Easy And Delicious Homemade Ice Cream

We have all been enjoying sunny days and warmer weather as summer approaches - and so what better time than to make some homemade frozen treats?

If you don't have an ice cream maker, there are still lots of different ways to make homemade ice cream. We have gathered together a few of our favourite ice cream recipes, all of which are made without fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients.

Make easy, traditional vanilla ice cream using the ice cube method, or make a delicious, instant one-ingredient banana ice cream in your blender. All of the recipes are easy to follow, and the kids can get involved, helping to measure, weigh and prepare the ingredients. Two of the methods require a powerful blender, but the other methods only use kitchen staples like ziplock bags and an electric whisk - although, if you don't have an electric whisk, you can get the whole family involved, using your combined muscle power to hand whisk the mixture!

The simplest of all homemade ice creams - this all-natural frozen treat is made from just one ingredient: bananas. This no-churn ice cream is vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and doesn't contain any added sugars, and it couldn't be easier to make.

Method:

Simply peel and chop a ripe banana, place it in the freezer for at least 2 hours (or overnight, ideally), and then blend using a food processor or powerful blender. At first, the banana will look crumbly before becoming more like oatmeal - keep regularly scraping down the sides and just keep blending, soon enough it will turn into a soft-serve texture. You can eat the ice cream straight away as it is, or, for a more traditional ice cream texture, transfer the mix into an airtight container and put it in the freezer until it feels more solid.

Make The Recipe Your Own:

This easy recipe can also be adapted and changed by adding your favourite flavourings and toppings. Try adding cocoa powder or Nutella into the blender for homemade chocolate ice cream, or try blending strawberries and fresh fruits, or spices like cinnamon or vanilla for something a little different. If you are adding extra ingredients to the ice cream, add them to the mix before transferring it to the freezer.

If you are wondering how to make an ice cream which feels and tastes like traditional vanilla ice cream, but without using an ice cream machine, then follow Serious Eat's recipe. This no-churn ice cream method requires a powerful blender or food processor, as well as ice cube trays, and it should be made the day before being eaten, or very early in the morning on the day to give it time to set.

Ingredients:

8 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1 can of evaporated milk (338 ml)

200 g sugar

450 ml double cream

Method:

1) Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt together for around 5 minutes

2) Heat the evaporated milk in a saucepan until it simmers - making sure to stir it constantly.

3) Slowly add the hot milk to the vanilla-egg mixture, whisking all the time, until the mix is fully incorporated. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly over the heat until the mixture thickens and begins to look like custard. Take the mix off the heat and then chill it.

4) In a separate bowl, whip half of the double cream (225 ml) until it has doubled in volume, then add this into the cooled egg mixture - folding it until it is completely smooth. Pour this mixture into ice cube trays and freeze for 4  hours (or until solid).

5) Once frozen, put the frozen cubes into the blender along with the remaining double cream, then blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

6) Transfer this mixture back into the freezer until it has frozen solid - then serve and enjoy this delicious vanilla ice cream.

If you have a large freezer, then this method is one of the best to make homemade ice cream. Made without an ice cream maker, this method requires a large bowl or pot - filled with ice cubes and salt - as well as a smaller bowl which is placed inside the larger bowl, and an electric whisk. Using these kitchen essentials you can make ice cream at home, using whatever recipe and flavours you prefer.  

Method:

1) Fill the large bowl with ice - about halfway up the bowl - and mix in 150 g of sea salt. Bury the smaller bowl into the ice, and pour in 1 pint or 568 ml of ice cream mixture.

2) Using the electric whisk, mix the ice cream mixture for 10 minutes - at which point it will feel very cold. Leaving the small bowl inside the larger bowl, cover with a towel and place in the freezer for 45 minutes.

3) After 45 minutes the mix should be loosely set, so whisk it again for a further 5 minutes until it has the texture of soft-serve.

4) Remove from the larger bowl of ice, cover with cling film (so that the film touches the surface of the ice cream) and freeze for another 2 hours before serving.

Choose your favourite ice cream recipe, and give this fuss-free method a try. For recipe inspiration, why not try the BBC Good Food's Ultimate Vanilla Ice Cream or the recipe for a delicious, spiced Cinnamon Ice Cream. When choosing a recipe, remember that the more fat there is, the creamier the ice cream will be - so recipes that include cream and egg yolks will make a rich, creamy dessert. Milk-based recipes, with a lower fat content, will have an icier texture - these make lighter, more refreshing frozen treats.

You will be amazed by this method of making homemade ice cream, which you can use to make all of your favourite ice cream recipes. This no-churn ice cream method uses two ziplock bags, one small and one large, and the resulting ice cream is creamy and rich. If you're wondering how to make ice cream using only ziplock bags, take a look at the detailed instructions on the Kitchn website.

Try different recipes of ice cream in the bags, making the mixture a day ahead and chilling it overnight - and get the kids involved with shaking the mixture, learning the science behind how to make ice cream. The mixture only needs to be shaken for around 5 - 10 minutes before it transforms into homemade ice cream, and the only downside with this method is that it can get messy if bits of ice escape from the ziplock bag, and so if possible,  it is a good idea to shake the mixture outside.

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For more tasty summertime recipes, take a look at Homemade Ice Lolly Recipes and Homemade Sandwich Recipes perfect for a picnic!