How to Make Ice Cream with Recipe and Reference Cookbooks
Traditional Recipes for Rich and Decadent Ice Cream for the Whole Family
You can make ice cream by hand, but if you plan to do it regularly, it’s worth investing in an ice cream maker as it takes just 20-45 minutes to churn ice cream. The following recipes are great family favourites. You can also mix up the recipes by switching up the fruits and adding nuts or chocolate. Ensure that you keep your ingredients refrigerated before making your ice cream. If you have the room, you could keep the bowl chilled in the freezer so you’re always ready to go. Don’t use fruits with a high-water content as it will inhibit the freezing process – the same goes for alcohol.
This mint chocolate chip ice cream from the Chew Out Loud website is a classic. With a deep richness from the heavy cream and a natural minty freshness from the peppermint extract, it’s a real crowd pleaser. It’s made in two easy steps: combine the ingredients and then put them into the ice cream maker to churn. What could be simpler? You can add a few drops of green food colouring to get the traditional green hue, but I prefer to stick with the au naturel look.
My next favourite is cookies and cream, also by Chew Out Loud– it’s a hit with kids and grown-ups! It only uses five ingredients, and as with the mint chocolate chip, it has a decadent richness from the heavy cream. The recipe calls for Oreos, but you can add your favourite cookie to be a little more original. You can chop your cookies and store them in the freezer so they are nice and cold when making the ice cream. Remember, the colder the ingredients and the bowl, the better the result. The freezer is the best place to chill them before making the ice cream.
Quick and Easy Non-Dairy Ice Creams
As somebody intolerant to dairy, especially cow milk, I always look for sweet treats made without dairy products. And, with my limited pastry skills, those sweet treats need to involve minimal cooking or baking. I’ve tried and tested several dairy-free ice cream recipes that require a few simple ingredients, and here are two of my favourites.
This vegan vanilla ice cream recipe comes from the ever-smiley Sam Turnbull of It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, somebody whose simple recipes I have admired for some time. It contains just four ingredients; cashew nuts, plant-based milk (I like the richness of oat milk), sugar and vanilla extract, which you blend and pour into an ice-cream maker to churn. If you want to bring some texture, try throwing in a handful of chopped nuts or chocolate chips in the last few minutes of churning. Add some chopped summer fruits like raspberry or strawberries if you want a fruity flavour.
If you love Sam’s recipes, check out my review of her cookbook Fast Easy Cheap Vegan back in 2021.
Don’t have an ice cream maker? This effortless Vegan Blueberry ice cream uses bananas to bring texture and sweetness, and it takes no more than 5-10 minutes to make! Combine frozen bananas with frozen blueberries in a food processor and pulse until completely smooth. I keep a few bananas in the freezer for ice cream and smoothies and always have bags of frozen fruit in the freezer. You can scoop straight into cones or serve in a bowl with chopped summer fruits and nuts. If you’re not a fan of blueberries, you can substitute them for strawberries, raspberries, or even some diced mango. Find the full recipe and method on Elephantastic Vegan.
My next challenge is to attempt a dairy-free Earl Grey ice cream similar to the one from Epicurious. I’m also pondering trying their Basil ice cream if I can find a substantial dairy-free base.
I hope you have as much fun as I do when exploring ice cream flavour combinations. Why not use these recipes as a base and change the additional ingredients to suit your taste or pair them with a dessert you may be serving?
DM us on Instagram if you make any of the recipes above. If you make your own creative recipes, we’d love to see those as well.
With 30 years of general management experience in the global insurance industry and having lived in 4 countries, Jacqui now spends her time between London and New York where she continues to pursue her passion for writing, food, books and travel. A Reiki practitioner, yogi and huge animal advocate, her home isn’t complete without a furbaby or three. In addition to being a BooknBrunch contributor, she writes for industry publications. Favourite book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Favourite brunch dish: avocado toast with tomato and chilli
