Make It Yourself: Really Quick, No-Fail Ice Cream Recipes

Homemade ice cream

With a little planning, you can whip up homemade ice cream during the time it takes to grill chicken or throw together a summer fruit salad! These no-cook recipes use only a few ingredients and one doesn’t even require an ice-cream maker.

Making The Best Homemade Ice Cream

Ice cream makers are not necessary for all recipes, but they can be an inexpensive investment and fun for the whole family. You can spend nothing to hundreds of dollars to make ice cream. Here are some choices:
• A hand-cranked old-fashioned ice cream churn is great for a picnic or pool party – all you need is ice and rock salt. Make your ice cream mixture the day before and keep in the refrigerator. (Around $60 and up)
• An electric version of an old-fashioned ice cream churn replaces elbow grease with electric power. You’ll still need ice and rock salt. (Around $25 and up)
• Frozen-bowl models, like KitchenAid and Cuisinart, work with your appliances to provide the churning power. You must freeze the bowl the day before to get it cold enough to make ice cream. (Around $50 and up)
• Self-contained freezer units are expensive but let you make ice cream whenever you want. (From $90)

No ice-cream maker? A sturdy food processor or smoothie blender works for the Banana Ice Cream recipe below. And ask your friendly Boy Scout or Girl Scout how to make ice cream in a zip-top bag.

Tips for Great Ice Cream

    •    Unless you’re serving a crowd, make small batches and eat within a day. Homemade ice cream is at its best when it’s fresh.
    •    If you’re using fresh fruit, sweetness varies greatly. Taste before freezing. Unfrozen ice cream mixture should be on the sweet side – churning adds volume so the final product will not be so sweet.
    •    Improvise! Add chopped fruits, nuts, purees to ice cream in the final stages of churning.
    •    Both the Vegan Banana Creme and Mango Lime Sorbet recipes lend themselves well to improvisation, too. Substitute frozen chunks of seasonal fruits and adjust sweetening accordingly.