‍About This Dish

This is a small batch 2 ingredient ice cream that makes around 450ml — roughly four to six scoops, enough for two to four servings — using nothing more than storebought vanilla custard and double cream (heavy cream). The custard and cream are whisked together, frozen in an ice cube tray until solid, then blended until smooth and returned to the freezer to set into a perfectly creamy, scoopable ice cream. No ice cream churner, no cooking, no custard-making from scratch.

Why I Created This Recipe

This recipe started, as many of my best ones do, with staring into the fridge and wondering what to do with what was in it. Last week I spotted a leftover tub of storebought vanilla custard  and something clicked. Homemade ice cream starts with a custard base: egg yolks, sugar and milk, heated and combined into a silky custard before being whipped and churned with cream. The supermarket, I realised, had already done that first step for me. All I had to do was add double cream (heavy cream) and freeze.

Without an ice cream churner to aerate and smooth the mixture as it freezes, I froze it in an ice cube tray first — cubes freeze more evenly and are far easier to blend — then left them to soften slightly before blending until smooth. The result was a perfectly creamy, genuinely delicious ice cream that tasted far more like the real homemade thing than two ingredients and twenty minutes of effort have any right to produce.

If you want to take it one step further, the homemade vanilla custard recipe is on the blog — made from scratch with egg yolks, whole milk and a real vanilla pod, it gives an even richer, more deeply flavoured result. But the storebought version is brilliant, and on a weeknight it is exactly the right call.

About the Small Batch Bakes Series

Small Batch Bakes is a series dedicated to making and baking in smaller, more manageable quantities, recipes that give you something special without an overwhelming yield. This 2 ingredient ice cream makes around 450ml, serving two generously, which makes it one of the most practical frozen desserts on the blog. Enough for a proper pudding without a tub of ice cream sitting in the freezer for weeks.

The Science Behind It — Why This Works

Traditional homemade ice cream is built on two key components: a custard base and cream. The custard provides the rich, egg-yolk-based foundation that gives ice cream its characteristic depth of flavour and silky body; the cream provides the fat that makes it smooth and scoopable rather than icy and hard. Getting the balance right between the two is what separates a good homemade ice cream from a mediocre one.

Storebought vanilla custard is already a fully cooked, stabilised custard — it has the egg yolk content, the sugar, the thickening agents and the vanilla flavour all built in. It is, in effect, the first step of an ice cream recipe, already done. Adding double cream (heavy cream) and freezing it completes the process in the simplest possible way.

The blending step — freezing in a tray, then blending the cubes before the second freeze — is a technique that mimics, in a basic way, the aerating effect of an ice cream churner. Blending the semi-frozen cubes breaks up the larger ice crystals that would otherwise make the ice cream hard and icy, incorporating a little air in the process and giving a much smoother, creamier result than simply freezing the mixture in one go. It is not as refined as a properly churned ice cream, but it is remarkably close for something that requires no equipment beyond a blender.

The Ratio — 2 Parts Custard to 1 Part Cream

Like the best simple recipes, this one is built on a ratio rather than fixed quantities — and knowing the ratio means you can make as much or as little as you need without having to look anything up.

The formula is two parts custard to one part double cream (heavy cream). In this recipe that translates to 300ml of custard and 150ml of cream, giving 450ml of finished ice cream — roughly four to six scoops, enough for two servings. If you have more custard to use up, simply double everything: 600ml of custard, 300ml of cream, and you have a full litre of ice cream. If you only have a small amount of custard left, halve it: 150ml of custard, 75ml of cream, for a single generous portion.

The ratio works because custard and double cream (heavy cream) have complementary fat contents and consistencies — the custard provides body and flavour, the cream provides the fat that makes the finished ice cream smooth and scoopable. Too much cream and the ice cream becomes bland and fatty; too little and it can freeze harder and more icy. The 2:1 ratio keeps everything in balance and produces a consistently good result every time.

Why You'll Want to Make This Recipe

Two Ingredients, No Churner Needed

This is genuinely one of the most simplefrozen desserts you will ever make — two ingredients, a whisk, an ice cube tray, a blender and a freezer. No specialist equipment, no cooking, no custard-making from scratch. The storebought custard does the hard work; you just have to assemble it.

