This no-churn strawberry ice cream needs 3 ingredients and no machine: blend 340 g frozen strawberries into a puree, whip 480 ml cold heavy cream to stiff peaks, then fold in 400 g sweetened condensed milk and the strawberry puree. Freeze 6 hours for a pale-pink, creamy ice cream flecked with real fruit. Makes about 8 servings.
Instructions
- 1
Spread 340 g strawberries on a tray with space between them and freeze until solid — spacing keeps them loose instead of one frozen block.
- 2
Chill your mixing bowl too; cold cream whips best when everything around it is cold.
- 3
Blend the frozen strawberries into a thick, sorbet-like puree — that is the real fruit flavor.
- 4
Whip 480 ml cold heavy cream to stiff peaks that hold their shape.
- 5
Add 400 g sweetened condensed milk for sweetness and richness without cooking a custard.
- 6
Fold in the strawberry puree and mix on low just until the color is an even pale pink — stop there to keep it light.
- 7
Scrape the thick base into a mold or popsicle molds and level it; it should be thick — too thin freezes icy.
- 8
Freeze at least 6 hours, until the mold releases cleanly. Serve.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why freeze the strawberries before blending?
Frozen berries blend into a thick, sorbet-like puree that chills the base and concentrates flavor, so it tastes like real strawberries rather than sweetened cream. Spread them out before freezing so they break apart instead of forming one solid block.
Do I need an ice cream maker for no-churn strawberry ice cream?
No. Whipping the cream to stiff peaks traps air the way churning would, and the sweetened condensed milk stops hard ice crystals forming. Just fold, freeze 6 hours and you get a scoopable, creamy texture without any machine.
Why is my homemade ice cream icy instead of creamy?
Usually the base was too thin or the cream wasn’t whipped enough. Whip to stiff peaks and keep the base thick — thin mixtures freeze icy. The condensed milk’s sugar also lowers the freezing point, keeping it soft.