Ballymaloe No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream ~ this classic vanilla ice cream recipe from Darina Allen is a dream come true for anyone who craves a homemade ice cream experience but lacks the fancy machine ~ her unusual no churn technique is life changing!
The Irish chef and food writer Darina Allen founded her Ballymaloe cooking school and organic farm in the early ’80s. Ms Allen is a spokesperson for the slow, local, and back to basics food movement and this ice cream recipe is one that she herself developed, you can find it in her book Forgotten Skills of Cooking.
This tried and true recipe is simple enough to memorize, and once you’ve mastered it, you can feel confident tinkering with it, this exact ice cream has been a Ballymaloe staple for over 50 years, and the basic formula has been turned into countless flavors.
I’ve made so many homemade ice creams, some with my machine, and some without, but this interesting technique was completely new to me. Most no churn recipes make use of sweetened condensed milk, which is tasty and convenient, but it can make for a heavy ice cream. Like a traditional cooked custard ice cream, this recipe relies on egg yolks to keep the mixture creamy and scoopable, and results in a lighter flavor and texture than any other no churn recipe I’ve tried.
This is definitely worth a try if you don’t have an ice cream machine and want to experience the wonders of freshly made ice cream. Even if you do have an ice cream machine you should try it, it’s lovely to know that you can get by without high tech equipment if you need to 😉
This no churn vanilla ice cream recipe is easy and straightforward, and while you don’t need an ice cream machine, you will need a couple of other basic tools to make it ~
- a candy or deep fry thermometer. These come with clips so you can attach it to the side of your pan and easily see when your syrup has reached the right temperature. Every kitchen needs one of these, you’ll use it for jam, candy, and frying.
- a stand mixer or electric beaters, a stand mixer is easiest.
I hope you give this a try, it’s absolutely delicious.
Ballymaloe No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks use pasteurized eggs if you are concerned about using raw eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp good vanilla extract this is key
- 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream, cold
Instructions
- Beat the egg yolks until light and fluffy, at least several minutes. Ideally do this in a stand mixer. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks in a large bowl, then refrigerate.
- Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Keep at a full boil until the mixture reaches the 'thread' stage, 223°F-236F on your candy thermometer. This will take about 10 minutes, give or take, depending on the size of your pan, you don't need to stir while it is boiling. The mixture will reduce down and will be syrupy, so use this as a guide if you don't have a thermometer.
- With the mixer on, add the hot syrup to the egg yolks in a slow steady stream, beating all the time. Let the mixer go for a few minutes until the mixture is thick and very pale, like mousse.
- Gently mix the egg yolk mixture into the whipped cream, using a classic folding technique so you don't lose all the air in the whipped cream. When the mixture is fully combined and there are no streaks, spoon it into a freezable container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6-8 hours or overnight.
- Scoop and enjoy!
notes
Make it your own ~
- Vary the flavoring by using peppermint, almond, or any other extract you like.
- Add instant coffee powder to the mousse or the cream before whipping.
- The seeds of a vanilla bean would make this extra luxe.
- Add chocolate shavings.
- To make chocolate ice cream add cocoa powder to the whipping cream, fold melted and cooled chocolate into the mousse…or both!
- For another take on no churn ice cream, try my NO CHURN VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM.
33 Comments
Ki
February 16, 2021 at 7:15 amHi, I’ve been looking for a good no churn ice cream recipe for a long time and I think I found it in this one! It looks so good and so easy. I don’t have room for one more appliance like an ice cream maker :-). I’m definitely going to try this recipe as is but wondered if there’s also a way to make it a bit healthier for friends who are Pretty strict about clean eating but mentioned they’d love to find a good recipe for making ice cream. I’m not an advanced enough cook to know what might work for this. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Rachel
August 13, 2020 at 7:33 amHow much chocolate do you recommend folding into the mousse for chocolate ice cream?
Thank you!
Kobayashi
March 21, 2020 at 1:32 pmNice
Judith Anklam
March 1, 2020 at 10:51 amWhat is the total amount of whipping cream? One pint plus two cups or just the one pint that is equal to two cups? Thank you for this gluten free recipe.
Sue
March 1, 2020 at 1:50 pmHi Judith ~ it’s just 1 pint. When I switched over to a new recipe app the commas etc disappeared, so I’ve been scrambling to clarify some of the amounts, etc.
