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Creamy No-Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream Recipe

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This creamy no-churn salted caramel ice cream requires no ice cream maker, just five ingredients and fifteen minutes of prep. It’s incredibly rich, scoopable, and features beautiful ribbons of homemade salted caramel.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 can (14 oz / 397g) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup (240ml) homemade salted caramel sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • For the quick salted caramel sauce (if making from scratch):
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. Make the salted caramel sauce (if making from scratch): Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. The sugar will clump at first—don’t panic. Keep stirring. It will eventually melt into a deep amber liquid. This takes about 6-8 minutes. Watch it carefully because sugar burns fast. Once the sugar is completely melted and dark amber (think the color of a copper penny), remove it from heat immediately. Add the butter pieces and w…
  2. Whip the heavy cream: Pour the cold heavy cream into your large mixing bowl. Using your hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. This takes about 3-4 minutes with a stand mixer, maybe 5-6 with a hand mixer. How do you know it’s ready? Lift the whisk attachment—the cream should hold its shape without drooping. It should look like whipped cream you’d pipe on a pie. Be careful not to over-whip, or you’ll end up with butter.
  3. Combine the base ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until smooth. This doesn’t take long—maybe 30 seconds. The mixture should be thick and pale yellow.
  4. Fold everything together: Pour the sweetened condensed milk mixture over the whipped cream. Using your rubber spatula, gently fold everything together. The motion is like you’re turning a page—down through the middle, across the bottom, up the side, and over the top. Rotate the bowl as you go. Fold until no white streaks remain. The mixture should be uniform in color and texture, light and airy like mousse. Don’t stir or mix aggressively—you’ll deflate all that air you worked so hard to create.
  5. Layer with caramel: Spoon about one-third of the cream mixture into your loaf pan or container. Drizzle about one-third of the cooled caramel sauce over the top. Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl it through—don’t overdo it, or you’ll lose the distinct ribbons. Repeat with another layer of cream mixture, more caramel, and another gentle swirl. Finish with the remaining cream mixture and the last of the caramel sauce. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of caramel for drizzling on top after freezing.
  6. Freeze: Press a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream. This prevents ice crystals from forming. Cover the container with its lid or another layer of foil. Freeze for at least 6 hours, but overnight is better. The ice cream needs time to set properly. I know it’s tempting to check after 3 hours—resist the urge. It’ll be too soft and you’ll be disappointed.
  7. Serve: Remove the ice cream from the freezer about 5-10 minutes before scooping. This softens it just enough for easy scooping without melting. Drizzle with that reserved caramel sauce and sprinkle with extra flaky sea salt right before serving.

Notes

Temperature matters: heavy cream must be cold. Let caramel cool completely before adding. Don’t over-swirl the caramel. Freeze at the back of the freezer for consistent temperature. Let ice cream sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping. For best texture, consume within 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Keywords: no-churn ice cream, salted caramel, easy ice cream, homemade ice cream, no ice cream maker, caramel ice cream

Find it online: https://lindabake.com/creamy-no-churn-salted-caramel-ice-cream-recipe/