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This no-churn cream cheese ice cream is rich, tangy, and unbelievably creamy, like a frozen cheesecake you can scoop. It’s a 5-ingredient cream cheese ice cream recipe made without an ice cream machine, without eggs, and without any cooking. Cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, vanilla, a pinch of salt. That’s it.
I made this for the first time on one of those Vegas afternoons where it was 109 degrees outside and I was somehow craving both cheesecake and ice cream at the same time. Baking even my 4-inch cheesecake in that heat was not happening, but I had cream cheese in the fridge and one of those “what if” moments hit. Twenty minutes of mixing, six hours in the freezer, and I had the answer. Cheesecake flavor, ice cream texture, zero oven time.
If you’ve been wondering why cream cheese ice cream tastes so different from regular vanilla, it’s the tang. The cream cheese cuts through the sweetness of the condensed milk and gives every scoop that pull-you-back-for-another-bite quality. It’s also why this works as a customizable cream cheese ice cream base. Swirl in jam, fold in graham crackers, layer with brownie chunks. It takes everything well, and a scoop on top of a warm Crumbl cookie dough cookie is dangerous in the best way.
Table of Contents
- Why use cream cheese in ice cream?
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make No-Churn Cream Cheese Ice Cream
- Best cream cheese for this recipe
- Tips and Tricks for the Best Results
- Cream cheese ice cream flavor variations
- How to store cream cheese ice cream
- Why do you need to make this recipe?
- No-Churn Cream Cheese Ice Cream FAQs
- More No-Churn Ice Cream Recipes
- No-Churn Cream Cheese Ice Cream Recipe
Why use cream cheese in ice cream?
Cream cheese in ice cream does two things at once. First, it adds that tangy, slightly savory cheesecake flavor that balances the sweetness of the condensed milk. Without it, no-churn ice cream can taste flat and overly sweet. Second, the fat and protein in cream cheese give the ice cream a denser, chewier texture that’s closer to gelato than soft-serve (and nothing like the custard base in my churned homemade vanilla ice cream). You get a scoop that holds its shape, melts slowly, and tastes richer than you’d expect from a no-machine recipe.
This is also why cream cheese makes such a good ice cream base. You can use it as the foundation for almost any flavor, from strawberry to cookies and cream to cheesecake swirl. The cream cheese provides body and structure, and everything else layers on top. It’s the same tangy magic that makes my no-bake cheesecake bars and cream cheese brownies so addictive.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this homemade ice cream. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for detailed ingredient measurements.
- Softened Cream Cheese (full-fat): Philadelphia is my go-to for the best cream cheese ice cream texture. Full-fat block cream cheese gives the smoothest, creamiest result. Skip the whipped tub or low-fat versions, they water the ice cream down and you lose the cheesecake feel.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: sweetens the ice cream and helps keep it smooth and scoopable. This is what lets us skip the ice cream maker, the sugar prevents large ice crystals (same trick I use in my no-churn chocolate ice cream).
- Vanilla Extract: adds a nice flavor addition to the tang of the cream cheese. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Pinch of Salt: boosts all the other flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Cold Heavy Whipping Cream: thins out the cream cheese and adds an airy structure when whipped. Make sure it’s cold straight from the fridge so it whips to stiff peaks.
How to Make No-Churn Cream Cheese Ice Cream
- Beat the cream cheese. Beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl until completely smooth, then pour in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- Mix until silky. Beat again until the mixture is silky, well blended and has zero lumps.
- Whip the cream. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Fold in the whipped cream. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture in a few additions, folding gently so it stays light and airy.
- Fold until smooth. Keep folding until there are no white streaks left and the base looks thick and fluffy. Don’t rush this part, or you’ll knock the air out.
- Pan it and add mix-ins. Spread the base into a loaf pan or any freezer-safe container and smooth the top. Add any swirls or mix-ins now (I used crushed golden Oreos).
- Freeze and scoop. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and freeze for at least 6 hours, until fully set. Let it sit out for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.
Best cream cheese for this recipe
The cream cheese you use really does change the final ice cream, so it’s worth being picky here.
- Philadelphia full-fat (block): the gold standard for this recipe. Smooth, mild tang, no graininess.
- Store-brand full-fat (block): works well, slightly less creamy but you won’t notice once it’s frozen.
- Whipped cream cheese (tub): skip it for this recipe. It has air already whipped in and extra water, which throws off the ratios and gives you a softer, icier final texture.
- Low-fat or fat-free: technically works but the texture suffers a lot. You lose the chewy gelato-like body that makes this recipe special.
- Mascarpone (as a substitute): a great alternative if you want something even richer and slightly less tangy. Use the same amount.
Pull your cream cheese out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before you start. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy no matter how long you beat it, and you’ll end up with little white specks in the ice cream.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Results
- Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture.
- Take the cream cheese out early and let it come to room temperature so it mixes more easily.
- Don’t over-whip the cream cheese to avoid a grainy texture. You can even chill your glass bowl and beater attachments to help the cream whip up faster.
- Fold gently and gradually to avoid deflating the whipped cream.
Cream cheese ice cream flavor variations
This recipe is a blank canvas, which is half the reason I love it. Here are the variations I’ve tested and loved:
- Strawberry cheesecake: swirl in ½ cup strawberry sauce and fold in crushed graham crackers right before freezing.
