So, have you made Nigella Lawson’s no-churn coffee ice cream? It’s ridiculously easy and delicious, and when I discovered how simple it was to make really good ice cream with just a mixer, I was tempted to get rid of my ice cream machine!
To make the no-churn ice cream, you beat heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and flavorings until it’s nice and thick, then freeze the ice cream. That’s all there is to it! The only thing is that I’m not a big fan of cooking with sweetened condensed milk–there’s so much refined sugar in it, and I try to avoid that whenever I can.
So I decided to try making my own sweetened condensed milk using maple syrup, with some guidance from this recipe from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring. The homemade sweetened condensed milk takes a while to make, but your house will smell amazing. You do have to watch it pretty closely but don’t have to stir it constantly, so it’s a good time to do some cleaning or other tasks around the kitchen. I got a lot of dishes done while I was making it! (Anything that gets me to do more dishes is good, and pretty rare.)
The results are so much more delicious than canned sweetened condensed milk! The maple flavor adds a caramel note to the ice cream that goes perfectly with the chocolate and coffee. In addition to working beautifully in this ice cream, the maple-sweetened condensed milk is amazing in hot or iced coffee.
No-Churn Mocha Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (I use Medaglia D’Oro)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 recipe maple-sweetened condensed milk, cooled (recipe below) or 1 cup store-bought sweetened condensed milk
For the Maple-Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 3 cups whole milk
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Beat all ingredients in a stand mixer until nice and thick, almost like a custard or mousse. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for at least 6 hours. Scoop and enjoy!
- For the Maple-Sweetened Condensed Milk: Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat slightly so the mixture simmers gently. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently and skimming the curds off the top (don’t worry about getting every last one, just the larger ones). The sweetened condensed milk is ready when it’s nice and thick (when you drag a spoon through, the trail left should remain for a few seconds). Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for up to a week. The condensed milk needs to be at room temperature or cooler when you use it to make ice cream.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 510Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 0gSugar: 54gProtein: 8g
The nutrition label provided is an estimate for informational purposes only and may not be accurate. I am not a nutritionist or medical professional.
Nora says
You had me at no-churn, since I refuse to buy more kitchen gadgets (by refuse, I mean: have no room for). Do you think this would be ok with coconut cream swapped it for the condensed milk?
Rebecca Winkler says
You can definitely make the sweetened condensed milk with coconut milk instead of whole milk (at least according to Gluten free on a shoestring: http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/homemade-sweetened-condensed-milk/). The question is whether coconut cream could stand in for the heavy cream for a totally dairy-free version (I wonder whether it would be fluffy enough?). I haven't tried it because I'm allergic to coconut and it's never as much fun to make something I can't eat, but I'd be very curious to hear how it goes if you try it!
Julia says
My gaaaaah it looks so creamy!! I love all things coffee ice cream and could really get into this mocha idea! Kudos for trying out your own homemade sweetened condensed milk and my hats off to you for such a beautiful ice cream recipe!
Rebecca Winkler says
Thank you so much, Julia!
Katalina @ Peas & Peonies says
I am so in love with no churn ice cream after I tried it last week, and this flavor must be recreated, love it!
Rebecca Winkler says
Thank you, Katalina! I'm in love with no churn ice cream, too 🙂