19 Ice Cream Recipes for Hot Afternoons and Dessert Plates
A hot afternoon makes the freezer feel like the right place to look. Pick a scoop, sandwich, sorbet, or cake slice based on the dessert plate you want. Serve it after dinner, take it outside, or keep it for a quiet bowl on the couch.
Chocolate Ice Cream
Cocoa and chilled cream turn Chocolate Ice Cream into four servings after 4 hours 25 minutes. Sugar, salt, vanilla, and optional dark chocolate keep the ingredient list short, while an ice cream maker churns the base for about 15 to 20 minutes. The batch then freezes for at least 4 hours before scooping. Serve it in cones, beside brownies or cake, or with strawberries and whipped cream on a summer dessert plate.
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Strawberry Ice Cream
Fresh berries give Strawberry Ice Cream six servings with real fruit running through the cream base. Strawberries rest with honey, sugar, and lemon juice for 15 to 20 minutes before blending with heavy cream and vanilla. The full 4-hour-40-minute schedule includes churning and a 3-to-4-hour freeze. Let the container sit out for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the scoops release more easily.
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Pistachio Ice Cream
Finely ground nuts carry Pistachio Ice Cream through eight servings with a 5-hour-10-minute total. Raw pistachios, sugar, heavy cream, salt, vanilla, and optional green coloring form the base before it churns for about 25 minutes. The finished batch freezes for 4 to 6 hours and can be topped with the reserved pistachio mixture or wafers. Use a shallow container so it firms evenly and softens faster for dessert.
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No Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Whipped cream makes No Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream possible without an ice cream maker. Heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, salted caramel sauce, and sea salt produce eight servings in 5 hours 5 minutes. Only five minutes are active, while the freezer handles the remaining time after the caramel is swirled through the pan. Scoop it over brownies, pie, or fruit, and add extra caramel shortly before the dessert reaches the table.
Get the Recipe: No Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Mango Ice Cream
Ripe mango gives Mango Ice Cream six bright servings after 4 hours 40 minutes. The fruit blends with lemon juice and sugar before heavy cream, vanilla, and salt complete the base. An ice cream maker churns it for about 25 minutes, followed by at least 4 hours in a shallow container. Let the batch soften for five minutes, then serve it in bowls or cones with fresh mango or another light fruit dessert.
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Rocky Road Ice Cream
Marshmallows and chopped nuts turn Rocky Road Ice Cream into eight textured servings in 3 hours 43 minutes. Milk, cocoa, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla build the chocolate base before a 20-minute churn. Part of the nuts and marshmallows fold in near the end, while the rest finish the top before freezing. Bring it out for birthdays or dessert plates that need more crunch than a plain chocolate scoop can provide.
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Ninja Creami Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Real vanilla seeds give Ninja Creami Vanilla Bean Ice Cream four servings with visible specks throughout the pint. Whole milk, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla pods or extract, and salt take eight minutes to mix before freezing for 24 hours. The Ninja Creami handles the final texture, with a tablespoon or two of milk added if the first spin looks crumbly. Serve it alone or beside pie, brownies, berries, or cake.
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Ninja Creami Watermelon Sorbet
Three ingredients keep Ninja Creami Watermelon Sorbet focused on ripe fruit instead of a dairy base. Four cups of seedless watermelon blend with lime juice and honey for four servings, then freeze for 18 to 24 hours. The full schedule is 1 day 10 minutes before the Ninja Creami sorbet cycle turns the solid pint smooth. Add a small amount of water or lime juice and respin if the first texture comes out crumbly.
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Ice Cream Cake
Graham cracker layers make Ice Cream Cake large enough for sixteen slices after 4 hours 20 minutes. Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, strawberry jam, and sliced berries fill the parchment-lined pan without baking. The assembled dessert freezes for at least 4 hours, then rests for five minutes before cutting. Use a warm, dry knife for cleaner pieces and add fresh strawberries or whipped cream only when the cake is ready to serve.
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Dairy Free Ice Cream
Full-fat coconut milk gives Dairy Free Ice Cream eight servings without milk, cream, or eggs. Maple syrup, vanilla, and salt blend into the coconut base before an ice cream maker churns it for about 20 minutes. The full 4-hour-45-minute schedule includes 3 to 4 hours in the freezer for a scoopable texture. Let it soften briefly, then serve with berries, toasted coconut, chocolate sauce, or cones.
