No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream

Name: No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 2 cups heavy whipping cream, ((35% cream)); 1 (10-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon cotton candy extract; Red and blue food coloring; Sprinkles, (optional)

This simple homemade, no-churn cotton candy ice cream makes for a delightfully creamy sweet treat that is perfect for parties or summer afternoons.

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Table of Contents

Cotton Candy Ice Cream Ingredients
How To Make This No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
More Recipes You’ll Love
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This easy cotton candy ice cream recipe is the perfect summer treat. With only a handful of simple ingredients, this creamy confection is a sure-fire winner with its bright colors and classic taste that is reminiscent of a summertime county fair.

No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream in a cup

Cotton Candy Ice Cream Ingredients

No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

2 cups whipping cream (35% heavy cream)
1 (10-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cotton candy extract
Red and blue food coloring
Sprinkles, optional

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK: For a dairy-free alternative, you could use coconut milk for your ice cream.

How To Make This No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream Recipe

STEP ONE: Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. If you are using a glass pan, you don’t need the parchment paper.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper prior to filling will make cleaning up much easier.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, whip the whipping cream for 4 minutes until soft peaks form.

STEP THREE: Stir in the vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, and cotton candy extract, and then divide the mixture evenly into two separate bowls.

PRO TIP:

Chill your condensed milk, heavy whipping cream, and loaf tin in the fridge before you start. This will make everything freeze more easily.

vanilla, condensed milk and cotton candy extract blended together in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Using your food coloring, dye one bowl of the ice cream pink and the other bowl light blue.

PRO TIP:

If you are using gel food coloring, you will need fewer drops to achieve the desired color than if you are using liquid food coloring.

STEP FIVE: Pour the pink ice cream into the loaf pan. Smooth down with a spoon or spatula.

STEP SIX: Drop spoonfuls of the blue ice cream randomly over the pink ice cream, and then use the spoon to swirl it in. Tap the pan gentley on the table a few times to get the cream to settle evenly.

dollops on top of cotton candy ice cream in a loaf pan

STEP SEVEN: Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap, letting the wrap rest on the top of the ice cream, and then cover the pan with aluminum foil.

PRO TIP:

Higher fat content ice cream melts quicker than the lower fat ice creams, so have those cups or cones ready.

wrap placed on top of No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream in a loaf pan

STEP EIGHT:Place the loaf pan in the freezer for 2 hours or overnight.

No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream after being frozen in a loaf pan

STEP NINE: Scoop, top with sprinkles, and serve!

PRO TIP:

Top with a little cotton candy for a fun party look.

How To Serve

Serve this tasty ice cream in a cone. I like to line my cones with chocolate and pop a mini marshmallow in the bottom so the ice cream doesn’t drip out while you’re eating.

You can also scoop your ice cream into a bowl and top it with whipped cream. Try out our chocolate chip cookie cups for a fun way to serve up this yummy ice cream.

If you enjoy this (as I’m sure you will) be sure to try other varieties of our homemade ice cream favorites, like this red velvet no-churn ice cream or this birthday cake ice cream, both easy recipes that don’t require fancy ice cream makers.

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Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: The fridge isn’t cold enough to store ice cream, you’ll need to freeze it. Don’t use the freezer section of your refrigerator as it won’t be as cold as a separate freezer.

IN THE FREEZER: Be sure to store the finished ice cream in the freezer wrapped with plastic or with an airtight lid on top. When ready to serve, take it out about 5 minutes before you plan to scoop it, to give it a bit of time to thaw. This will make it much easier to scoop out. Place back in the freezer immediately after serving. The texture may change if the ice cream is taken out and put back in the freezer too many times.

scoop of No-Churn Cotton Candy Ice Cream in a ice cream scooper

The unmistakable flavor of the popular carnival treat makes this homemade cotton candy ice cream a household favorite. Its bright colors lend well to a variety of celebrations, and it is easy to make with just a few ingredients. The cotton candy flavor makes this the perfect ice cream for a kids’ birthday party.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is no-churn ice cream?

Typically, when making ice cream from scratch, you will need to use an ice cream maker and that usually entails the step of “churning” the ice cream. A no-churn recipe means no ice cream machine and, as you could guess, no churning. It saves many steps and makes it super easy to make homemade ice cream that is just as tasty as regular ice cream but doesn’t need fancy equipment.

Could I use this ice cream recipe to make an ice cream cake?

This is a great idea and although we haven’t tried it yet, I can’t see why you couldn’t use this creamy ice cream as part of an easy ice cream cake.

Can I use nonfat milk in this ice cream recipe?

You can use any type of milk in this recipe but lower-fat milk such as skim milk will result in less creamy ice cream than if you make it with whole milk or cream.

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