Are you a big coffee fan? Do you already adore store-bought coffee ice cream and keep your freezer stocked with as much of it as you can? Ever wonder just how easy it might be to make your own ice cream, even without a machine? Well, caffeine-loving friend, look no further. This is, by far, the easiest coffee ice cream recipe you could ever hope for. From the ingredient list to the actual work, this whole thing is a cinch.
So, ingredients first: You only need whipping cream, coffee, and condensed milk. The steps are a breeze, too. First, you’re going to want to whip your cream until it’s nice and thick. This incorporates and retains air into your mixture so the final ice cream has a light, delicately smooth texture. It also adds some extra fat and oil, which keeps your ice cream from freezing into a solid, unscoopable block. Add a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk next, which gives you all the sugar you need, along with some extra dairy richness. Finally, you’ll want to mix in either a cup of cooled brewed coffee or ¼ cup of the instant stuff mixed with equal parts water, though you’re totally free to go hog wild and add as much as you want. As a pro tip, we suggest using a hand mixer, or you’ll be giving your wrist and arm a heavy-duty workout. Once everything’s mixed up, just pour it into a container, freeze it, and scoop it. Voila! Ice cream: complete.
Different ways to infuse coffee flavor into your coffee ice cream
The easiest way is to make some coffee yourself and use that directly. If you’ve already made some strong iced coffee or even brewed up a daily pot, you can dip into that and save yourself some time and effort. If you want to infuse more flavor, you can soak your coffee beans in the cream first. By allowing your cream to soak up all the flavors and oils of the coffee beans, you’ll get a much more intense and aromatic coffee flavor throughout the ice cream. This takes a bit more time, though, as you’ll want to give it time to soak before using it. We suggest letting it soak for up to 24 hours.
You can dress up your ice cream even more if you’re feeling fancy. Create the easiest caramel of your life and add it in ribbons throughout your coffee ice cream. You can even make candied or chocolate-covered coffee beans by simply dipping your beans in melted sugar or tempered chocolate and tossing them over the top of your ice cream mixture when it’s partially frozen. The world is your coffee-infused oyster, and when you save so much time on the actual ice cream-making itself, you can take as long as you want dressing it up and making it your perfect frozen dessert pick.
