How to Make Ice Cream from Milk with a Blender

You will surely be happy to learn how to make ice cream without using an ice cream maker! In fact, you can make ice cream at home using a blender, milk and a few ingredients available in the kitchen. Regardless of whether you’re a chocolate, vanilla or fruit ice cream lover, try adding a variety of essences and ingredients to create your favorite ice cream!

Table of Contents

Ingredient

Vanilla ice cream

¼ cup (60ml) milk
2 cups ice cubes (it’s more effective using crushed ice)
4 tablespoons (12 teaspoons) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Nonfat milk powder (if needed)

Finished product: 4 servings

Chocolate ice cream

½ cup (120ml) whole milk
½ cup (8 tablespoons) fat-free powdered milk
½ cup heavy cream (fat cream)
⅔ cup (11 tablespoons) granulated sugar
½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups of ice

Finished product: 4 servings

Make vanilla ice cream

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Place 2 cups of crushed ice in a blender. Since the crushed ice is finer (and easier to grind) than the ice cubes, you will get a creamier texture. If you don’t have ice, you can use a food processor to shred the ice first.

Use a spoon to measure out the sugar and vanilla essence. You will measure out about 4 tablespoons (12 teaspoons) of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence. If you don’t have a measuring spoon, you can use another method to measure the same amount. ^{[1] X Research Source}

For example, if you have a measuring cup equal to 1 standard cup, measure 1/16 cup of sugar to get 1 tablespoon of sugar.
If you don’t have a teaspoon, you can estimate a teaspoon about the size of the tip of your index finger (the part above the smallest joint).
Add a pinch of turmeric for a nice golden color and rich flavor.

Pour ¼ cup (60ml) of milk into the blender. Use 2% or whole milk for a fuller taste and thicker texture; Use 1% full-fat milk for a lighter taste – however, the ice cream will have more ice when you use low-fat milk. You can also use almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or whole coconut milk. Use whipped cream for a thicker texture. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If you want to use “low-fat” skim or plant-based milk, add fat-free powdered milk to thicken the mixture as these are often very liquid.

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Blend for at least 1 minute or until smooth. Cover the blender and blend the ingredients until a mixture resembles a milkshake. If you find that the ice is still bigger than a pea, continue to grind the mixture until there are no more lumps of ice. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

The grinding time will depend on the capacity of the blender; so check the mix every 30-45 seconds if you feel unsure.
If the mixture has a milky texture, add 2 tablespoons (6 teaspoons) of fat-free milk powder at a time until the mixture becomes thick and thick.

Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container with a lid. You should choose a box with a large capacity to allow room for cold air. Plastic containers will be more effective than ceramic or glass containers (because these two materials cause ice cream to freeze more slowly). ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Put the ice cream in the freezer for about 2-3 hours. Place the ice cream can in the deepest part of the freezer to speed up the freezing process. You can even put a box of ice cream between frozen things to shorten the time. You can take out the ice cream earlier if you want to eat it, but perhaps some parts are still soft. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If you like extremely soft ice cream, take it out of the freezer after 2 hours.

Use an ice cream spoon to test the texture of the ice cream. Here comes the fun part: taste the ice cream! Scoop the ice cream in the center of the box (this is the slowest part) and taste it. You will check to see if the cream is thick enough and smooth enough as desired.

If the ice cream is too soft, freeze it for another 30-60 minutes before checking again.
If the ice cream is too firm, take it out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes before trying again.

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Scoop the ice cream into a bowl and add your favorite toppings. You can add cherries, sliced bananas, cereal (or crushed cookies/waffles) and chocolate sauce for a delicious ice cream sundae.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon grated coconut over ice cream along with some chopped mango for a tropical dessert.
Transfer the leftover ice cream to a sealed container and store in the freezer for about a week. Cover the mouth of the container with plastic wrap (before closing the lid) to prevent the surface of the ice cream from freezing!

Make chocolate ice cream

Place whole milk, powdered milk, and full fat cream in the blender. You will measure ½ cup (120ml) full cream milk, ½ cup (8 tablespoons) fat-free powdered milk, and ½ cup full-fat cream. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

If possible, use a high-powered blender with multiple speeds. If you’re using a low-powered blender, reduce the recipe’s ingredients by 50%.
The fat-free powdered milk will help the mixture set faster, so you don’t have to wait as long for the ice cream to set (or don’t need the freezing step if you prefer soft and melted ice cream).

Add sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and ice. Measure ⅔ cup (11 tablespoons) of sugar, ⅛ cup (8 tablespoons) of unsweetened cocoa powder, and 2 cups of ice into a blender. Next, measure out 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence. If you want to try more flavors, use the following ingredients: ^{[7] X Research Source}

1 tsp mint essence, and add 1 cup (16 tbsp) chocolate chips after blending.
½ cup (8 tablespoons) frozen strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and raspberries
1 cup (16 tablespoons) thickly sliced almonds, crushed pecans, or peeled and chopped pistachios.

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Blend ingredients on slow speed to shred ice. You will start to blend the mixture at a slow speed to make sure the ice doesn’t jam the blender. Blend the mixture on slow speed until the ice is crushed into pea-sized pieces. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

If you’re not sure if the ice has been crushed, you can stop the blender and check the mixture with a fork. If you feel the ice is still big, grind the mixture for another 15-30 seconds before checking again.

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Turn blender to high speed. From now on you will blend the mixture on high speed until it is thick and thick like the texture of a thick milkshake. Remember to cover the blender lid so the mixture doesn’t shoot out! ^{[9] X Research Source}

Use a fork to check the mixture to make sure there are no pea-sized chunks of rock left.

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Taste the ice cream to check the texture and flavor. This is when you use a spoon to test the ice cream. If the mixture is too thick, add ½ tablespoon (1.5 teaspoons) to 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of liquid ingredients (whole milk or full-fat cream) to reduce the consistency. If the mixture is too liquid, you can make it thicker by adding ½ tablespoon (1.5 teaspoons) to 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) skim milk powder. Blend the mixture at high speed again after adding ingredients. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Feel free to add other ingredients and seasonings when the mixture has reached or is about to reach the texture you want. For example, you can add some oreos, cookies, or muffins and quickly blend again for an even mixture.

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Place the ice cream in a freezer-safe container and freeze for about 1 hour. Freezer-sealed shallow bottom plastic containers with lids are the best choice to ensure quick and even freezing of ice cream. Place the box of ice cream in the deepest part of the freezer to shorten freezing time. Only open the lid of the ice cream box after 1 hour of freezing. ^{[11] X Research Source}

You can skip this step if the cream already has the desired texture.

Scoop the ice cream into a small bowl and add a few toppings. You can add sliced bananas, a pinch of cinnamon powder, sliced fresh strawberries or chocolate sauce to enhance the flavor of the ice cream. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Put the bowl of ice cream in the freezer first if you’re eating it when it’s hot.
Put the leftover ice cream in a container with a tight-fitting lid and store it in the freezer. Before closing the lid of the box, you should cover the mouth of the box with food wrap so that the surface of the ice cream does not freeze into ice.

Advice

Replace half of the vanilla essence with ½ tablespoon of almond essence for a nutty aroma.
For a rich chocolate flavor, you’ll use dark chocolate powder instead of the regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
Add 1 teaspoon of pandan leaf extract to give the ice cream a slight nut and banana taste.
Add sea salt to chocolate ice cream for a balanced and harmonious taste.
If fresh fruit is added, the freezing time will be longer.
If the blade of the blender is not too sharp, you must add the ice very slowly so that the blender does not jam.

Warning

Avoid adding water to the mixture lest it lose the smoothness of the finished product.