Delicious cherry vanilla ice cream made from scratch. Easy to make no-churn ice cream with condensed milk, fresh cherries, and vanilla.
The vanilla cherry ice cream is perfect for these hot summer days. Sweet, fruity, refreshing, easy to make, and always a delight.
A simple no-churn ice cream recipe made with condensed milk. And that means:
- No eggs.
- No need to cook a custard base.
- No extra sugar is needed; the condensed milk is sweet enough.
- No ice cream maker is required.
And if you like no-churn ice cream, try our Black Currant Ice Cream or the Strawberry or Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Or make some Cherry Popsicles.
Table of contents
Only four ingredients
Cherries:
- You can make vanilla cherry ice cream with sweet or sour cherries. I’ve made it with both sorts, and although I love both versions, I admit I’d rather make it with sour cherries; they are stronger flavored and impart the dessert a light tart flavor.
- You will need 350 g/ 12.5 oz fresh sweet or sour cherries, weighed after pitting. You should have enough if you buy about 450 g/ 1 pound of cherries.
Condensed milk:
- Sweetened condensed milk from a can.
- One can usually contains about 400 ml/ 14 oz milk.
Vanilla extract:
- Make sure to use good-quality pure vanilla extract.
- I used 2 teaspoons of it, but how much you need might depend on your brand.
- Taste the mixture and add a bit more if necessary; you should be able to taste the vanilla flavor.
Heavy whipping cream to make the mixture even smoother, creamier, and richer.
How to make cherry vanilla ice cream?
- Step 1: Prepare the fruit. Stone it with a cherry pitter; it’s cheap and super-helpful (Amazon affiliate link). Remove about ½ cup of cherries and chop them finely. Blend the rest until smooth (1).
- Step 2: Whip the heavy cream (2).
- Step 3: Mix condensed milk, vanilla extract, and cherry puree in a large bowl.
- Step 4: Fold in the whipped cream and the chopped fruit (3).
- Step 5: Line the freezing container with plastic wrap. Pour in the ice cream mixture. Cover with more plastic wrap (4).
- Step 6: Freeze for 12 hours or until solid.
Variations
- Canned cherries: Drain them well before blending. Remember that canned cherries are sweetened, making the dessert even sweeter. Or you can learn to preserve cherries my way; they are only very lightly sweetened.
- Other fruit or berries: Use other soft fruit like berries, peaches, nectarines, etc.
Expert tips
Ensure that the liquid mixture is well covered with plastic wrap so that it doesn’t form any ice crystals on the surface and doesn’t absorb any freezer odors.
The ingredients (condensed milk and heavy cream) should be chilled before use.
Let the vanilla cherry ice cream sit on the counter for a while before scooping it so that it can soften slightly. 10-15 minutes should do it.
Recipe FAQ
Thick, very sweet, sticky, slightly yellowish milk. It’s made from cow’s milk cooked down to remove the water. Lots of sugar is added, and the milk is super sweet. The sugar prolongs its shelf-life, meaning a can of milk can be kept for years.
It’s not the same as evaporated milk. Evaporated milk has no sugar, so you can’t substitute one for the other.
A medium-sized freezer-safe container like a glass or plastic box or a small loaf pan.
Vanilla cherry ice cream is best when consumed within 2 months. Keep it well covered in the freezer.
More cherry desserts
Vanilla Cherry Ice Cream (No-Churn)
Equipment
- One medium freezer-safe container
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 350 g cherries weighed after pitting 12.5 oz, Note 1
- 250 ml heavy whipping cream 1 cup
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 400 ml/ 14 oz
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract more to taste
Instructions
- Cherries: Pit the cherries with a cherry pitter. Weigh 350 g/ 12.5 of pitted cherries. Finely chop about ½ cup of the cherries. Blend the rest until smooth with a stick blender or food processor.
- Whip the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- Ice cream base: In a large bowl, mix condensed milk, vanilla extract, and cherry puree. Fold in the whipped cream and chopped cherries.
- Line a freezer-safe container with plastic wrap. Pour in the cherry mixture. Cover well with more plastic wrap, placing it directly on the mixture’s surface. Cover with another layer of plastic wrap placed directly on the ice cream surface. If your container has a lid, place it on top. Otherwise, cover with aluminum foil (Note 2).
- Freeze for 12 hours or until solid. Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving to allow it to soften up slightly and become more scoopable.
Notes
- Fresh sweet or sour cherries (I prefer sour as they impart the ice cream a tart flavor). You can use canned and preferably unsweetened or very lightly sweetened canned cherries.
- Placing the plastic wrap directly on the surface reduces the formation of ice crystals and prevents the ice cream from absorbing any freezer odors.
mjskitchen
Saturday 16th of July 2022
Cherry vanilla is one of my favorite ice cream flavors! This looks SO good and very easy to make. Love ice creams with condensed milk rather than eggs.