You are going to love this no-churn creamy Earl Grey ice cream. It is officially my favorite no-cook homemade ice cream flavor! Get a tea kettle started so you can brew some Earl Grey tea :-). All you need are three simple ingredients to make this homemade ice cream!
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Our family recently visited a new ice cream place in the Pruneyard called Tin Pot Creamery. It is a small local ice cream shop that makes interesting small-batch ice cream flavors.
This post is NOT sponsored, I just love their creativity with ice cream flavors! One taste of their creamy Earl Grey ice cream and I was hooked. It had hints of Earl Grey spices and was lightly sweet. I just knew I needed to try to re-create these flavors in a creamy no-churn recipe.
It doesn't get any easier than this. From the blender, you pour your ice cream mixture into a freezable container and freeze. A few hours later you have thick, creamy ice cream!!
If you love ice cream as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my Best Gluten Free Ice Cream recipes, I include a couple of gluten free ice cream cone recipes as well!
Earl Grey tea is a black tea with a unique flavor. This flavor comes from bergamot oil, which has a slight citrus flavor. Earl Grey is believed to have lots of health benefits, as well as a nice boost of caffeine. I like Earl Grey tea because it has less caffeine than a cup of coffee, so it is a nice afternoon pick me up.
Keep in mind there are a lot of Earl Grey teas out there. Quality is important. You want a reputable tea company and not a cheap tea. I say this after watching a tea episode of Alton Brown.
When tea is being processed for sale, tea manufacturers sift the tea into many grades, depending on the size of the leaf. The cheapest teas are mostly tiny pieces of leaves and a lot of tea "dust". More expensive teas have big pieces of tea leaves in the bags.
If you love this easy no-churn ice cream recipe, you will want to also try these frozen desserts: Ombre Milkshakes and Lemon Curd Ice Cream recipes.
Why this recipe is great:
Everyone will love this easy no-cook homemade ice cream. You don't need a fancy ice cream maker to make this no-churn ice cream recipe, though you can use one if you prefer! All you need is 3 simple ingredients!
My kids make this recipe with our Vitamix. (You can also use a blender.) They sort of call this Vitamix ice cream...probably because you just dump everything in and it takes care of everything except the freezing part.
I used condensed coconut milk for this recipe. If you can't find it, that is fine. Use the regular variety. I love the way the slight coconut flavor works with the Earl Grey tea, so that is why I used this.
Ingredients and notes:
- Earl Grey Tea - Be sure to use a good quality tea. It will make a big difference in flavor!
- Condensed Milk - You can use regular or coconut condensed milk varieties. Do NOT use evaporated milk.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - This is what gives the creaminess to your no-churn ice cream! Do not use half and half.
Step by step directions:
Step 1: teep three Earl Grey tea bags in a cup of hot water. I steep the tea for at least 10 minutes so that it not only gets a strong flavor, but the tea also cools down more making it easier to whip with the cream. The stronger the tea the better the flavor of the ice cream!
Step 2: Add all of your ingredients into the Vitamix or blender and whip until thick. See how the whipping cream helps this no-churn ice cream get really thick and creamy?
One thing I love about this ice cream recipe is that you don't have to add extra sugar. There is enough sweetness from the condensed milk to make this ice cream perfect.
Step 3: Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container and cover with plastic wrap. I like to use metal bread pans for storing my ice cream in the freezer. Freeze for 3-4 hours. Scoop and enjoy.
You can serve this ice cream in these Gluten Free Cookie Bowls, or make these fun DIY Gluten Free Waffle Cones. You can also try a homemade milkshake! I love topping my ice cream with these Cinnamon Spiced Walnuts too!
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
No-churn ice cream is my newest addiction. It fits my criteria of being easy to make and I consider it my ice cream for when I am feeling lazy. No-churn ice creams are not cooked on a stove before freezing.
Condensed milk is available with dairy, or without (coconut-based). I love the way the slight coconut flavor works with the Earl Grey tea, so that is why I used this.
You can use either caffeinated or decaffeinated tea to make this ice cream recipe. Many prefer to use decaf tea if they are going to serve this to their kids, or enjoy this ice cream in the evening/night.
If you put the ice cream into an air-tight freezer safe container, this ice cream will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
More delicious no-churn ice cream recipes:
- No-Churn White Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream
- Fresh Vegan Plum Sorbet
- Caramel Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Pineapple Sorbet
Tools:
- A blender or Vitamix. You can easily make this recipe with a mixer, but it will take a little longer to whip up the cream.
- Your favorite variety of Earl Grey tea.
📖 Recipe
Earl Grey No Churn Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 14 ounces condensed milk * see note
- 1 cup Earl Grey tea * see note
- 2 pints whipping cream * see note
Instructions
- Heat a cup of water and add three bags of Earl Grey tea. Allow to steep 5 minutes.
- Allow the tea to cool down for 10 minutes.
- Add all ingredients to a Vitamix or blender. Mix until the cream is thick.
- Pour into a bread pan or other freezer safe container and freeze for 3 hours.
Notes
- Please use heavy whipping cream. Half and half will not work in this recipe.
- Use high-grade Earl Grey tea. You really can taste a difference!
- You can use either milk-based condensed milk or coconut condensed milk in this recipe.
- This ice cream will keep in an air-tight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Tanya d
Hi, thanks for sharing. I was wondering since I am by myself and I'm not much of big eater, if i half the recipe, for 1/2 cup of water can i put 2 tea bags of earl grey tea? my earl grey tea is approximately 38 grams of tea each. what would you recommend? i hope to hear from you. thank you so much. Though I have not tried the recipe, I will give you already 5 stars for it just for taking your time to share this recipe. it is much appreciated.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Tanya, I think halving the recipe will be fine. You can use as much or as little tea as you like. I think two bags would add great flavor for the proportion you are making. Take care, Sandi
James P
Just made this last night with my kitchen aid mixmaster and it’s absolutely amazing. Thank you!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked it James. Thank you so much!
MangoAngel
Just a note: brew/steeping tea extra-long does nothing to make it stronger. The amount of tea leaves used is what adds to the strength of the tea’s flavor. Brewing/steeping for longer than 3-5 minutes doesn’t make it stronger, it just makes the tea much more astringent and bitter.
So if anyone has trouble with the tea tasting bitter in this recipe, I’d recommend making a stronger brew by using more tea leaves, and steeping no more than 5 minutes, max, to avoid any bitterness.
Carole
Hi there. I am attempting to make this recipe but with sweetened condensed cow’s milk rather than coconut. So far it is not going my way. The mixture never thickened up in the Vitamix. I am now freezing the mixture for an hour and will attempt to whip it up again.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Carole, did you use heavy whipping cream? It should pretty much turn to whipped cream in the Vitamix.