Creamy 3 Ingredient Evaporated Milk Ice Cream

Recipe Overview: No-Churn, Mixer-Only Vanilla Ice Cream

This simple method focuses on cold ingredients and high-speed aeration to produce a soft, scoopable dessert without an ice cream maker.

Base at a glance: One 13 oz can of chilled milk, 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons real vanilla. Chill the can (overnight is best) so it whips to soft, frothy peaks quickly. Add sugar in thirds, then vanilla, and keep mixing until the volume and texture look light and fluffy.

Ingredients at a Glance

• Chilled can of milk, powdered sugar, vanilla extract
• Optional fruit variant: a 12 oz can and about 12–14 oz thawed fruit pulp with granulated sugar

Tools You’ll Need

Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to aerate the base. A large bowl gives room for expansion. Finish in a freezer-safe container with a tight lid for storage.

Time, Yield, and Course

Plan short active bursts: a few minutes to whip, then cycles of 1-hour chills with brief re-whips. Total hours depend on freezing time; the vanilla version yields about six servings and works as a dessert course you can serve the same day.

For a tested starter recipe and timing reference, see this guide for evaporated milk ice cream: evaporated milk ice cream.

3 Ingredient Ice Cream Evaporated Milk: Step-by-Step Method

Follow precise cold time and short mixing bursts to build a soft, airy dessert without a custard base or an ice cream maker.

Chill the Can

Start by chilling a 13 oz can overnight. Place it at the back of the fridge so it becomes thoroughly cold. Cold milk whips faster and helps form stable, tiny ice crystals that improve texture.

Whip to Soft, Frothy Peaks

Pour the chilled can into a large bowl and whip on high speed. A stand mixer will reach fluffy volume in about 45–50 seconds; a hand unit may take a bit longer.

Sweeten and Flavor

Add 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar in three additions, folding briefly between each. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla and whip until soft peaks form—about 20 seconds. The vanilla lifts the flavor and gives a pleasant aroma.

Freeze, Re-Whip, Repeat

Freeze the bowl for 1 hour, then whip for 1 minute. Repeat the freeze/whip cycle 4–5 times to build air and break up large ice crystals. Keep active mixing short to avoid deflating the mixture.

Transfer, Store, and Scoop

Move the thickened mixture to a chilled airtight container, smooth the top, and return it to the freezer. Let it set, then allow a few minutes at room temperature before serving for easier scoops.

• Keep tools cold between cycles to maintain stability.
• Adjust cycles if the texture is still loose; add another hour in the freezer as needed.

3 Ingredient Ice Cream Evaporated Milk Flavor Variations, Pro Tips, and Easy Substitutions

A few simple swaps unlock tangy, speckled, or crunchy versions you can make in one bowl. Use these tweaks to match seasonality or pantry finds without adding steps.

Fruit version: Whip one 12 oz can to soft, frothy peaks (about 8–10 minutes with a mixer). Fold in 12–14 oz slightly thawed frozen fruit pulp (GOYA works well) and 150 g granulated sugar. Mix 2–3 minutes until smooth, then freeze at least two hours or overnight for about four pints.

Vanilla choices: Use pure extract for a clean profile. Choose vanilla bean paste for visible specks and a richer aroma; paste behaves like a syrup, so a little goes a long way. Check reviews and labels when selecting paste for best results.

“Fold inclusions just before the last freeze to keep them suspended.”

• Mix-ins: fold in chocolate chips, crushed cookies, peanut butter ribbons, or caramel swirls before the final freeze.
• Texture fixes: if the result is icy, add more short freeze/re-whip cycles and ensure the can and bowl start very cold.
• Freezer care: place the container at the back of the freezer and use a tight-lid freezer-safe container to limit air exposure.

Before the final set, taste and adjust sugar—remember frozen desserts taste less sweet. For full technique context, see a tested guide on a similar method at no-churn ingredient ice cream.

Conclusion

3 Ingredient Ice Cream Evaporated Milk, Plan a few hours and chill a can overnight, then follow the whip–brief freeze–re-whip cycle to get a silky ice cream that scoops cleanly.

Use a reliable mixer and cold tools to build air into the mixture without a cream maker. Store the finished batch in a freezer-safe container tucked deep in the freezer for best life and texture.

This version is flexible: double the ingredients for a crowd, switch milk vanilla types for a signature look, or reuse the method to refine your favorite recipe over the years.

Keep a chilled can on hand and you can serve a homemade dessert with minimal active time and steady, repeatable results.