No Churn Dark Cherry Ice Cream

by Karyl Henry of Karyl’s Kulinary Krusade

When there’s a food I can’t resist, I try not to even keep it in the house. I figure out of sight, out of mind.

That’s the way I feel about ice cream, and growing up I ate it pretty regularly. These days, the only time I buy ice cream is when my mom is in town because she loves Braum’s ice cream and they don’t have Braum’s in Maryland.

Just like lots of foods, homemade ice cream is almost always better than store-bought. But I’ve never had an ice cream maker. Even if I did, it would be just one more appliance collecting dust in the pantry.

I’ve thought about trying my hand at no-churn ice cream several times, but I was always afraid to mess it up. I was recently watching someone make it on The Food Network, and it looked incredibly easy.

So in the spirit of summer, and to have an occasional treat easily accessible, I decided to make No-Churn Dark Cherry Ice Cream

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

It only requires four ingredients.
It’s a super easy recipe that comes together in about 10 minutes.
You can easily multiply the recipe as needed.

INGREDIENT TIPS FOR NO-CHURN DARK CHERRY ICE CREAM

As I mentioned, you only need FOUR ingredients for this easy ice cream.

Heavy Cream
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Pure Vanilla Extract – I prefer pure because it has better flavor than imitation. Vanilla paste is an alternative, if you can find it.
Dark Cherries – I use frozen cherries because they’re easily accessible all year round. During the summer months, you can often find fresh cherries in the produce section of the grocery store.

EASY STEPS TO NO-CHURN DARK CHERRY ICE CREAM

Add condensed milk and diced cherries to a large bowl, mix together lightly, and set aside in the fridge.

Add heavy cream and vanilla extract to another large bowl. Using an electric mixer beat at medium-high until the cream forms stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. I use my KitchenAid Mixer, but you could also use a handheld electric mixer.

Don’t overmix the heavy cream! If you overmix, the peaks will fall, and you won’t get the light ice cream texture.

Carefully fold the condensed milk mixture into the heavy cream. Do not whip or beat the mixture, because you want to retain as much of the cream peaks as possible.

Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container. Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap, making sure that it touches the top layer of the mixture. This will help prevent crystallization. Place the ice cream into the freezer until solid, at least 6 hours, or overnight.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a substitute for condensed milk? You can use unsweetened condensed milk, but then you will need to add some sort of sweetener. You can also use full fat coconut milk, but remember it will add coconut flavor. Do not use light coconut milk, as the consistency is too thin.

Can I substitute Half and Half for Heavy Whipping Cream? Yes! You won’t sacrifice any flavor, but you will cut calories and fat.

Do I need to thaw the Dark Cherries before adding them to the ice cream? No! I do cut the cherries into small pieces so they’re easier to eat, but I keep them frozen.

If I have fresh Dark Cherries do I need to freeze them first? Not at all, just dice and add the fresh cherries. Of course, discard any seeds.

What is the best way to store No-Churn Dark Cherry Ice Cream? I freeze the ice cream in a Glass Pyrex Container with a lid and keep the ice cream in there.

DOES NO-CHURN DARK CHERRY ICE CREAM GO BAD?

I’ve never heard of ice cream actually going bad.

Once ice cream gets exposed to the air, it will start to form ice crystals on the top layer. That layer is still safe to eat, but it tastes like ice crystals so just scrape off that layer.

Your ice cream won’t ever taste bad, it may just taste a little freezer-burned. At that point, you could add it to a milkshake or maybe even use it for an ice cream cake. But honestly, I can’t think of the last time I had ice cream in the freezer that long!

I’m so excited to have No-Churn Dark Cherry Ice Cream in my recipe collection! I’ll now always have fresh ice cream in the freezer, and can mix it up with endless possibilities.