Ice Cream without Machine
You can make ice cream without a machine. It’s EASY! Let me show you how!
Here are some tips, tricks, and hacks to make your ice cream come out smooth and creamy.
If an ice cream maker just doesn’t fit into your budget or you’re one of those people that don’t like to have lots of appliances cluttering up your kitchen (like me!), BUT you still want to enjoy the taste of homemade ice cream…
…then I’ve got some ice cream making tips for you!
Making ice cream without an ice cream maker is not difficult. It just takes longer.
How to Make Ice Cream without a Machine
Step by Step Instructions
Mix up the ice cream recipe as directed.
You can use any of the recipes found in our ice cream recipe section. When the recipe tells you to pour the ice cream mixture into the ice cream maker, come back here and follow these simple steps.
Pour the ice cream mixture into a wide, airtight container.
Metal bowls work best (stainless steel is my personal favorite). Ice cream has a smoother consistency when it is frozen faster. Metal bowls speed up the freezing process. If you don’t have a metal bowl, plastic will work as well.
Make sure the bowl you choose is wide rather than tall. A wide bowl aids freezing and allows you to mix your ice cream easily.
Place ice cream in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Ice cream will need to be in fridge longer if the mixture has been heated and cooked. Ice cream must be well chilled before proceeding.
Place the chilled ice cream mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Beat ice cream mixture with an electric mixer until smooth.
- The edges of your ice cream should have started to thicken. Scrape the edges with a fork or spatula and beat with an electric mixer to add air to the mixture and break up ice crystals.
- You can use a fork instead of an electric mixer, but the ice cream will be less smooth and creamy.
- Place ice cream in the freezer for 40 minutes – then beat with an electric mixer.
- Repeat “40 minute freeze-then-beat cycle” 3 times
- This should total 2 1/2 hours of freezing.
- You can choose to either beat your ice cream mixture every 40 minutes until frozen or let your ice cream mixture freeze on its own.
- Either method works fine. The more you beat it, the softer it will be.
- Total freezing time can take anywhere between 3-5 hours. See Freezing Time Factors below.
Add mix-ins to your ice cream.
If you want to add mix-ins to your homemade ice cream, wait until the ice cream is thick enough to “hold” the mix-ins so they don’t fall to the bottom of the container.
Generally, add mix-ins after 2-3 hours of freezing.
Some More Thoughts on Making Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker
Freezing Time Factors
Freezer
How cold your freezer is and where you place your ice cream in the freezer effects how quickly your ice cream will freeze. The quicker the ice cream freezes the smoother the ice cream will be. Get to know your freezer and what areas freeze the best. I now have my favorite ice cream making spot in my freezer!
Quantity
How much ice cream you’re making effects freezing time. These instructions were based off a 1.5 quart batch. A smaller quantity would freeze in less time; a larger quantity in more time.
Container
Metal containers freeze ice cream faster than plastic containers. Wide, larger containers freeze ice cream faster than smaller containers because less ice cream is insulated by the surrounding ice cream and more ice cream is exposed to the cold.
Recipe
Different ingredients in different ratios effect the freezing point of the ice cream. The time it takes to freeze different ice cream recipes will vary.
Drawbacks
Time
The length of time it takes to make ice cream is the major drawback of this method. As I worked on perfecting my method, my husband would complain that I was torturing him! He’s used to getting his ice cream in 20 minutes from an ice cream maker – now he had to wait several hours!
Softness
Homemade ice cream made without an ice cream maker tends to be a little harder than ice cream made with an ice cream machine. Just be sure to pull your ice cream out of the freezer several minutes before serving and you should be fine!
Homemade Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker
Materials
- 1 ice cream base use recipe of your choice
Instructions
- Mix up the ice cream base as directed.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into a wide, airtight container.
- Place ice cream in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Place the chilled ice cream mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Beat ice cream mixture with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Place ice cream in the freezer for 40 minutes – then beat with an electric mixer.
- Repeat “40 minute freeze-then-beat cycle” 3 times. This should total 2 1/2 hours of freezing.
- At this point, you can choose to either beat your ice cream mixture every 40 minutes until frozen or let your ice cream mixture freeze on its own.
- Add mix-ins to your ice cream if desired (like chocolate or nuts).
Notes
Go back to Ice Cream at Home Main Page
Go to Serving-Ice-Cream.com Home Page from How to Make Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker
