Custard Ice Cream Recipe

Make this delicious & silky Custard Ice Cream with just 5 ingredients! No eggs, no condensed milk and no Ice cream machine needed! Doesn’t that sound good? This homemade Custard Ice Cream is a great way to cool down during sultry, humid summers. The luscious texture, sweet flavor, and brain freeze-inducing temperatures of this custard ice cream are full of childhood nostalgia.

One of the best parts of being an adult is making your own Homemade Ice Cream. You can use whatever flavors you want!

If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly Custard Ice Cream recipe, you should definitely try this recipe.

You don’t have to worry about cooking eggs to safe temperatures and all you need to get started with this is a few common kitchen tools & pantry staples.

About Custard Ice Cream

Custard Ice cream also known as frozen custard is simply a frozen ice cream dessert made with eggs, milk, whipping cream, a flavoring agent and sugar. It can be made in various flavors like vanilla, chocolate and many more.

Technically speaking custard and ice cream are 2 different desserts and vary in fats. Custard ice cream is simply cooked custard that is incorporated into whipped cream and frozen to make a luscious Ice cream.

This recipe is eggless so the custard is prepared with custard powder and not eggs. Whether you can’t eat eggs, or know someone who can’t? With this egg-free custard ice cream recipe, you won’t have to worry about it.

If you are wondering

What is Custard Powder?

Custard powder is a ready to use dry mixture of cornstarch, flavorings and sometimes powdered dairy products. Some custard powders are instant, and only need boiling water. Others need to be boiled with milk and sugar to activate and make a beautiful custard.

If you’re vegan, good news! There are vegan custard powders available. You can make this ice cream recipe vegan by using vegan custard powder, coconut cream, and a nut-based milk.

The custard we recommend for this recipe needs to be boiled with milk and sugar before adding it to whipped cream, so keep that in mind if all you have is instant custard powder.

More Ice Cream Recipes
Mango Ice Cream
Pista Ice Cream
Chocolate Ice cream
Kitchenaid Ice cream
Butterscotch Ice cream

Photo Guide

How to Make Eggless Custard Ice Cream (Stepwise Photos)

First, chill the bowl & beaters in the freezer and the cream in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. If using a steel mixer jar then, just chill it in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. (not in the freezer)

1. Add 1½ tablespoons custard powder to a mixing bowl.

2. Measure 1½ cups milk to a cup. Take 3 tbsp milk from this cup into the mixing bowl. Make a smooth lump-free slurry.

3. Next add 8 to 10 tablespoons (½ to ¾ cup) sugar to milk. Please adjust the quantity to your taste. I use 10 tablespoons because the sugar I use is low in sweetness. Begin to heat.

4. Dissolve the sugar completely. Then begin to add 1 tbsp custard mixture each time, in parts.

5. Mix well.

6. Again add another 1 to 2 tbsps. Then mix well again after every addition to make sure there are no lumps.

7. Cook the mixture on a medium to low flame stirring consistently to prevent lumps.

8. Turn off the stove when it turns thick. The mixture has to coat the back of the spoon well when you dip it in the mixture.

9. Cover as soon as it is done and cool this completely. The mixture has to be smooth without lumps.

10. While it cools, pour the cream to the chilled bowl. Begin to whip it on a low speed first and then on a medium speed. If using a mixer jar, pour the cream to it. Run the mixer until the cream turns thick. Do not over whip else you will end up with butter. Check after 1 minute and then again after 30 seconds.

11. Soon the mixture turns frothy first and then to stiff peaks. Do not over whip the cream.

12. Whisk the custard in the pan to smooth. If it is too thick, you can add little milk and whisk again. Then transfer it to the whipped cream. I prefer to pass it through a strainer just to make sure there are no lumps. I add it in 2 batches and mix.

13. Finally the mixture has to be thick but of flowing consistency. Very runny mixture may later form ice crystals.

14. I forgot to add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, so added later. But you can add it along with custard.

15. Mix well and cover the bowl with a cling wrap. Make sure the wrap touches the cream to prevent crystals. Freeze it overnight or until set.

Scoop Custard Ice Cream to serving bowls and finally garnish with cherries.

Pro Tips for Ice Cream Beginners

Never made ice cream before? Here are some hot tips to keep your ice cream frosty.

1. Chill your bowl and beaters for at least 24 hours in the freezer, and chill your heavy whipping cream in the refrigerator. Using cold heavy whipping cream and keeping your tools chilled helps the cream whip up faster. It also keeps the whipped cream stable by making sure the fat doesn’t melt and the air you whisked in stays trapped.
2. Cool the custard base completely before adding it to the whipped cream. The whipped cream provides the air and lightness you find in commercial ice cream. Warm custard would melt the fat in the whipped cream, releasing air and making your ice cream dense. It will also freeze faster if cooled.
3. Strain the custard for smoothness. If you’re worried about lumps in your custard base, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve before combining it with the whipped cream.
4. Chill the container for your ice cream. Chill your storage container in the freezer before you make the ice cream, so it’s cold by the time you add it. Chilling the container helps reduce the formation of ice crystals–the enemy of a smooth, delicious ice cream.

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Recipe first published in April 2018. Updated and republished in June 2023.