This No-Churn, Mason-Jar Ice Cream Comes Together in Just 5 Minutes

Updated on 5/29/2023 at 11:15 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

If you love the idea of homemade ice cream but can't commit to a Ninja Creami, you'll want to try this recipe, stat. Not only does it yield the perfect amount of ice cream for one person (i.e., you), but it can also be made with a simple electric hand mixer. In other words, you don't need to invest in a fancy ice-cream maker to get started. Perfect for those of us without another inch of counter space to spare.

The recipe, which was initially shared on TikTok by @buttermilkbysam in a video that's since gained 2.7 million likes, is super easy. All you need to do is combine the base ingredients in a mason jar, beat everything together, then fold in additions like chopped nuts, fruit, or chunks of brownies. Once frozen, the mixture will magically transform into a delicious batch of homemade ice cream. Yum.

There are endless ways to customize this frozen dessert. For example, if you want to amp up the sweetness, add more sugar or sweetened condensed milk. If you prefer chunkier ice cream, toss in extra chocolate candies or nuts. What's more, thanks to the small-batch nature of this recipe, it's ideal for using up leftover ingredients or experimenting with new flavor combos.

And while it's perfectly suited for a single serving of ice cream, it's easy enough that you can make a dozen or more jars at a time, making it an amazing recipe for summer entertaining. Guests will be impressed by the DIY factor and charmed by the cute mason-jar presentation.

In this trial run, I decided to create three different flavors of mason-jar ice cream: cookies and cream, chocolate Nutella, and strawberry cheesecake. First up is cookies and cream, which features a generous helping of crushed Oreos.

Ingredients for cookies and cream mason jar ice cream — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

Ice cream ingredients in mason jar — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

Beat ice cream ingredients in a mason jar — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

Cookies and cream mason jar ice cream — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

To make the chocolate Nutella version, I used Nutella, chunks of brownies, and chopped walnuts.

Chocolate Nutella mason jar ice cream — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

Chocolate Nutella mason jar ice cream mixture in mason jar — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

Brownie chunks and chopped walnuts in mason jar ice cream — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

For the strawberry-cheesecake version, I added strawberry puree, diced strawberries, crushed graham crackers, and white-chocolate chips.

Strawberry cheesecake mason jar ice cream — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

Strawberry puree in a food processor — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

Strawberries, graham crackers, and white chocolate chips in strawberry cheesecake ice cream — POPSUGAR Photography | Kirsten Nunez

I can tell you that all three of these flavors are delicious. Keep reading to learn how to make them yourself.

Mason-Jar Ice Cream (3 Ways)

Prep Time5 minutes

Yield1 serving

Adapted from TikTok creator @buttermilkbysam

INGREDIENTS

Basic mason-jar ice cream:
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons cream cheese (regular or whipped)
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 to 2 tablespoons brown or white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Cookies-and-cream ice cream:
1/2 cup crushed Oreos (about 5 cookies)
Chocolate Nutella ice cream:
1/4 cup Nutella
1/3 cup brownie chunks
2 tablespoons chopped nuts
Strawberry-cheesecake ice cream:
1/2 cup strawberry puree (about 1 cup chopped strawberries)
2 tablespoons graham-cracker crumbs (about 1 1/2 sheets)
2 tablespoons white-chocolate chips
2 tablespoons diced strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS

To make basic mason-jar ice cream: In a clean, wide-mouth mason jar, combine the heavy cream, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Insert one whisk into an electric hand mixer. Beat the ingredients until smooth and thick. Avoid overmixing.
To make cookies-and-cream ice cream: Fold in the crushed Oreos to the prepared ice-cream base. Secure the lid, and freeze for 4 hours.
To make chocolate Nutella ice cream: In a clean, wide-mouth mason jar, add the ingredients for the ice-cream base except for the sugar. Add the Nutella, beat until smooth and thick, then fold in the brownie chunks and chopped nuts. Secure the lid, and freeze for 4 hours.
To make strawberry-cheesecake ice cream: In a food processor, puree 1 cup strawberries. You can leave chunks of strawberries, if you'd like. Prepare the ice-cream base in a mason jar, as directed above, and stir in the strawberry puree. Fold in the crushed graham crackers, white-chocolate chips, and diced strawberries, then secure the lid and freeze for 4 hours.

Notes

To customize your mason-jar ice cream, add any liquid or cream ingredients (like extracts or nut butter) to the jar along with the base ingredients. For solid mix-ins like chopped fruit, nuts, or candies, fold them in just before freezing. Make sure to leave a 1-inch gap (or more) at the top to allow the mixture to expand. You can also top the jar with a silicone lid, then switch to a metal ring lid as the ice cream hardens, after 1 or 2 hours. Remember too that the exact amount of ice cream made from one batch will depend on your additional ingredients. For example, if you add strawberry puree, the final volume will be more than an ice cream that only has crushed cookies. Consider omitting the added sugar if you are using very sweet add-ins, such as Nutella.

This No-Churn, Mason-Jar Ice Cream Comes Together in Just 5 Minutes

Mason-Jar Ice Cream (3 Ways)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Notes

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