Get the Recipe: Dairy Free Ice Cream
Neapolitan Ice Cream
Layered flavors make Neapolitan Ice Cream useful when one dessert table needs chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream, vanilla, salt, cocoa powder, and strawberry puree create six servings in 5 hours 35 minutes. The no-churn base is divided into three bowls before the flavors are arranged in one container. Freeze it for 5 hours, then slice or scoop across the sections so each serving catches more than one flavor.
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Ninja Creami S’mores Ice Cream
Campfire mix-ins give Ninja Creami S’mores Ice Cream chocolate, graham, marshmallow, and cookie texture in one pint. Whole milk, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, vanilla, graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate chips make four servings. The recipe takes 1 day 10 minutes because the base freezes for 24 hours before spinning. Add the crushed mix-ins after the first cycle, then serve immediately or refreeze briefly for firmer scoops.
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Tiramisu Ice Cream
Espresso and mascarpone move Tiramisu Ice Cream beyond a plain coffee-flavored scoop. Whole milk, amaretto, sugar, salt, chopped chocolate, ladyfingers, and cocoa powder make twelve servings in 2 hours 15 minutes. The blended base goes through an ice cream maker before the coffee-soaked dessert elements are folded through and frozen. Serve small portions after dinner, with extra cocoa on top, when the dessert plate needs coffee and ice cream together.
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Biscoff Ice Cream
Cookie butter ribbons run through Biscoff Ice Cream, giving six servings both smooth and crunchy sections. Heavy cream, Biscoff spread, sugar, vanilla, and eight to ten crumbled cookies make the 4-hour-30-minute batch. The base churns for about 25 minutes before more spread and cookie pieces are folded and swirled through. Let the container stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then finish each bowl with extra crumbs or warmed cookie butter.
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Ninja Creami Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Crushed sandwich cookies turn Ninja Creami Cookies and Cream Ice Cream into four servings with mix-ins in every scoop. Whole milk, heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and six Oreo cookies form the pint. The base freezes for 24 hours, bringing the full schedule to 1 day 10 minutes before the Ice Cream and Mix-In cycles. Serve it soft after processing, or freeze it another 1 to 2 hours when firmer portions are needed.
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Ice Cream Sandwich
Frozen raspberry filling makes Ice Cream Sandwich an eight-serving handheld dessert without baking or churning. Softened vanilla ice cream mixes with frozen raspberries and crushed graham cookies before freezing inside a clean milk carton or narrow container. The 4-hour-30-minute total includes a 3-to-4-hour freeze before the block is sliced and placed between sixteen wafers. Wrap the finished sandwiches individually so they stay ready for hot afternoons, parties, or dessert trays.
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Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Peppermint and chopped chocolate give Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream four servings with a cool finish and crisp pieces. Heavy cream, sugar, peppermint extract, optional green coloring, and a semi-sweet chocolate bar make the base. The recipe takes 3 hours 25 minutes, including about 25 minutes of churning and 2 to 3 hours of freezing. Top the bowls with fresh mint or more chocolate, or place the scoops beside brownies and chocolate cake.
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Ninja Creami High-Protein Vanilla Ice Cream
Protein powder and cream cheese give Ninja Creami High-Protein Vanilla Ice Cream two servings from one pint. Whole milk, powdered sweetener, vanilla, and salt complete the blended base before it freezes solid for 24 hours. The full schedule is 1 day 10 minutes, followed by the Lite Ice Cream cycle and an optional milk-assisted respin. Add berries, granola, chocolate chips, or crushed cookies when a smaller dessert plate needs more texture.
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Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Cooked strawberry sauce gives Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream fruit pockets alongside pieces of shortcake cookie. Heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, three cups of berries, and two cups of cookies make ten servings in a stated 4 hours 40 minutes. The base chills, churns, and layers with the cooled sauce before freezing for at least 4 hours. Let it soften for five minutes and scoop carefully so each bowl receives ice cream, strawberries, and cookie pieces.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
