No Churn Peppermint Bark Ice Cream

I have heard about no-churn ice cream for years. And for whatever reason, I had never tried it. It just seemed impossible— that something so easy could actually be ice cream. Ice creamy is creamy. And crave-worthy. It’s the kind of thing that is dangerous to eat straight from the tub— I’ve got to portion out a bit, and then put it away. Otherwise, I’ll want to keep eating it!

As much as I love ice cream, I’ve only made it a couple of times as a kid— and it never turned out quite right. Always a little soupy. Or something. We probably were too eager and didn’t let the bowl freeze all of the way. I grew up on Bluebell Ice Cream, and that was good enough for me. Homemade not necessary!

Well, I finally got on the no-churn train and made the deceptively simple “No-Churn Ice Cream” for the first time last month. The formula is so matter-of-fact, you don’t even need a recipe. Two cups heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks. Fold it into 1 can (14.5 ounces) sweetened condensed milk. Freeze. VOILA!

I can attest to the goodness and simplicity of this ice cream! BUT, if you want it to be NEXT LEVEL creamy, use more cream. I used 2 and 1/2 cups and something magical happened. The bits of chocolate that once started to sink were now magically floating. That half cup of cream made this ice cream so much creamier. I also added some flavoring: 1 teaspoon of vanilla (I’m sparse with vanilla these days cuz it is pricey!) and 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract. I also folded in one cup of chopped peppermint bark. And all I can say is you must try this recipe.

Get real crazy and add some expresso (or regular coffee) to it. You can get away with having it for breakfast that way.

No Churn Peppermint Bark Ice Cream Recipe

2 and 1/2 cups (20 ounces) heavy cream
1 can (14.5 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup chopped peppermint bark

*Serving Suggestion: Make this the classic Italian treat Affogato by pouring some hot expresso on top of a scoop!

Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Set aside.

Add the sweetened condensed milk to a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extract.

Fold the cream into the condensed milk just until no streaks remain. Gently fold in the chopped peppermint bark (reserve a few pieces to sprinkle on top). Pour into a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle some bits of chopped peppermint bark on top. Freeze overnight, or at least 6 hours.

Scoop into a cup and try not to eat all of it. Bonus points if you pour coffee on top.