No-Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Updated June 4, 2024

No-Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
3½ hours
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours 20 minutes
Rating
4(404)
Comments
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Yes, you can make excellent ice cream without an ice cream machine — and with just two ingredients. This salted caramel version has a buoyant, velvety texture thanks to whipped cream and gets toasty butterscotch notes from prepared dulce de leche, a richly complex substitute for the more commonly used sweetened condensed milk. Adding a pinch of flaky sea salt to some of the dulce de leche before swirling it into the ice cream base gives the whole thing crunchy, savory pops, balancing out the sweetness. And if you want to go one step further, swirling in a few tablespoons of chopped nuts, shredded coconut or chocolate chips along with the dulce de leche adds texture as well as flavor.

Featured in: The Easiest Salted Caramel Ice Cream Doesn’t Require a Machine

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Ingredients

Yield:1½ pints
  • 1(14-ounce) can or jar dulce de leche
  • cups heavy cream
  • ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½teaspoon flaky salt (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

246 calories; 16 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 21 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 175 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pour or spoon about ¾ of the dulce de leche from the can into a small bowl (save the remaining dulce de leche for swirling). In a large bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat heavy cream and fine sea salt until stiff. Add a dollop of the whipped cream to the small bowl, and mix until the dulce de leche has loosened.

  2. Step 2

    Add the lightened dulce de leche mixture to the bowl of whipped cream, gently folding until combined.

  3. Step 3

    Add remaining dulce de leche to the now-empty small bowl and season with flaky salt (or you can substitute ¼ teaspoon fine salt, but you won’t have the crunch).

  4. Step 4

    In a quart-size container, add a quarter of the dulce de leche whipped cream. Dollop in a few small spoonfuls of salted dulce de leche on top and swirl gently. Repeat until all of the whipped cream and dulce de leche are transferred. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Ratings

4 out of 5
404 user ratings
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Comments

If you can’t find dulce de leche at your local grocery, you can easily make your own by simmering, for 3 hrs, an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water. Keep it covered by an inch or so of water! (No, it won’t explode.) Remove from hot water bath and bring to room temp. It stores indefinitely, so make several. Can’t wait? Open a can, scoop out 1/3 cup and top with whipped cream. I’ve made it this way for many years.

I have made condensed milk based ice creams in a Cuisinart ice cream machine. I just mix the heavy cream and condensed milk together. I add it to the machine, no whipping necessary. Since dulce de leche is just caramelized condensed milk, this method should work well.

I just love everything Melissa does. Period.

I appreciate the simplicity of this recipe, because it is no churn. Alas, the end result is flavored frozen whipped cream. Tasty as a topping, we put small dollops on sheet pan choc chip cookies for Father’s Day. It was well received.

I made a version of this with miso and British canned caramel — just adding 3tsp white miso to the cream in place of the salt, and otherwise keeping the recipe pretty much the same. Was delicious and I’d recommend!

This is probably a great recipe made insufferable by the video that plays every time you open it.

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