Homemade Soft Serve Ice Cream

This recipe works best with an ice cream maker, but you can also achieve great results using a freezer-and-blend method.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Heavy whipping cream (cold)
  • 1 cup Whole milk (cold)
  • 2/3 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt
  • For Chocolate (Option 2): Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • For Twist (Option 3): Make one batch of vanilla and one batch of chocolate.

Instructions

  1. Mix the Base: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.
    • Tip: For chocolate, whisk the cocoa powder into the milk first to avoid lumps.
  2. The Churning Process: * Ice Cream Maker: Pour the mixture into your machine and churn for about 15–20 minutes. Soft serve is best when it is still soft and “peaks” easily.
    • No Machine: Pour the mixture into a shallow container and freeze. Every 30 minutes, take it out and beat it vigorously with a hand mixer or blender to break up ice crystals. Repeat for 2-3 hours.
  3. The “Soft Serve” Texture: To get that perfect swirl seen in the picture, transfer the semi-frozen ice cream into a piping bag with a large star tip.
  4. Assemble: Pipe the ice cream into waffle cones using a circular motion, starting from the base and working your way up to a point.

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