This no-churn peanut butter ice cream contains only 5 ingredients and doesn’t require any special equipment to make. Flavoured with real peanut butter and loaded with peanut butter cups, this ice cream is rich and decadent treat.
Peanut butter cup ice cream is always one of my favourites when we treat ourselves to a cone. So I was really excited when I found a way to make it myself without having to invest in an ice cream maker to do so.
This no-churn ice cream has a creamy texture and rich flavour. With only 5 ingredients it is both easy and cheap to make.
While it doesn’t have the exact texture of churned ice cream it is remarkably close. I do find, however, that it melts a bit quicker than traditional ice cream, so you’ll want to make sure you are dishing it up when you’re ready to sit down and enjoy it.
I use Reese’s peanut butter cups in this recipe, simply because they’ve always been my favourite. But you can use whatever you like. You could easily customize this by chopping up your favourite peanut butter candy bar as well.
This recipe comes together with minimal prep time, easy-to-find ingredients and requires no special equipment.
Unlike most ice cream recipes, this no-churn ice cream doesn’t need to be cooked and only requires time in the freezer to set it.
As far as a container for freezing, you can use whatever you have. I use an 8×8 metal pan, but you can use a loaf pan, a round cake pan, or even a simple metal bowl.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You only require five ingredients to make this no-churn ice cream.
- Sweetened condensed milk – adds the sweetness and contributes to the creamy texture
- Whipping cream – creates the bulk of the ice cream. The high fat content adds to the creamy texture and keeps it from crystallizing.
- Peanut butter – you can use creamy or crunchy, whichever you prefer.
- Vanilla – enhances the flavours, but can be omitted if you don’t have it.
- Mini peanut butter cups – I use mini peanut butter cups because they have a higher chocolate to peanut butter ratio, but you can use regular peanut butter cups. As an alternative, you can chop up any of your favourite peanut butter candy bars.
Step by Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla
- In a separate bowl, beat the whip cream until it is light, fluffy and it holds peaks.
- Add the whip cream to the peanut butter mixture and gently fold it in until well incorporated, but still fluffy.
- Chop the peanut butter cups into smaller pieces and then add them to the cream mixture. Stir to combine
- Pour the mixture into an 8×8 metal pan and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours to set.
Once the ice cream is frozen it is ready to eat. Remove the pan from the freezer, scoop with an ice cream scoop or metal spoon, and serve.
This ice cream will melt quickly if left out, so be sure to return the remaining ice cream to the freezer right away.
Pro Tip – Using a shallow metal pan, like an 8×8, will help the ice cream set faster. If you don’t have an 8×8 you can use a loaf pan, round pan or metal bowl. If you don’t need this to freeze quickly then you can use a plastic container.
How to serve no-churn ice cream
You can serve this peanut butter ice cream the same way you’d serve any ice cream.
One of my favourite ways to serve this is in a chocolate dipped cone. It is easy to make your own fancy cones at home using store bought cones, some melted chocolate and sprinkles.
Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl or over a double boiler on the stove. Dip the cones in the chocolate, then dip them in sprinkles. Place them on a tray and stick them in the refrigerator for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
You could also serve this in waffle bowls or regular bowls.
Sometimes we eat it straight out of the container we froze it in.
Top Tips & FAQS
If stored in an airtight container, there is no reason why this ice cream shouldn’t keep for a few months. You can freeze it directly in a plastic tub if you don’t plan on eating it right away, or you can scoop it from the metal pan into a container after it’s frozen.
Unfortunately I have not found any good substitute for either the whipping cream or the sweetened condensed milk. It seems to be the combination of these two ingredients that results in the best texture.
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Printable Recipe
No-Churn Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 Can (14 oz) Sweetened condensed milk
- ½ Cup Peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Cups Cold whipping cream
- 1 Cup Mini peanut butter cups
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, beat the whip cream until it holds peaks.
- Add the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture and gently fold it in until it's well mixed, but still fluffy.
- Roughly chop the peanut butter cups and then add them to the cream mixture gently stirring to mix.
- Pour the ice cream into a metal 8×8 pan, or you can use a loaf pan.
- Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight to firm up before serving.
- To serve, allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then scoop into cones or bowls.
- This ice cream tends to melt quickly, so be sure to scoop just before serving and immediatly return the remainder to the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.