be more hard-scooped, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and stick it in the freezer for 3-4 hours to harden up. Ice cream in a bag is best the day it is made if you are using the basic recipe below made with just cream, half-and-half, or milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. If you go with a custard based ice cream that you cook first with tempered egg yolks, it will last a bit longer in the freezer – up to 4-5 days – before it starts getting ice crystals.
Recipe Ingredients
Heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk: Any of these will work as long as you have 2 cups of liquid. Keep in mind that your ice cream will be creamier if you use more heavy cream and icier if you just use milk. We have tested a few different approaches and find that 1 and ½ cups heavy cream with ½ cup of whole milk is just right for us. You could even use coconut milk for a dairy free alternative. Sugar: Granulated sugar provides just the right amount of sweetness to the ice cream. It dissolves well just by squishing it in the bag with the cream for a few seconds before churning, so there is no need to whisk or heat the ice cream base to prevent graininess. Vanilla extract: You can’t make vanilla ice cream without some good vanilla extract to flavor it! Although you can switch up the flavor of your ice cream easily by swapping out the vanilla for another extract like mint, maple, or almond. Because those flavors are stronger than vanilla, I recommend reducing the amount by half first to see how you like it. Mix-ins: Another way to flavor your ice cream is by adding some mix-ins right at the end and squishing them in for another minute or two at the end. Crumbled Oreo cookies, chopped strawberries, nuts, and mini chocolate chips are some of our favorites!
What Else You’ll Need
Gallon-size ziploc bags: You will need two of these freezer-safe, heavy duty ziploc bags to make a batch of ice cream. One holds the ice cream mixture and goes inside the other bag, which is filled with ice and rock salt. I highly recommend buying the name-brand bags for this project to make sure they will hold up to the shaking without breaking and ruining a batch of ice cream. If you are worried about leakage, you can always double bag the inside bag of ice cream for extra protection. Ice: It takes 6-8 cups of ice to freeze a batch of ice cream this way. You can use regular ice from your ice maker at home or buy a bag of ice from the store to make sure you have plenty on hand to get the job done. Salt: Rock salt, which is also sometimes labeled as “ice cream salt”, works best for lowering the temperature of the ice to freeze the ice cream quickly. But coarse kosher salt or even regular table salt will work in a pinch if that’s what you have on hand. Kitchen towel or gloves: The bag filled with ice and rock salt gets really, really cold! So you might want to wrap it in a kitchen towel or wear gloves to shake it so your hands don’t freeze!
How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag
More Ice Cream Recipes
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Fresh Lemon Ice Cream Old-Fashioned Fresh Peach Ice Cream Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
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