This no-churn sweet and creamy blueberry ice cream is exploding with fresh flavor that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth on a whole other level.
Loaded with a perfect confection of plump, juicy blueberries, this quick and easy no-churn ice cream is irresistible!
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We love ice cream! Everything from your basic flavors like chocolate and vanilla to more unique flavors like Mango Ice Cream and Pomegranate Ice Cream. We even like "healthier" versions like this Dairy Free Strawberry Ice Cream and Chocolate Peanut Butter Nice Cream--which you'd never know is better for you by the taste.
Can I just be honest? It's pricey to take 6 people out for ice cream! So once again, I create a version that's easy to make at home.
We do have an ice cream maker, but when time is of the essence, I resort this easy no-churn ice cream. It's a simple base recipe and you can create endless flavors with any mix-in's you'd like.
Everyone will screech in excitement for this ice cream, and dive right in while you enjoy your chilled treat with a full and warm heart.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy & Inexpensive- Only 4 ingredients.
- No-Churn- No churning means no machine and a quicker process.
- Endless Variety- You can use this base recipe and make an endless amount of flavor options.
Key Ingredients
- Heavy Cream- The main element that gives you that delectable ice cream finish.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk- Condensed milk is simply whole milk where the water has been evaporated. The condensed milk in no-churn ice cream acts as a sweetener to the recipe and it helps to keep it creamy soft and ready to scoop.
- Almond Extract- This adds a bit more punch to the recipe, but vanilla extract works perfectly.
- Blueberries- Fresh or frozen works since you are going to cook them down to make a sauce.
Equipment
All you need to make this dreamy fruity ice cream is a stand mixer, or hand mixer, a loaf pan or a reuseable ice cream tub to store it in. There are plenty of options out there- but you can just use what you have. That is the beauty of a good no-churn ice cream recipe.
Then, of course, you will need an ice cream scoop, a bowl, and a spoon or cones!
How to Make No-Churn Blueberry Ice Cream
This is an overview of the instructions, be sure to see the recipe card for all the details.
- In a small sauce pan, add washed blueberries and almond extract with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, cook on med-low heat until the blueberries cook down. Cool completely.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form.
- Fold in the sweetened condensed milk.
- Fold in the cooled blueberry sauce to the mixing bowl of creamy goodness.
Gently pour it into a loaf pan or an ice cream tub and cover with the lid or plastic wrap. Freeze it for 6 hours or until frozen, and you'll be ready to serve it up and enjoy.
Serve the homemade ice cream in bowls or cones ( I like waffle cones the best).
If you serve it in bowls, you can garnish it with some fresh blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries, a scoop of homemade whipped cream, or a fresh sprig of mint.
Expert Tips
- Give your blueberry ice cream a nice swirl on the top. To do this:
- reserve a few tablespoons of the sauce.
- drizzle the sauce on top of your pre-frozen mixture.
- using a butter knife, swirl in a figure-eight motion. Take this step slowly and steadily to get a beautiful presentation. -So pretty!
- Folding ingredients mean gently turning the mixture over with a spatula until it is combined- that way you do not crush the peaks of the whipped heavy cream. Simply take your spatula and dig to the bottom of the bowl then pull the bottom ingredients to the top and repeat.
- Cool the blueberry mixture entirely. You can place it in the fridge to speed it up a bit. You can also make it the day before and store in the fridge.
- If you don't want bits of whole blueberries in your ice cream, you can puree' the blueberry mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Fresh strawberries or blackberries are great alternatives for tasty homemade ice cream.
You can always use coconut cream or almond milk coupled with xanthan gum as a substitute to get the creamiest result. Just make sure to research how to get the best quality out of your dairy-free ice cream.
As long as your extract is a gluten-free variety, then this is 100% gluten-free ice cream. - Enjoy!
Variations
You can make any flavor ice cream by subbing out ingredients. The base recipe is the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and extract (most of the time I'd recommend vanilla extract).
Then you add up to 2 cups of your favorite mix-ins. Here's a few ideas to get you started:
- Strawberries
- Peanut butter cup
- Oreo cookies
- Reese’s pieces
- Snickers
- Butter finger
- M & m’s
- Blackberries
- Cherries
- Raspberries
- Strawberry cheesecake (add 1-8 ounce block of room temperature cream cheese, strawberries, and graham cracker pieces.
- S’mores
- Mint chocolate chip (use mint extract-- not peppermint--and mini chocolate chips)
- Salted Carmel (add 2 pinches of salt to base mix. Pour half the ice cream mixture into the container, add some dollops of caramel sauce and use a spoon to swirl the caramel around. Add the remaining ice cream mixture and more caramel, swirl again)
Storing
Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container, it should store for up to two weeks in your freezer.
A standard, freezer-safe container or pan should work just fine. You can purchase specialty ice cream containers (listed above in the Equipment section) that keep the freshness locked in and the ice crystals out.
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📋 Recipe
Blueberry Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer or hand mixer
- 1 loaf pan or other container to freeze ice cream in.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons water or enough to cover the bottom of the saucepan.
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Place the blueberries and almond extract into a small saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until the blueberries are cooked down and you have a sauce texture, there will still be whole blueberries present. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
- Using a stand mixer with the wire whisk attachment, or a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until medium-stiff peaks form.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and fold it in.
- Add in the cooled blueberry mixture and fold it in until it's combined.
- Transfer the ice cream to a container (I like to use a loaf pan), cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the freezer for 6 hours, or until firm.
- OPTIONAL: Reserve a few tablespoons of the blueberry mixture and drizzle it over the top of the ice cream after you put it in the loaf pan. Using a butter knife, swirl the blueberry sauce across the top. I used a figure 8 motion to swirl it. This makes a very pretty presentation in the pan.
- Serve in bowls or cones. Garnish with a few fresh blueberries if desired.
Notes
- Prep time is listed at 30 minutes. This includes time to make the sauce, allow it to cool, and make the ice cream mixture. You can transfer the sauce to the fridge to speed up the cooling time.
- You can make the blueberry sauce the day before and store in the refrigerator to save time on the day of making the ice cream.
- "Folding" ingredients is gently turning the mixture over with a spatula until it is combined. Insert the spatula all the way to the bottom of the bowl and then lift the ingredients over. Repeat, starting from a different point each time, until it is combined.
- To swirl the top before freezing, reserve a few tablespoons of the blueberry mixture, drizzle it across the top of the ice cream mixture once it's in the container and before freezing. Then, using a butter knife or other skinny object, 'swirl' in a figure eight motion.
- Cover ice cream with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals and freezer burn.
Nutrition
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