This quick and easy Homemade No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream is smooth, rich, extra creamy, incredibly delicious, and made with just 4 basic ingredients...no ice cream maker required!
Coffee lovers, ice cream lovers, coffee ice cream lovers, and lovers of all things that are super simple to make, this one's for you. It's so easy and so good you may never buy coffee ice cream ever again!
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When the weather starts to warm up, the ice cream and ice pop recipes become really popular here on the blog, especially the no-churn vanilla and chocolate ice cream.
I love both of those, but my all-time favorite ice cream flavor is coffee. So I took the recipe for vanilla no-churn ice cream and added a few tablespoons of instant coffee to the mix...and ended up with the best coffee ice cream I've ever had!
It's got the perfect coffee flavor, the perfect amount of sweetness, and it's sooo irresistibly creamy and smooth.
And the best part is that it's so very quick and easy to make!
This homemade coffee ice cream will only take you 10 minutes to whip up. Then comes the hard part...waiting for it to freeze, which takes about 8 hours (so be sure to make it the day before you want to enjoy it).
But, oh my goodness, it's totally worth the wait!
What is No-Churn Ice Cream?
No-churn ice cream is simply ice cream that's made without the use of an ice cream maker. There's also no eggs and, therefore, no cooking is required (hooray for that!).
Instead, you whip together heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and other flavoring ingredients until you get stiff peaks (this creates a similar aerated effect to the one that you would get with an ice cream maker). Then you fold in any add-ins you might want, if any, and freeze.
The result is a super smooth and creamy ice cream that'll knock your socks off!
What Type of Coffee You Should Use
For this no-churn ice cream, instant coffee is what you want to use. It infuses the ice cream with a wonderful coffee flavor without watering it down at all.
Use your favorite brand of instant coffee, regular or decaffeinated. I use Folger's instant decaf, and it's awesome in this ice cream (#notsponsored)!
You can also use instant espresso powder for a bolder coffee flavor.
I find that there's no need to pre-dissolve the instant coffee in water before adding it in with the other ingredients. By the time everything is whipped together, it's dissolved nicely.
Ingredients You Need
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Heavy whipping cream
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Vanilla extract
- Instant coffee (regular or decaffeinated)
Special Equipment Needed
- Electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk/whipping attachment (alternately, you can use a mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer).
If you don't have either of those, you can use a mixing bowl, a whisk and some good old-fashioned elbow grease and whip it by hand (it'll just take a little longer...but, hey, you'll get a little arm workout!).
How to Make Homemade No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream
Note: This is just a brief overview of the steps. Scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
- Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk/whipping attachment.
- Whip just until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container with a lid and smooth out the top with a spoon or spatula (I use a 1½-quart loaf pan).
- Cover the top of the ice cream with plastic wrap, then put the lid on the container.
- Freeze for 8 hours or until firm.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tidbits
- Different brands of instant coffee will differ in their strength and flavor, plus we all have different tastes. With my favorite brand, 3 tablespoons is the perfect amount for the flavor that I enjoy. Please feel free to adjust the amount of instant coffee to suit your own taste!
- Be sure to start with cold heavy cream straight from the refrigerator. It'll whip up easier and faster.
- Although I don't find it necessary, you can also chill your mixing bowl before starting if you'd like.
- When whipping the mixture, stop as soon as stiff peaks form (when you pull the whisk straight up out of the mixture, the peaks will stand up straight without curling over).
- Be careful of over-whipping; if you do, the cream will start to break, and you will end up with the beginnings of butter, which is a no-go.
- If your ice cream is really hard and difficult to scoop after freezing, just let it sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it up a bit.
Substitutions
- For a more intense coffee flavor, you can use instant espresso powder. Since it has a stronger flavor than regular coffee, you might consider using 2 tablespoons instead of 3 (but that's up to you).
Mix-In Ideas (Optional)
I love this coffee ice cream as-is, but you can also change it up by adding some mix-ins (gently fold them in after whipping). Here are some ideas:
- Chocolate chips (mini chocolate chips would be perfect here) or chopped chocolate pieces
- Toffee bits or pieces (this one is my favorite, especially the ones covered in chocolate)
- Nuts
- Caramel or chocolate sauce (something thicker like hot fudge ice cream topping); gently swirl it in
- Cookie pieces
Storage
This no-churn coffee ice cream will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer. Put a plastic wrap on top of the ice cream before putting the lid on the container to help prevent ice crystals from forming (do this each time you take it out of and put it back in the freezer).
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it as-is in a bowl or cone.
- Turn it into a sundae by adding your favorite toppings, such as chocolate sauce and/or caramel sauce, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry.
- Use it to make a milkshake or float.
- Put it between two cookies to make an ice cream sandwich.
Love homemade ice cream? Also try my No-Churn Whitehouse Cherry Ice Cream.
I hope you try this Homemade No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Frozen Dessert Recipes To Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Homemade No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee, regular or decaffeinated (or to taste)
Special Equipment
- electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk/whipping attachment (alternately, you can use a mixing bowl and electric hand mixer; or, if you don't have either of these, you can whip it by hand with a mixing bowl and a whisk)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk/whipping attachment.
- Beat on low to medium speed just until the mixture starts to thicken slightly, then increase the speed to high and beat just until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes (this is just a guideline; go by the look and not the time). As needed, stop the machine and scrape any coffee granules off the sides and any sweetened condensed milk off the bottom of the bowl.To test for stiff peaks, turn off the mixer and pull the whisk or beaters straight up out of the cream mixture. If it forms peaks that stand up straight and don't droop over, you've got stiff peaks. Check it as often as you need to so that you don't over-beat it, which will cause the cream to break.
- Transfer the mixture to a 1½-quart (6-cup) airtight freezer-safe container (or larger) that has a tight-fitting lid. Smooth out the top of the ice cream with a spoon or spatula. I use a freezer-safe glass loaf pan that came with a matching lid and that measures 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches. The ice cream fits perfectly in it.
- Cover the top of the ice cream with plastic wrap (this will help prevent ice crystals from forming), then cover with the lid.
- Freeze for at least 8 hours or until the ice cream is firm. Enjoy!
Notes
- Different brands of instant coffee will differ in their strength and flavor, plus we all have different tastes. With my favorite brand, 3 tablespoons is the perfect amount for the flavor that I enjoy. Please feel free to adjust the amount of instant coffee to suit your own taste!
- You can also use instant espresso powder if you'd like (since it is usually more intense than regular coffee, you might want to consider using less).
- If your ice cream is really hard and difficult to scoop after freezing, just let it sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it up a bit.
- This no-churn coffee ice cream will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer. Put a plastic wrap on top of the ice cream before putting the lid on the container to help prevent ice crystals from forming (do this each time you take it out of and put it back in the freezer).
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