We're celebrating summer with this mash up of two of our favorite summer treats: homemade ice cream and a campfire s'more! This simple recipe for no-churn s'mores ice cream has a creamy marshmallow base, ripples of fudge, and layers of toasted marshmallow and chopped chocolate, with tasty graham cracker crumbs.
The Easiest No-Churn S'mores Ice Cream
At the beginning of summer, I asked my newsletter subscribers what they wanted to see this summer on the blog. Today, I'm bringing Margaret's request for the perfect summer dessert to life with this super easy s'mores ice cream.
It's the dog days of summer, so I didn't want to end up with y'all babysitting a chocolate ganache or homemade marshmallow over a hot stove.
Instead, this recipe calls for store-bought marshmallow sauce folded into the whipped cream together with the sweetened condensed milk to create a marshmallow-flavored base, then we swirl in some store-bought hot fudge sauce.
...and we take it over the top with layers of toasted mini marshmallows, chopped chocolate, and crushed graham crackers. I mean, is it a s'more without them?
My s'mores ice cream recipe is incredibly simple with minimal work but maximum results!
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How does No Churn Ice Cream Work?
Making homemade ice cream often calls for having an ice cream machine, but no churn ice cream really changed the game. It calls for only two ingredients, whipped heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk, which work together to make a creamy ice cream base that can receive just about any mix-in.
Ice cream needs air, which we get from the whipped cream, but the cream without a lower freezing point would just become hard and icy.
This is where sweetened condensed milk comes in: it's a type of inverted sugar, a strongly bonded sugar that lowers the freezing point of our ice cream so it stays a creamy texture even after it freezes.
While it isn't exactly the same texture of traditional ice cream, it's pretty close and really delicious. Perfect for making with the kids or if you don't have an ice cream maker at home.
Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cold Heavy Whipping Cream - you may find this as 'double cream' outside of the U.S. But no matter what it's called look for a heavy cream with around 36% fat
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Mini Marshmallows
- A pinch of Kosher Salt
- Marshmallow Topping - I used marshmallow cream sauce used for ice cream and actually replaced a bit of the sweetened condensed milk with it because of its inverted sugar content. It flavors our base, making it marshmallow flavored!
- Fudge Sauce - unlike chocolate syrup, the hot fudge sauce is thick and is perfect to give us this awesome fudge ripple through the ice cream.
- Chocolate Bar - use a good quality chocolate! Dark chocolate works so well since everything is already sweet, but milk chocolate is the classic s'mores flavor
- Graham Crackers (or Speculoos Cookies) - also known as 'the cookie butter cookies'. My son just doesn't like graham crackers and I had these on hand. They go perfectly here, with a warm spice that just works. So if you don't like graham crackers either, try these!
Let's Make Homemade No Churn S'mores Ice Cream
Toast the Marshmallows
Step 1 | Place your mini marshmallows in a single layer on a baking sheet. Use a kitchen torch to carefully burn the marshmallows to your desired golden browned-ness. You could also set them under the broiler in your oven. I, personally, love a good burnt marshmallow, the kind that are completely charred to a crisp on the outside and melty and lovely on the inside, as you can see.
Make the Marshmallow Ice Cream Base
Step 1 | Whip the cream with your hand mixer in a large bowl or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until the whipped cream just barely makes stiff peaks. More like semi-stiff soft peaks.
Step 2 | In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the marshmallow sauce, salt, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
Step 3 | Use a baking spatula to gently and carefully fold the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream. Do this very slowly and carefully so you don't deflate the whipped cream.
Put it All Together
Step 1 | Pour half of the ice cream base into a cold loaf pan.
Step 2 | Dollop the fudge sauce and some more marshmallow sauce (if desired) onto the ice cream base and use a toothpick or fork to swirl the sauces through the cream.
Step 3 | Top with some of the chocolate chunks and toasted marshmallows.
Step 4 | Repeat Steps 1-3, finishing the top with toasted marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker pieces. Freeze for at least 6-8 hours, but overnight is prefered.
