After-dinner ice cream cravings are unavoidable, but sometimes our wallets and energy levels are just not up for going out. I like to chill in bed and revel in the relaxation of the night after I eat dinner, but sooner or later that sweet tooth always kicks in. It’s such a drag to drive all the way out for a scoop or two of ice cream so late at night, but what you might not know is that you can make some awesome homemade ice cream using ingredients right from your pantry.
You can make any flavor that comes to mind with the sweetness and texture that you like (the night before a big test, the sugar content in my ice cream goes waaaay up). Here are nine simple homemade ice cream recipes that won’t break the bank (or your sanity, for that matter).
1. Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Remember the bagged ice cream that you used to make at summer camp? Get ready to experience that fun again, this time with a flavor upgrade. To make this nostalgic homemade vanilla ice cream, pour milk, sugar, vanilla extract, ice, and salt into a bag, give it a shake for 10 minutes, and BAM! Instant ice cream. You can even get an arm workout in the process.
2. Homemade Galaxy Ice Cream
The galaxy hype has died down a bit now, but to be honest, you can’t ever go wrong with an extraterrestrial food aesthetic. This unbelievably simple homemade galaxy ice cream is—wait for it—out of this world. Swirls of three different colors are topped with a plethora of stardust sprinkles, adding lots of fun texture and to complement the undeniable *brilliance* of its classic vanilla flavor.
3. Easy No-Churn Homemade Ice Cream
Inspired by my all-time favorite British food star, Nigella Lawson, this easy no-churn homemade ice cream uses only ingredients that you already have stocked in your pantry. This recipe gives you the perfect base to add whatever toppings you are craving, such as cookie dough, fresh fruit, or chocolate chips.
4. Oreo Cookie-Flavored Ice Cream
Oreo cookie-flavored ice cream is a staple that should always be present in your home. If an apocalypse comes, I’m 100 percent going to endure it with a container of cookies and cream ice cream in one hand, spoon in the other. This recipe allows you to always have it available to you while putting the supermarket varieties to shame.
#SpoonTip: A milkmaid tin is used in the recipe, but you can replace this with a can of sweetened condensed milk.
5. Mango Coconut Nice Cream
Picture this: You hate bananas, but you’ve been looking to sneak some nice cream into your diet lately. That might seem problematic, but this mango coconut nice cream offers us banana-haters another fruity solution. Frozen mango and coconut milk are all you need to beat the heat with this tropical treat. If you’re not into mango either, try using the same amount of your favorite frozen fruit instead as the base of this banana-less nice cream.
6. Blueberry Nice Cream
Ever wonder if you could eat ice cream for every meal? With blueberry nice cream, you absolutely can! While this recipe does use bananas, the blueberries give it a super refreshing balance. Its taste is similar to a smoothie, but you get a nice, extra creamy texture and nutrition from the fruits—it’s basically a win-win situation.
7. Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Another recipe featuring Oreos, but this time in a very different fashion (don’t worry—it’s just as delicious). You know those Oreo Mint milkshakes from Cookout? Yeah, that’s pretty much what this homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes like. If you’ve never had Oreos with mint, you will be very impressed when you try this combo. I mean, chocolate chips are cool and all, but adding Oreos brings this ice cream to a whole new level.
8. No-Churn Superman Ice Cream
Superman ice cream always reminds me of summertime beach trips with my family, so when I heard about this no-churn superman ice cream recipe, my inner 8-year-old was pumped. Cherry, Blue Moon, and vanilla are packed into colorful, comic-worthy scoops that will bring out the superhero in you (or maybe just the pre-teen version of yourself, but that’s OK, too).
9. Watermelon Ice Cream Bowls
Summer may be drawing to a close, but there’s no better way to savor the last of the warm sunshine than with these adorable watermelon ice cream bowls. The black “seeds” are actually dark chocolate chips sprinkled atop fresh watermelon sherbet—the ice cream itself even sits inside an edible chocolate bowl!
Making your ice cream from scratch adds a kind of ~flare~ to it, giving it a special quality that can’t be found in store-bought brands. With a plethora of homemade ice cream recipes for you to choose from, you will never again find yourself in a situation without fresh ice cream beckoning to you from your freezer.