Coffee Ice Cream
There’s no ice cream machine needed to make this rich coffee ice cream! It’s an easy no-churn recipe that scoops well and is delicious topped with whipped cream or hot fudge sauce.
This homemade coffee ice cream is simple to prepare at home using kitchen equipment you already own — no need to invest in a bulky ice cream machine!
I used my foolproof no-churn ice cream recipe as the jumping off point for this coffee version. To impart a rich coffee flavor and keep things simple, I opted to use instant coffee. Instant coffee dissolves easily into the ice cream base and infuses it with a delicious, concentrated coffee flavor.
This ice cream would be delicious scooped into waffle cones, or served in a bowl topped with hot fudge sauce or chocolate magic shell for a mocha-flavored frozen treat. It would even be fantastic in my homemade ice cream cake!
What You Need
- Instant Coffee: Make sure to use instant coffee (not regular coffee) so that it dissolves properly. I used Folgers Classic Roast instant coffee, but you can use any kind that you prefer.
- Heavy Cream: Gets whipped to stiff peaks and folded into the ice cream base. This is how we avoid using an ice cream maker.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Not to be confused with evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk is thick, syrupy, and very sweet.
- Vanilla Extract: Creates a more nuanced coffee-flavored ice cream.
- Salt: A little salt is needed to balance out the sweetness of the condensed milk and enhance the coffee flavor.
How To Make Coffee Ice Cream
- In a small dish, whisk together the instant coffee granules and a few tablespoons of heavy whipping cream. Let this mixture sit until the coffee has completely dissolved. I tested this recipe by dissolving the instant coffee in hot water and while it worked, the ice cream was a little bit icy because of the extra water. Dissolving the coffee in the heavy cream not only makes things easier, but the ice cream stays super creamy!
- Once the instant coffee has dissolved, whisk the mixture together with the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In other words, when you lift your beaters up out of the bowl the peaks of whipped cream stand straight up.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the coffee mixture. I suggest adding the cream in two stages, so you don’t over mix it.
- Scoop the ice cream into a 9×5-inch loaf pan and smooth it out.
- Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the ice cream and freeze for at least 8 hours before scooping. I prefer to make mine the day before and let it freeze overnight!
Mix-In Options
Consider this ice cream a blank canvas for any mix-ins you like! The coffee flavor pairs nicely with:
- Crushed Oreo cookies
- Mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- Toffee baking chips
- Chocolate-covered espresso beans
- Peanut butter
- Peanut butter baking chips
- Salted caramel sauce
Recipe Tips
- This recipe will only set up properly if you use full-fat dairy products. Half and half, whole milk, or a reduced fat sweetened condensed milk won’t work.
- If you prefer a lighter coffee flavor, feel free to reduce the instant coffee to 1 or 1 ½ tablespoons.
- I tested this recipe with Folgers classic roast instant coffee, which works great! If you have a favorite instant coffee that dissolves easily, you may use that instead.
Coffee Ice Cream
There's no ice cream machine needed to make this rich coffee ice cream! It's an easy no-churn recipe that scoops well and is delicious topped with whipped cream or hot fudge sauce.
Ingredients
Servings: 8 servings
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee (9 grams; I used Folgers classic roast)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (can remove from the carton for the ice cream)
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (1 pint; 480 ml)
Instructions
- Add the instant coffee and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to a small mixing bowl and stir for a few seconds or until well combined. Set aside for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the instant coffee has completely dissolved.
- Add the coffee mixture, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, add the heavy whipping cream. Start mixing on low speed. Once the mixture starts to increase in volume, increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until just combined.
- Scoop the ice cream into a 9×5 loaf pan and smooth it out into one even layer.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream and transfer it to the freezer to freeze overnight (or for at least 8 hours).
Notes
Freezing Instructions: Ice cream will freeze well for 2 to 3 months. Make sure to cover it tightly to prevent any ice crystals from forming on top of the ice cream.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.
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Can I use this recipe and use an ice cream maker?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe, it’s meant to be made without an ice cream machine 🙂
I would like to try this recipe for friends that are visiting next month. Their favorite flavor is pistachio.
Do you have a variation for that flavor.
Thanks for your help.
Leslie
I don’t, but I think you could use my no-churn ice cream base here to make one! I would probably mix about 1/2 cup of pistachio butter into the ice cream base and add more, if needed. If you can’t find any, you could process some lightly salted pistachios in a food processor to make pistachio butter.
Danielle, could you substitute espresso for the regular instant coffee, or how about the contents of a K cup. Thanks
You could substitute instant espresso powder for the instant coffee. If you do, I would recommend starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more as needed. I don’t recommend making espresso with water and using that because it will make the ice cream icy.
I am super eager to try this recipe. I like the fact you don’t need an ice cream maker to create the ice cream. It looks really delicious. I bet you could use this recipe to create other flavors as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Sue! This recipe works as a great base for other flavors too, I have several different no-churn ice cream recipes here 🙂