The most popular question I’ve ever received on this website is whether you can make ice cream without a machine.

The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine.

Homemade Ice Cream Without A Machine

With 70+ ice cream recipes to choose from, that question comes up a few times a week, if not daily through the warmer months.

While I’ve described this method repeatedly in comments and emails through the years, it was past time to shoot some step-by-step photos and explain in detail in one post that can be easily referred back to.

Besides, who would ever turn down the chance to make some more ice cream, right?

There are a LOT of photos provided here to illustrate what the ice cream should look like at each step of the process.

If you aren’t here for the full tutorial, make use of that handy “Jump To Recipe” button at the top of the page.

How To Make Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker

Stir together your ice cream mixture and chill it if it isn’t cold already. Pour it into an 8-10 inch square baking dish.

I typically use this metal pan (because it freezes so quickly) however a glass pan will also work.

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This Ice Cream Maker Review has everything you need to know to choose the perfect ice cream machine!

UPDATED 6/20/22 to reflect current pricing and additional review information for these machines.

There are so many different ice cream makers on the market, it can be hard to even know where to begin. With the information here, you can find the best ice cream maker for your needs and start making your favorite frozen treats at home.

I have personally tested all of these machines, basing my choices for testing on customer reviews, and choosing the highest-rated machines in each category.

The same homemade ice cream recipe was used for every batch tested in these machines.

From ice cream compressors to making ice cream in a bag, I’ve got your frozen treats covered so that you can make the best purchase decision to satisfy all of your ice cream cravings!

Ice Cream Maker Reviews

• Electric Ice Cream Makers – frozen bowl, no ice required
• Electric Ice Cream Makers – add ice and salt
• Hand Crank Ice Cream Makers – add ice and salt
• Soft Serve Ice Cream Machine, Instant Ice Cream Maker, Ice Cream Ball, and Ice Cream In A Bag
• Compressor Ice Cream Makers – freezer compressor unit, no ice or frozen bowl required

Best Ice Cream Maker Results

The Best Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches start with the best ever perfectly chewy cookies. Over the years, I’ve made ice cream sandwiches using many different cookies.

In the end, I simply love the way the flavor in these oatmeal peanut butter cookies adds to the overall awesomeness of this frozen treat.

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

I’m happy to tell you that I’ve found the cookie recipe that works perfectly every single time. This cookie recipe is adapted from my grandmother’s recipe for Monster Cookies and I suspect that it may have been YOUR grandmother’s recipe as well.

When I discovered that the Monster Cookie recipe in my best friend’s cookbook from her mom was almost the exact same recipe that my grandmother used, it became even more fun every time I made those cookies.

I love that we all have so much sentimental attachment to our family recipes.

In the past, I’ve made Monster Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches using the original recipe, but I found that with a few tweaks, it was even better.

By adapting that recipe to make it a little bit chewier and less crunchy, it freezes and softens beautifully when it is layered with ice cream.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

I love making ice cream sandwiches with homemade ice cream. This recipe for Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream is hands down the easiest and best one you’ll ever make.

For these sandwiches, I churned a batch of ice cream while I started making the cookies. Then I stashed the ice cream in the freezer while the cookies were baking and cooling. The ice cream was

Reeses Ice Cream Pie

For those hot summer days or quiet winter nights Reeses Ice Cream Pie with chocolate crust is a cinch to throw together and absolutely no stress!

I know this makes me slightly un-American but I am not a huge ice cream fan. I am married to one and our kids are somewhere in between. After making our crazy popular peanut butter pie recipe the kids wanted an ice cream version and since it’s what we used to make for ice cream cakes minus the brownie bottom I decided to go for it. 

I was shocked that out of all of us it was little Grayson who devoured slice after slice. 

HOW?! I expected him to be sick to his stomach but ice cream does not phase the child! 

Peanut butter chocolate ice cream and gobs upon gobs of reese’s are piled high in a chocolate graham cracker pie crust. And here’s the best part, you can do whatever you want to it to make it your own!

Ingredients for Reeses Ice Cream Pie

The ingredients are simple and all revolve around chocolate and peanut butter…heaven!! I’ve linked to the different Reese’s products on Amazon just so you can see what I’m talking about. You don’t need to order them from there. They come in packs of like a million, so you definitely don’t need that much. And like I said, you can make it your own! I have a section below on other ideas for toppings. These are the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

For the Crust

• Chocolate Graham Cracker Crumbs
• Butter
• Sugar
• Hot Fudge

For the Pie

• Reese’s Ice Cream (Breyer’s brand is our go-to)
• Cool Whip
• Peanut Butter
• Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
• Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
• Mini Unwrapped Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

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