Rich and creamy peanut butter ice cream is loaded with chunks of peanut butter cups in every bite! It’s an easy no-churn recipe that anyone can make. No ice cream machine needed!

Three scoops of peanut butter ice cream in a small bowl.

This double peanut butter ice cream is made using my never-fail, no-churn ice cream base. It’s such a simple recipe, but the resulting ice cream is always perfectly rich and creamy, and there are so many flavor combinations you can create with it.

For this peanut butter version, I incorporated a full cup of peanut butter into the ice cream. I also chopped up some peanut butter cups and folded them into the ice cream before freezing it for even more peanut butter flavor.

This ice cream is delicious scooped into a waffle cone, but you can also create decadent sundaes by topping it with homemade magic shell or hot fudge sauce!

An overhead view of the ingredients needed for peanut butter ice cream.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Peanut Butter: Use a creamy, no-stir peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter for this recipe.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk: Is sweet and syrupy. This is what makes the ice cream so rich and smooth. Make sure not to confuse it with evaporated milk, they are not the same!
  • Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract will deliver the best flavor.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: Make sure it’s at least 36% fat. The heavy cream gets whipped to stiff peaks, which allows you to skip the ice cream machine for this recipe.
  • Peanut Butter Cups: I prefer to chop up full-size peanut butter cups, but you may substitute mini peanut butter cups if desired.
Melted peanut butter in a glass mixing bowl.
A peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk mixture in a glass mixing bowl, with a whisk.

How To Make Peanut Butter Ice Cream

  1. Warm the peanut butter: Add the creamy peanut butter to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals until smooth.
  2. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla: You can go ahead and do this immediately, no need to wait for the peanut butter to cool.
An overhead view of whipped cream in the bowl of a stand mixer.
An overhead view of a peanut butter ice cream base in a glass mixing bowl, with a rubber spatula.
  1. Make the whipped cream: Add the heavy whipping cream to a separate bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream until stiff peaks form.
  2. Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture: I recommend adding half of the whipped cream at a time to prevent all of the air from getting knocked out.
An overhead view of a peanut butter cup ice cream base in a glass mixing bowl, with a rubber spatula.
An overhead view of PB ice cream in a loaf pan, with plastic wrap pressed on top.
  1. Add the peanut butter cups: Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the chopped peanut butter cups into the ice cream base.
  2. Freeze overnight: Scoop the ice cream into a loaf pan and smooth it out. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the ice cream and freeze for at least 8 hours before scooping.
A loaf pan of peanut butter ice cream, with an ice cream scoop resting on top.

Recipe Variations

Even though this ice cream contains just five ingredients, there are a few different ways you can customize the recipe:

  • Omit the peanut butter cups: You’ll end up with a classic peanut butter ice cream.
  • Replace the peanut butter cups: Add 1 cup of chopped Oreo cookies, peanut butter baking chips, chopped peanuts, chunks of homemade brownies, or your favorite mix-in.
  • Replace the peanut butter: Try using a no-stir almond butter instead (it has to be no-stir; natural nut butters will not work well in this recipe).
A peanut butter ice cream cone lying on its side.

Recipe Tips

  • Do not substitute the heavy cream with a lower-fat alternative such as half and half. The heavy cream must be whipped to stiff peaks before being folded into the ice cream, otherwise it will not set up properly.
  • Be very gentle when adding the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture. You don’t want to knock the air out of the cream!
  • When you cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap, make sure the plastic wrap is directly touching the ice cream. This keeps a skin from forming on top of the ice cream and also prevents freezer burn.
A bowl filled with three scoops of peanut butter ice cream.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Freezing Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Rich and creamy peanut butter ice cream is loaded with chunks of peanut butter cups in every bite! It's an easy no-churn recipe that anyone can make. No ice cream machine needed!
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Ingredients

Servings: 10 servings
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (250 grams; like Jif or Skippy – avoid natural pb)
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream (1 pint; 480 ml)
  • 10 full size peanut butter cups chopped (or 1 heaping cup chopped miniature peanut butter cups)

Instructions
 

  • Add the peanut butter to a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 to 30 second increments until the peanut butter is melted and smooth.
  • Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until well combined. 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 peanut butter mixture, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until just combined. The mixture will be pretty thick, so you can use your mixer on low speed to mix in the whipped cream if needed.
  • Gently fold in the chopped peanut butter cups.
  • 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).
  • Once the ice cream is frozen, scoop, and enjoy!

Notes

Storage 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.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle Rye
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.

More No-Churn Ice Cream Flavors to Try!

Strawberry Ice Cream

Oreo Ice Cream

Pumpkin Ice Cream

No-Churn Blackberry Pie Ice Cream