- Cookies and cream: fold in 1 cup roughly chopped Oreos. Use the white filling and all. If that’s your favorite combo, my no-churn Oreo ice cream goes all in on it.
- Lemon cream cheese: add 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture. Swirl in lemon curd if you have it.
- Brownie chunk cheesecake: fold in 1 cup cubed brownies (my small batch brownies or salty pretzel brownies work perfectly for this).
- Coffee cream cheese: dissolve 1 tablespoon instant espresso into the vanilla and mix into the base. Coffee lovers, my no-churn coffee ice cream is the full-strength version.
- Cream cheese frosting flavor: add an extra 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon of extra vanilla. Tastes exactly like cream cheese frosting in scoop form.
- Vanilla bean cream cheese: swap the vanilla extract for 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste. The flecks look gorgeous against the white base.
- Rhubarb swirl: swirl in rhubarb sauce for a tart, jammy contrast.
How to store cream cheese ice cream
Store the ice cream in an airtight, freezer-safe container with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed flush onto the surface (no air = no ice crystals). It’ll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. After that, the texture starts to suffer even though the flavor is fine.
Let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping. No-churn ice cream sets harder than churned ice cream because there’s more fat and less air, so a short rest makes a huge difference in how easy it is to scoop.
Why do you need to make this recipe?
- It’s a fantastic ice cream base you can customize with a wide range of textures and flavors.
- Using cream cheese in ice cream gives it a chewier, more fun texture that’s different from what we’re used to.
- Since you don’t need an ice cream maker, this recipe is an easy, beginner-friendly way to enjoy homemade ice cream and get your feet wet making extravagant desserts. Once you’re hooked, the rest of my homemade ice cream recipes are waiting for you.
- It’s so impressive enough to make for guests, but simple enough that you can just make it for yourself when you have a craving.
No-Churn Cream Cheese Ice Cream FAQs
You can, but the texture changes and it won’t really be ice cream anymore. Heavy cream is what gives this recipe its airy, scoopable structure. If you skip it, the ice cream sets up dense, almost like a frozen cheesecake filling instead of true ice cream. For a lighter option, swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream (the thick part from a refrigerated can), which stays creamy and freezes well.
If you don’t have cream cheese, mascarpone is the closest one-for-one substitute. It’s slightly less tangy and a bit richer, but it folds in the same way and freezes beautifully. Full-fat Greek yogurt also works in a pinch, though it gives the ice cream a more pronounced tang and slightly icier finish. Another option is whipped ricotta blended until smooth for a lighter, slightly grainier version.
They’re cousins. Cheesecake ice cream usually has crushed graham crackers folded in to mimic the crust, and sometimes a fruit swirl. This cream cheese ice cream is the base for all of that. If you want a full cheesecake ice cream, add ½ cup crushed graham crackers and a swirl of strawberry or blueberry sauce to this recipe and you’re there. In the pictures, I added crushed-up golden Oreos, which pretty much does the same thing too!
Yes, that’s actually one of the best things about it. This recipe works as a cream cheese ice cream base for almost anything. Cookies and cream, strawberry cheesecake, lemon, blueberry, brownie chunk, Oreo, you name it. The cream cheese gives the base body and tang, and you can layer in any mix-in or swirl in the last step before freezing.
Two usual culprits. Either the cream cheese wasn’t soft enough when you started (cold cream cheese doesn’t fully blend and leaves tiny lumps that freeze hard), or you overwhipped the cream (past stiff peaks into the broken, butter-like stage). Soften the cream cheese fully, and stop whipping the cream the moment it holds a peak that doesn’t fold over.
Sort of. Gelato has less air whipped in and more milk than cream, so it’s denser and softer when scooped. To get closer to gelato texture with this recipe, whip the cream only to soft peaks (not stiff) and reduce the heavy cream to 1½ cups. You’ll get a denser, more elastic scoop that’s closer to authentic gelato.
Churning a chilled ice cream mixture incorporates air into it. But because of the air already incorporated into the whipped cream, freezing it as should do the trick without having to churn it extra. And with the sugar from the sweetened condensed milk, we naturally get the texture of soft-serve ice cream. Note: Let it sit out for 5-10 minutes before scooping to soften a bit.
It should taste as good as new for at least a week or two, as long as there isn’t a lot of ice crystal formation. To prevent this, make sure to use an airtight container and lay a sheet of plastic wrap flush over the top of the ice cream so there’s no air touching it.
You definitely can if you want to try and reduce the calories a little bit. Just know that it obviously will not have the same ultra-smooth mouthfeel.
More No-Churn Ice Cream Recipes
If you made this no-churn cream cheese ice cream, I want to hear what you swirled into it! Leave a ⭐ star rating and a comment below, and tell me your favorite mix-in combo. Happy scooping!!
No-Churn Cream Cheese Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
Optional Add-ins:
- Swirl in ½ cup fruit jam or lemon curd
- Fold in crushed graham crackers Oreos, or brownie chunks
- Fresh berries chocolate chips, or cookie dough bits
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.8 oz cream cheese
- Add in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix until fully combined and silky.14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 1 pinch salt
- In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks.2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in 2-3 additions, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
- Pour into a loaf pan or freezer-safe container. Smooth the top.
- Add any swirls or mix-ins if desired, then cover with plastic wrap or a lid.
- Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
these cream cheese ice creams looks delicious
It really is! It has an incredible texture!