9 Best No-Churn Ice Cream Recipes You Can Make Without a Fancy Machine

"This is really yummy and so easy! I think I like this better than commercial ice cream," says Allrecipes member Ivy, who tried making this homemade frozen treat in her own kitchen. It's so easy because you just need to use an electric mixer to fluff up whipped cream, then fold that into a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. (Make your own vanilla extract or opt for Ina Garten's fave, Nielsen-Massey International Vanilla Starter Kit, $43 for three 2-ounce bottles; Amazon.) Then all that's left to do is freeze the sweet vanilla ice cream until hardened, or for about 5 hours.

Like the 21st century version of the 1990s classic rainbow sherbet, this mermaid ice cream gets its vibrant hues from food coloring and colorful sprinkles swirled through the custard. That custard, by the way, is lusciously creamy courtesy of easy-freezing heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk. Again, this starts with whipping the cream, folding that into the milk, then you'll divide this base into four separate bowls to tint individual colors. In a chilled loaf pan, add a few scoops of each and use a butter knife to draw lines and swirls to create the eye-catching marble effect. Freeze for 6 hours and prepare for oohs and aahs.

"It definitely tastes like ice cream and come to think of it, it's the dietary equivalent of eating one banana and one tablespoon of peanut butter per serving which is pretty healthy," raves Allrecipes fan KBJR who rated this peanut butter dessert worthy of five stars. "I can't wait to make this again!" Seriously, all that's required to make this easy no-churn ice cream: Frozen ripe bananas, nut butter, and a powerful food processor.

If you were ever in scouts or had an incredible science teacher in elementary school, you may already be familiar with the concept of ice cream in a zip-top bag. If not, here's a primer: Add milk, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla in a resealable bag and close it tightly. In a larger bag, toss in ice rock salt (such as Morton Ice Cream Rock Salt, $15 for two 4-pound boxes; Amazon) and this smaller dairy-filled bag. Rotate and rock the bag back and forth until the contents thicken enough to resemble ice cream. The salt makes freezer-quick magic happen in minutes. Cool!

Summer tastes like this lemon dessert. It's like the lovechild of lemonade and soft-serve ice cream, and the whipped consistency and sweet-tart flavor exude sunshiney vibes. Simply whip cream into cloud-like soft peaks, fold in thawed frozen lemonade concentrate and add powdered sugar to taste. Freeze until solid then scoop up the dreamy sweet treat.

This warmly-spiced chocolate sorbet is so silky, everyone will be convinced you churned in an ice cream maker; or perhaps even by hand. It will be our little secret that frozen ripe bananas, a splash of milk, and some cocoa powder, cinnamon, and vanilla are all you need to add to a high-powered blender to blitz it to soft serve consistency.

Why choose cake or ice cream when you can enjoy both in the same bite — and recipe? Allrecipes fan Amy Jo McCord swears this electric hand mixer-whipped blend is, "even better than the premium brands of 'birthday cake' ice cream. I used a regular yellow cake mix and added some colored sprinkles...can't wait to try this with some different flavored cake mixes like 'cinnamon bun.'" After combining the ingredients, transfer to a loaf pan and freeze until you're ready to share your two-in-one treat.

Come winter, make the most of fresh snowfall in this kid-friendly dessert idea. Gather 2 quarts of snow (that has fallen within the past 2 hours so it's nice and clean), and stir together with milk, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and vanilla. Freeze for a couple hours and then assemble a sundae to complete your picture perfect snow day.

Whip cream with a hand mixer. Beat in sweetened condensed milk. Stir in desired mix-ins. Freeze. That's truly all it takes to make this magic dessert that is "simply fantastic! No churning or need for special ingredients or much labor. I made it twice (so far). Once I added grated chocolate and once I added chopped up cherries. Success, as measured by the rapid disappearance both times," says reviewer WILFREDA.