JoAnne
August 17, 2019 at 2:43 pmCan the syrup be made with splenda or stevia in place of the sugar.
Sue
August 17, 2019 at 6:00 pmI don’t see why not!
Lei
December 22, 2018 at 5:40 amWould love if it had more photos so I could see if I was doing it right. Great recipe tho!
Nick
November 26, 2018 at 12:35 pmif you were to do an espresso version would you still use the vanilla or replace with the espresso?
Thanks!
Sue
November 27, 2018 at 7:35 pmHmmmm, I probably would leave the vanilla out to allow the coffee flavor to be front and center.
nick
November 26, 2018 at 12:27 pmif you were making an espresso version would you still use the vanilla or replace with the espresso?
Thanks!
Carol
August 24, 2018 at 6:07 pmDo you whip the cream without any sugar at all? Just the cream by itself? I imagine the sugar syrup has enough sweetening power for the end result. But would appreciate confirmation if that’s the case. Thanks!
Sue
August 24, 2018 at 6:35 pmI just whip the cream on its own Carol.
Genevieve
May 11, 2018 at 3:22 pmI cannot believe I made ice cream! We’re serving it will grilled pineapple and your coconut pound cake! Thanks a million!
Sue
May 11, 2018 at 3:47 pmI can hear the excitement in your ‘voice’ 🙂 Glad you like it!
Jane Saunders
May 4, 2018 at 1:15 amI struggle with the texture of regular no churn ice cream but yours looks so good I’m willing to give this different technique a go. Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
April 28, 2018 at 9:31 amLoving this method of no-churn ice cream. It’s like the best of both worlds 🙂
Laura | Tutti Dolci
April 27, 2018 at 9:53 pmSuch a dream and I love the technique!
Edyta @ Innocent Delight
April 27, 2018 at 11:07 amOh my gosh. I never heard about this technique but it is so intriguing. I love homemade ice-cream but always felt intimidated…
Dana
April 27, 2018 at 9:47 amFirst of all, I’m in love with that ice cream scoop. It reminds me of the one at my late grandparents. Second, I’m loving the idea of this recipe. No churn! I’ve been wanting to make ice cream but just can’t be bothered to dig the machine out. Haha.
Sue
April 27, 2018 at 10:14 amHaha, I think lots of people would be tempted to make this even if they DO have a machine 🙂
Niki
April 27, 2018 at 9:31 amI haven’t tried the recipe yet, but was delighted to see the old brass ice cream scoop with the wooden handle—just like mine that I inherited from my parents. I wonder how old these are.
Beth
April 27, 2018 at 9:07 amThis ice cream has just the perfect consistency! I have to give this a try, ASAP!
Sue
April 27, 2018 at 9:17 amIt was a real nice surprise, Beth, and to me it tastes like old fashioned vanilla ice cream.
Ellen
April 27, 2018 at 8:54 amVanilla is my son’s favorite! We need to make this together soon. Thanks for sharing.
Sue
April 27, 2018 at 8:56 amI think he’ll enjoy this Ellen, I add extra vanilla to really bring home the flavor, it’s yummy.
Veena Azmanov
April 27, 2018 at 8:51 amWhat could be better? It looks incredible! Wonderful Recipe for sunny summer. I definitely want to try it! Thank you for the recipe. This recipe is perfect for me and my family. I’m sure it is very tasty!
Steve
April 27, 2018 at 8:49 amHi. Looks like a great recipe I need to try. I am wondering if I can use Eurytherol instead of sugar?
Best,
Steve
Sue
April 27, 2018 at 8:50 amI think that shouldn’t be a problem, Steve, just beat it with the egg yolks the same way. Let us know how it turns out!
Susan
April 27, 2018 at 8:10 amWhen do you add the vanilla?
Sue
April 27, 2018 at 8:13 amThanks for spotting that Susan, it gets added to the beaten yolks 🙂
[email protected]'s Recipes
April 27, 2018 at 7:11 amSo creamy and delicious! Have a wonderful weekend, Sue.
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
April 27, 2018 at 6:02 amOkay now I want ice cream for breakfast! Love Darina’s recipes and this is a must try for me. I’m ready for ice cream season to begin 🙂 Happy weekend Sue! Sharing and pinning