Homemade Soft Serve Ice Cream Recipe
No Machine
About my soft serve ice cream recipe
There's something magical about swirls of soft serve ice cream. For most of us, soft serve evokes memories of childhood—let’s be honest, almost every kid’s favorite ice cream is soft serve! Now you can created it right in the comfort of your own kitchen! Whether you're a dessert person or not, this recipe will be a hit with everyone from age 2 to 102!
I designed this recipe to be super easy to put together. It doesn't need any special equipment like an ice cream machine. If you have a hand-held electric mixer, you can whip this up in a flash. It takes only a few minutes of hands on time to make this recipe, plus time for the ice cream to freeze.
Is soft serve the same as ice cream?
Soft serve is a type of ice cream that’s much lighter and softer in texture than traditional ice cream. Traditional ice cream is much denser in texture. The reason that soft serve is so light in texture is due to the large amount of air that’s incorporate into the ice cream mixture.
Is soft serve healthier than ice cream?
No. All ice cream contains lots of sugar. So, as with all sweet treats, the key is to eat them in moderation.
Why do restaurants like McDonald’s call their ice cream soft serve?
Governments regulate the use of the term ice cream to stop food companies trying to misrepresent what they’re selling. The products sold at many fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s do not qualify to use the term ice cream. So, they can’t call their products ice cream.
Ingredients
For the ice cream
3 cups (700g) heavy cream
2 cups (400g) white granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt (do not skip the salt, it cuts the sweetness of the ice cream)
Divide mixture in half. To one half add ⅓ cup (40g) cocoa powder
Method
Make the base ice cream mixture
In a large pan, heat the cream and sugar over a low heat. Do not boil the cream, just heat it enough to allow the sugar to dissolve
When the sugar has dissolved take the mixture off the heat and add the vanilla extract and salt.
Use half the base mixture to make the chocolate ice cream
Make a chocolate paste by mixing 4 or 5 tablespoons of the base mixture with the cocoa powder.
Making the chocolate paste by mixing the cocoa powder with some of the base ice cream mixture
Divide the mixture into two equal parts. To one part add the chocolate paste and mix well.
The two ice cream mixes. On the left, the chocolate mix, on the right, the vanilla mix.
Whip the vanilla and ice cream mixtures
Refrigerate both vanilla and chocolate mixtures for for at least 2 hours or until very cold. If the mixture isn’t cold the ice cream mix won’t whip.
When cold, whip the two batches to soft peaks.
Whipping the chocolate ice cream mix to soft peaks.
The vanilla ice cream mix, whipped to the soft peak stage
Freeze the ice cream
Cover with the whipped cream parchment paper, and freeze for at least 12 hours.
Serve the ice cream
You can serve the ice cream in scoops, or you can pipe it.
How to create the mixed chocolate and vanilla swirl effect
Double swirl effect—chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream
If you want to pipe the chocolate and vanilla ice creams together to create the mixed swirl, use a piece of plastic wrap to tightly form two columns of ice cream—one of chocolate and one of vanilla. Then place the rolled up plastic wrap containing the ice cream inside the piping bag.
Preparing the ice cream for piping a double “chocolate/vanilla” swirl
Tips
Your ice cream bases must be chilled in the refrigerator and be very cold before whipping, otherwise they won't whip up.
For people who are having trouble whipping up the cream, you can still freeze it as is. It won't be as pipeable, but it will still be creamy and delicious!
Use a sturdy piping bag, or a double piping bag.
