10 No-Churn Ice Cream Recipes, No Ice Cream Maker Required

No ice cream maker, no problem.

By
Yasmine Maggio
Yasmine Maggio
Yasmine Maggio
Associate Editor
Yasmine is an Associate Editor at Serious Eats. Her work has been featured in Women’s Health and on L’Officiel USA, and she recently graduated from New York University with a master's in journalism. You can find her at Bleecker Street Pizza on any given weekend.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Published June 24, 2025
Bowl of chocolate no-churn ice cream on a red towel.
Vicky Wasik

We love ice cream for its smooth, creamy texture; its sweet and varied flavors; and its many shapes and forms. We also love that it's a cold and refreshing reprieve from the summer heat and humidity—and with much of the United States experiencing an intense heat wave, there's no better time than now to whip up a batch of homemade ice cream. If the thought of making your ice cream scares you, have no fear: We have easy, straightforward recipes that don't even require an ice cream maker. (Of course, if you do have an ice cream maker, then the world is your oyster.) Below, you'll find our favorite no-churn ice cream recipes, including classic flavors like chocolate and vanilla, as well as ice cream pies, sandwiches, and pudding pops.

April 2020

  • Vanilla Ice Cream

    No churn vanilla ice cream in a sundae cup with rainbow sprinkles
    Vicky Wasik

    It doesn’t get much simpler than a scoop of sweet, sweet vanilla ice cream. This recipe requires just five ingredients, and gets its fresh dairy flavor from heavy cream. A clever method, where you whip whole eggs until pale and fluffy, reduces the need for cream, resulting in a light and creamy vanilla ice cream that's not too rich.

  • Chocolate Ice Cream

    Stone bowl of no-churn chocolate ice cream on a red towel.
    Vicky Wasik

    Since the chocolate flavor in this recipe comes solely from cocoa powder, it’s essential to opt for high-quality cocoa powder. Dutch-process cocoa styles will give you a deep, dark flavor and color, while using natural cocoa will result in a lighter color and fruitier profile. Meanwhile, ingredients like instant espresso powder, brown sugar, and spirits or liqueur help create a complex and distinct flavor. If chocolate ice cream is your go-to, you’ll enjoy scoop after scoop of this creamy, custard-style dessert.

  • Mascarpone Ice Cream

    No-churn mascarpone ice cream in a purple bowl with a piece of waffle cone and cherries.
    Vicky Wasik

    Mascarpone gives this ice cream its complex dairy flavor and velvety texture. A small quantity of brown sugar helps bring out the mascarpone’s distinct flavor, and though the ice cream is delightful on its own, it becomes an even sweeter treat when paired with fresh fruit, such as strawberries or cherries. The mascarpone's flavor also makes it a natural match for any Italian dessert, and we particularly enjoy serving it with a shot of espresso poured on top, much like an affogato.

  • Fruity Ice Cream

    Blueberry no-churn ice cream in a waffle cone.
    Vicky Wasik

    This ice cream gets its ultra-fruity flavor and beautifully vibrant color from freeze-dried fruit. Since freeze-dried fruit contains virtually no moisture and can be easily ground into a fine powder, it's especially well-suited for adding concentrated fruit flavor to baked goods and frozen treats.

    Continue to 5 of 10 below

  • Vanilla Ice Cream Pie

    Slice of no-churn vanilla ice cream pie with chocolate cookie crust on a white plate.
    Vicky Wasik

    The flavor combinations for this ice cream pie recipe are genuinely endless. This version features a vanilla-flavored filling, but you can customize the dessert with other extracts, such as lemon, orange, and mint. The filling is as light and fluffy as a cloud, thanks to a mixture of Swiss meringue and whipped cream. As for the crust? We went for a chocolate cookie crumb, but you can try making it with graham crackers or even Biscoff cookies instead.

  • Lime Ice Cream Pie

    Lime Ice Cream Pie
    Max Falkowitz

    Think of this as the cooler, more refreshing cousin of key lime pie. The filling’s smoothness comes from sweetened condensed milk, while lime juice and zest give it a tart lime flavor. Once you pour the filling into your prepared pie crust, it simply needs a few hours in the freezer, and then it’s ready to serve. How’s that for a low-maintenance pie?

  • Homemade Klondike Bars

    8:00

    Homemade Klondike Bars

    What would you do for a Klondike bar? Thankfully, you don’t need to churn ice cream for one. The secret to the fluffy filling inside the bar is Swiss meringue; cutting the meringue with milk and cream makes it light and airy enough to cut into squares before dipping. We turn to coconut oil for the milk chocolate coating, which makes it thin, glossy, and crisp. The result is a creamy and crunchy Klondike bar that may be even better than the original.

  • Homemade Chipwiches

    Homemade chipwich ice cream sandwiches on a marble counter.
    Vicky Wasik

    The Chipwich is arguably the best ice cream sandwich in the game. A slick slab of ice cream between two tender chocolate chip cookies and rolled in even more chocolate chips? Iconic. Delicious. Incredibly easy to make at home. Best of all, you can assemble it with any cookie and no-churn ice cream combo of your choosing. Chocolate chip cookies (we have more than a few recipes) with vanilla ice cream? Yes, please. Or how about fruity ice cream between two brown butter shortbread cookies? Go for it!

    Continue to 9 of 10 below

  • Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

    7:16

    Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

    Perhaps one of the more nostalgic childhood treats, these ice cream bars are vibrant and flavorful. Swiss meringue once again serves as part of the base for the filling—this time, you'll flavor it with both vanilla and freeze-dried strawberries. The coating consists of more freeze-dried strawberries and crispy puffed-rice cereal, which sticks beautifully to a thin glaze of white chocolate without turning soggy. It’s a delightful treat with an intense strawberry flavor that's sure to bring a sweet smile to your face.

  • DIY Pudding Pops

    Homemade vanilla pudding pops dipped in chocolate and rainbow sprinkles sitting on parchment paper.
    Vicky Wasik

    As the name suggests, this recipe calls for pudding (yes, we know, it's not technically ice cream, but neither are the rest of these recipes if you're being picky). Here, we use tapioca starch to make the pudding, which keeps it silky and thick, even after several hours in the freezer. If you prefer a simple pudding pop, you can enjoy it as-is after about six to eight hours in the freezer. But you can also bring out your inner child by coating the pops in some magic shell and colorful sprinkles.

Explore more:

More Serious Eats Recipes