This is THE best no-churn corn ice cream – no eggs and no ice cream maker required! I add two secret ingredients to make the creamiest, most flavorful sweet corn ice cream you’ll ever have. Serve in homemade waffles cones or bowls.
What does corn ice cream taste like?
It honestly tastes like cold buttery sweet corn, in the absolute best way. I have a hard time explaining the flavor because all I can come up with is that it’s… corn flavor!
Is corn ice cream yellow?
More traditionally made corn ice cream recipes that have an egg yolk custard base will be very yellow.
This no-churn recipe doesn’t have the egg yolk mixture, so we miss out on the bright yellow color in the end product, and it’s more of a pale yellow.
Want it to be more yellow? Add a couple drops of yellow food gel paste!
What kind of corn should I use?
- To make things simple, I call for a 15.25 ounce can of corn, drained so that you’ve discarded any of the liquid.
- But you could also use 2 cups of frozen corn, thawed and drained.
- And you could also use 2 cups of fresh corn kernels, cut right off the cobs.
The amount of corn kernels you’ll get from a single ear of corn varies by size, but generally speaking you’ll get around ½-3/4 cup kernels from a medium ear of corn.
How to get creamy ice cream without eggs
No-churn ice cream recipes are also great for people who don’t want to fuss with making a custard base with egg yolks: heating on the stovetop to a simmer (but not a boil), straining it through a sieve, heating it again, carefully and slowly stirring in the eggs so you don’t make scrambled eggs…
It takes longer, can be a bit finicky, and isn’t an option for those who are allergic to eggs (Hi, Anne!).
I have (and adore) my ice cream bowl attachment for my KitchenAid (aff link), but no-churn recipes are easy to make and wonderful for folks who don’t have special equipment.
I have two foolproof ways of making no-churn ice cream creamy:
- Sweetened condensed milk: Since it’s made of milk and sugar, this steps in for the sugar/sweeteners to add sweetness and flavor.
- Vodka: Just a small amount of alcohol added to ice cream keeps it from freezing solid! Don’t worry, you won’t taste the vodka at all. We all know what a pain it is to try to scoop rock hard ice cream from the freezer. You could also use white rum, or light corn syrup for the same result.
Ingredients for corn ice cream
- Heavy cream: Make sure you’re using heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. It’s different from “whipping cream”, which actually has a lower fat percentage and won’t produce the same results. I don’t know who was in charge of naming these, but I’d like a word with them.
- Sweetened condensed milk: The magical ingredient that provides sweetness and texture.
- Vodka: Prevents the ice cream from freezing solid – don’t worry, you can’t taste it. You can substitute light corn syrup or white rum as well.
- Clear vanilla extract: I normally encourage the use of vanilla bean paste (aff link) of pure vanilla extract, but I actually prefer the flavor of clear vanilla extract in this recipe.
- Butter emulsion: This is my secret ingredient that pushes this corn ice cream recipe over the top! It really enhances the depth of flavor, and I can’t recommend enough having a bottle of butter emulsion on hand. They also make a butter vanilla emulsion, which is divine.
- Kosher salt: To help offset the sweetness, but also… I mean, it’s corn ice cream! What’s corn without a little salt?
- Canned corn: The star of the show! Sweet corn is drained from the can and pureed before being added to the ice cream. You could also use thawed frozen corn, creamed corn, or fresh kernels off of corn cobs.
How to make corn ice cream
- Place a large mixing bowl (preferably metal) in the freezer to chill for at least 10 minutes – you want the bowl to be as cold as possible.
- Drain canned corn and pour into a blender (aff link) or food processor. Blend until a puree is formed – it doesn’t need to be completely smooth.
- Optional, but encouraged for smoothest, creamiest results: Place your corn puree into a fine mesh sieve (aff link) above a medium bowl and press through the sieve to strain as much of the corn liquid as you can. You can also use cheesecloth (aff link) for this process instead. Discard your leftover corn solids.
- Remove chilled bowl from the freezer, and combine heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vodka, vanilla, butter emulsion and salt. Using the whisk attachment of an electric stand or hand mixer (aff link), start whipping ingredients together on low speed. Slowly increase to high speed and whip until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Using a spatula, fold in corn liquid until evenly combined.
- Pour into a freezer-safe container, such as a 9″x5″ loaf pan. Cover with an airtight lid or wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- Scoop, serve, and enjoy!
Mix-ins for corn ice cream
- A hearty swirl of fruit puree, like blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, cherry or even rhubarb. I actually like to leave a little bit of my corn puree in the ice cream for a little bit of an occasional crunchy texture – that’s just my personal preference!
- A big swirl of salted caramel, like in my No Churn Salted Caramel Swirl Ice Cream
Other serving ideas
- Top your corn ice cream with dulce de leche, butterscotch sauce or caramel syrup
- A sprinkle of crushed macadamia nuts or chopped white chocolate on top is a great combo
- A scoop of corn ice cream on top of a fruit pie can be amazing
- Try topping a warm piece of cornbread with corn ice cream, and thank me later
- Serve in homemade waffles cones or bowls
I know corn ice cream might seem a bit odd or unconventional, but I hope you consider yourself intrigued enough to try it!
After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!
Easy No-Churn Corn Ice Cream (no eggs!)
Checklist For Success
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces heavy cream
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon vodka, can substitute light corn syrup or white rum
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butter emulsion*, can substitute butter vanilla emulsion or butter extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 15.25 ounces canned corn*, drained and pureed
Instructions
- Place a large mixing bowl (preferably metal) in the freezer to chill for at least 10 minutes – you want the bowl to be as cold as possible.
- Drain canned corn and pour into a blender or food processor. Blend until a puree is formed – it doesn't need to be completely smooth.15.25 ounces canned corn*
- Optional, but encouraged for smoothest, creamiest results: Place your corn puree into a fine mesh sieve above a medium bowl and press through the sieve to strain as much of the corn liquid as you can. Discard your leftover corn solids. You can also use cheesecloth for this process instead.
- Remove chilled bowl from the freezer, and combine heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vodka, vanilla, butter emulsion and salt. Using the whisk attachment of an electric stand or hand mixer, start whipping ingredients together on low speed. Slowly increase to high speed and whip until the mixture forms stiff peaks.16 ounces heavy cream | 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk | 1 tablespoon vodka | 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon butter emulsion* | ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Using a spatula, fold in corn liquid until evenly combined.
- Pour into a freezer-safe container, such as a 9"x5" loaf pan. Cover with an airtight lid or wrap and place in freezer for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- When ready to eat, let set at room temperature for at least 5 minutes before you scoop, serve, and enjoy!
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