Step 5 | Enjoy your homemade s'mores ice cream with extra fudge in a waffle cone for that sweet summer vibe.
Variations and Pro Tips
- If you use marshmallow fluff instead of the marshmallow ice cream topping, use 10 ounces of sweetened condensed milk and after you fold in the condensed milk and make the base, you'll carefully fold in the marshmallow fluff. Trust me, it'll be sweet enough with the fluff and other mix-ins.
- Too much inverted sugar in the ice cream base can make your ice cream not firm up and become soupy. That's why the amounts in this recipe are so exact, please follow the measurements!
- You can use chocolate chips instead of the chopped chocolate bar.
Storing your Ice Cream
Your ice cream will last 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container!
Try to buy a loaf pan that comes with a lid or an ice cream-specific freezer-safe container, so you can keep your ice cream airtight and fresh! Otherwise, keep it in the freezer wrapped tight with plastic wrap so it doesn't catch any of those freezer flavors.
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Loaf Pan with Lid, Ice Cream Pan, or other airtight container
- Kitchen Torch
- Baking Sheet
FAQs
Yes, but it won't be as creamy and will be dense, since it will be icy due to having more water than fat as per the recipe and can't whip up.
Nope! The amount of inverted sugar in the ice cream base prevents ice crystals from forming in the whipped cream.
Yes, use vegan marshmallows, sweetened condensed plant milk, and a dairy free heavy whipping cream!
More Summer Desserts to Try
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S'mores Ice Cream (No Churn Recipe)
Equipment
- ice cream freezer pan or a 9x5 loaf pan
Ingredients
Marshmallow Ice Cream Base
- 17 ounces heavy whipping cream, at least 36% fat
- 6 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 5 ounces marshmallow sauce topping
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings and Mix-ins
- ¼ cup hot fudge sauce
- ½ cup graham crackers, smashed
- 1 chocolate bar, roughly chopped
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
Prep the Equipment
- Put your loaf pan and large bowl in the freezer to keep them cold. The heavy cream will whip better and the ice cream base won't melt as you layer in the mix ins.
Toast the Marshmallows
- On an unlined metal baking sheet, put the mini marshmallows in a single layer. Carefully use a kitchen torch to lightly toast (or totally burn) your marshmallows to your desired color. OR put the marshmallows on the baking sheet and under the broiler on high heat for a minute or two.2 cups mini marshmallows
Make the Marshmallow Ice Cream Base
- In your cold large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy whipping cream until it just comes to stiff peaks. Semi-stiff soft peaks are perfect.17 ounces heavy whipping cream
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, marshmallow topping, vanilla extract, and kosher salt until well combined.6 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 5 ounces marshmallow sauce topping, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pour a third of the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream, then gently and slowly fold it in using a baking spatula. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream. Continue this step until you've incorporated all of the milk mixture.
Add Mix-Ins and Freeze
- Pour half of the ice cream base into your cold loaf pan. Dollop in some of the fudge sauce and swirl it around with a toothpick or fork. Optionally, swirl in a little bit of extra marshmallow sauce, too.¼ cup hot fudge sauce
- Top this layer with half of the toasted marshmallows and chocolate pieces.1 chocolate bar
- Layer on the last half of the ice cream base, the rest of the hot fudge sauce, and top everything generously with the rest of the chocolate chunks, toasted marshmallows, and crushed graham cracker pieces.½ cup graham crackers, ¼ cup hot fudge sauce
- Place the ice cream in the freezer for at least 8 hours, but overnight is preferred. Serve cold.
Recipe Notes
Tips and Substitutions
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- If you use marshmallow fluff instead of the marshmallow ice cream topping, use 10 ounces of sweetened condensed milk and after you fold in the condensed milk and make the base, you'll carefully fold in the marshmallow fluff. Trust me, it'll be sweet enough with the fluff and other mix-ins.
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- Too much inverted sugar in the ice cream base can make your ice cream not firm up and become soupy. That's why the amounts in this recipe are so exact, please follow the measurements!
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- You can use chocolate chips instead of the chopped chocolate bar.
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