We all love ice cream, don’t we? I love justifying a cone or bowl simply because it’s warm enough for me to want one. And while stopping at an ice cream parlour and being faced with a daunting array of flavour is one of the treats of summer, I’m also a fan of making it myself. 

There are three main ways of making ice cream: the traditional method, where I make a custard with milk, cream, eggs and sugar, then flavour it and freeze it, either taking it out of the freezer every half an hour or so to beat out the crystals, or using an ice cream machine; or some variation of this technique. 

Second is no-churn ice cream, a simpler option where whipped cream is mixed with condensed milk, flavoured and frozen. Finally, there are the vegan recipes. These use a variety of methods, but blending frozen bananas is common. 

Despite all the photos of ice cream made in baking tins, it really is better to store it in a sealed plastic container. So if you’re ready let’s get freezing! 

I’m starting with my favourite technique—no churn ice cream. No-churn Twix ice cream is a tasty five-ingredient ice cream inspired by the favourite chocolate bar. A soft creamy scoopable chocolate ice cream with a delicious caramel swirl and a chocolate, caramel and biscuit topping. You’ll love this indulgent treat! It’s easily both egg free and gluten free.

Another no-churn ice cream, but one that’s definitely for adults only. A no-churn, light, summery, red-wine infused ice cream with hints of strawberry and salted dark chocolate. Takes only ten minutes to prep and four hours to freeze before you can indulge.

Sticking with ice cream for grown-ups, this version infuses milk with mint before adding cream and sugar and then freezing. I love the sound of the bourbon and butter sauce! I’m a big fan of hot sauces served on ice cream: sometimes I heat some jam in the microwave and drizzle that on top of whatever ice cream I’ve got in the freezer. 

A vegan ice cream, made with home-made cashew milk. The cashew milk has to be homemade to be thick enough, but it’s easy enough if you’ve got a blender. Nutty and flavoured with coconut; a winner! 

I love blueberry cheesecake, and I love ice cream (I might have mentioned that). So this is a double whammy! It’s a new technique that I hadn’t heard of before, using cream cheese, sour cream and half-and-half—an equal mixture of single cream and milk. Blend together then freeze in an ice-cream machine. 

Back to ice cream in its most traditional form: a custard made of cream, eggs, milk and sugar that’s frozen using an ice cream machine. Butter pecan is a traditional American flavour: if you like pecan pie (like me), then you’ll love this. 

Back to an easy no churn ice cream, made with only four ingredients. Raspberries are pureed and then sieved to remove the pips. This puree is then swirled through the whipped cream and condensed milk to make a delicious looking ice cream, ready for the freezer. 

This is one for slightly later in the year, when fresh soft fruit isn’t so available. All the flavours of apple pie – the fruit, the pastry bites combined with the ice dream. 

Easy Three Ingredient Toblerone Ice Cream. This recipe is no-churn so no need for an ice cream maker taking up valuable freezer space. This recipe is so simple and easy to make, you will be making batch after batch. 

Another no churn recipe—this time with refreshing lemon. You could make lemon curd for this (it’s very, very easy in the microwave) but a good quality shop-bought one does just as well. For some extra pizzazz stir in a few crushed meringue shells for lemon meringue pie ice cream.

Helen Best-Shaw, is a freelance food & travel writer, recipe developer & photographer. She has been blogging at Fuss Free Flavours for over 10 years.  

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