My Favorite Coffee Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker

Let’s make the easiest coffee ice cream! It’s creamy and scoopable, made with roasty-toasy coffee and a mega amount of crumbled chocolate cookies.  This is the dessert of summer that also sometimes doubles as dinner.

Just here to introduce you to your newest kitchen superpower: ice cream without an ice cream maker. Really, this should have come a lot earlier in the summer considering we’re all basically melted to puddles at this point.  But if you’ve managed to stay a solid mass, congrats – you deserve ice cream.

I do have an ice cream maker.  It’s… fine.  Every ice cream maker is just… fine.  None of them are really great. The frozen bowls just don’t stay cold enough to really freeze the custard and maybe it’s just me (trying to make ice cream in Texas and New Orleans) but it feels like a fuss.

I’ll tell you what’s not a fuss: whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk.  The combination makes for the most creamy, fluffy, stretchy and scoopable ice cream.  With this knowledge there’s really no stopping us with flavor and mix-ins but we’re starting with my favorite combination: COFFEE and COOKIES.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade coffee ice cream recipe:

•  heavy cream

•  Sweetened condensed milk is a WONDER in this recipe. It helps make the ice cream stretchy and scoopable.

•  vanilla extract

•  instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules

•  coffee liqueur is really nice but optional

•  cream cheese

•  salt

•  chocolate sandwich cookies (we love an Oreo moment)

We’ll grab a medium bowl and thank the no-churn ice cream gods we don’t need to finagle space in the freezer for the ice cream maker bowl.  That freezer bowl is a reasonable size until it needs to fit in the freezer, at which point it becomes unreasonably large.

In a regular ol’ bowl whisk together sweetened condensed milk, a teaspoon vanilla extract, and coffee liqueur to enhance the coffee flavor.

Can we talk about instant espresso powder vs instant coffee granules?

Instant espresso powder is my preference here, with a finer grain and more intense coffee flavor.  I find that instant espresso powder dissolves easily into the sweetened condensed milk mixture.  Coffee granules will have a less intense coffee flavor so add an extra tablespoon.  I’ve also found it helpful to dissolve the coffee granules in a tablespoon of boiling water before adding to the milk.

Is there caffeine?  Oh yes, amen.

The second part of the ice cream base comes together in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer.

First whip softened cream cheese until pliable.  Add heavy cream and whip to a stiff peak.  The cream cheese will add a tiny bit of tang to the ice cream base and help stabilize the whipped cream. It’s a sweet little secret.

Use a spatula to fold the coffee cream into the whipped cream in thirds.  The whipped cream will deflate slightly, but try to keep it fluffy.

Mix-ins are nearly the best part of ice cream and adding them is no time to be shy.  I love crushed Oreo cookies for this coffee ice cream base because they soften to a cake-like consistency.  Chocolate chips are a nice option. Brownie chunks would be next level!

Pour the ice cream mixture into a loaf pan and rest in the freezer to set.

You can choose any medium depth container in your kitchen, or go on a no-churn ice cream making bender and use these pint containers!

Freeze the ice cream for 4 hours if you’re in a hurry or 8 hours (to overnight) if you have the time.

Heat an ice cream scoop under hot water and run it across the frozen ice cream to make a ball.

If you want to try your hand at homemade ice cream, I think you should go for it! Bless your ample freezer space.

You could also shake things up with an unexpected, but so addictive saltine cracker brownie ice cream sandwich or go gluten free with this brownie ice cream sandwich. Or maybe you want a sundae with caramel made of carrots! I don’t know, the summer is truly your oyster!

My Favorite Coffee Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker

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• Author: Joy the Baker

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Ingredients

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• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso
• 2 tablespoons coffee liquor (optional)
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos)

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Instructions

1. In a medium bowl whisk together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, salt, espresso powder, and coffee liquor (if using) – set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat cream cheese until well softened and spread around the bowl.  Add the heavy cream and whip on medium high until stiff peaks form.
3. Spoon a third of the whipped cream into the coffee mixture and whisk to combine.  Add another third of the whipped cream to the coffee mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold to combine.  Add the final third and fold to combine. Fold in crushed cookies. Spoon into a 9×5-inch loaf pan and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. Cover and freeze for up to 1 week (but it won’t last that long).

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