Small Batch, Perfect Portions

At 450ml, this makes just enough for two generous servings — a proper pudding without a huge tub of ice cream sitting in the freezer slowly developing freezer burn. It is the ideal small batch frozen dessert for solo cooks who want something special without the commitment of a full batch.

Endlessly Customisable

The vanilla custard base is a brilliant blank canvas — stir through fruit compotes, jams, curds, crumble pieces or biscuit crumbs after blending and before the second freeze to create completely different flavours from the same base recipe. See the variations section below for ideas.

A Clever Use of Leftover Custard

If you have made the homemade vanilla custard and have some left over, this is the perfect way to use it up — and the homemade version gives an even richer, more deeply flavoured result than the storebought. Two brilliant recipes, zero waste.

My Top Tips for the Perfect 2 Ingredient Ice Cream

• Use a full-fat storebought vanilla custard for the best result. The fat content is what gives the finished ice cream its body and creaminess — reduced-fat or low-sugar versions will produce a harder, icier result. Look for a good quality fresh custard from the chilled section of the supermarket rather than a long-life carton.
• Whisk the custard and cream together until completely smooth before freezing. Any streaks of cream that have not been fully incorporated will freeze separately and create an uneven texture in the finished ice cream.
• Use a large ice cube tray rather than freezing in a single container. Smaller cubes freeze more evenly, are much easier to blend smoothly, and ensure a consistently creamy result throughout. A standard silicone ice cube tray works perfectly.
• Freeze until completely solid — at least four hours, or overnight for the best results. Partially frozen cubes will not blend as smoothly and the finished ice cream will be less creamy.
• Leave the frozen cubes out for 10–15 minutes before blending. This is an important step — fully frozen cubes are very hard on a blender and can strain the motor, and they do not blend as smoothly as cubes that have softened very slightly. You want them firm but just beginning to give at the edges, not rock solid. This short rest makes the blending considerably easier and gives a smoother result.
• Blend in short pulses rather than continuously. Start with a few short pulses to break the cubes down, then blend continuously until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender jug between pulses if needed.
• Work quickly once blended. The mixture will begin to melt as soon as it is smooth — transfer it to an ice cream tub or freezer-safe container immediately and get it back in the freezer as quickly as possible.
• If adding flavourings or fillings, do so immediately after blending, before the second freeze. Stir them through quickly and evenly, then freeze. See the section below for ideas.
• Before serving, leave the ice cream out for five to ten minutes to soften slightly. Homemade ice cream — even with the blending step — freezes harder than commercial ice cream, which contains stabilisers that keep it scoopable straight from the freezer. A brief rest at room temperature makes scooping much easier.

Flavourings & Fillings — Taking It Further

One of the best things about this recipe is how easily the vanilla base adapts. After blending and before the second freeze, stir through any of the following to create a completely different ice cream from the same two-ingredient base:

Fruit

• A few tablespoons of a good quality strawberry, raspberry or cherry jam stirred through gives a rippled, fruity result — use a jam with a high fruit content for the best flavour
• A homemade or shop-bought fruit compote — blueberry, blackberry and rhubarb all work beautifully — swirled through in generous spoonfuls creates a gorgeous ripple effect
• Lemon curd or passion fruit curd stirred through adds a sharp, citrusy contrast to the sweet vanilla base that is particularly good in summer

Biscuit & Crumble

• A handful of crumbled shortbread, digestive biscuits (graham crackers) or ginger nut biscuits (ginger snap cookies) stirred through adds a wonderful buttery crunch
• Leftover crumble topping from the perfect apple crumble — baked until crisp and cooled completely — is an outstanding addition and makes for a genuinely brilliant apple crumble ice cream
• Crushed Oreos or chocolate chip cookies stirred through is an ice cream classic for very good reason

Chocolate

• A few tablespoons of good quality chocolate spread stirred through gives a chocolate ripple effect
• Finely chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips — stirred through just before the second freeze so they stay in distinct pieces rather than melting into the base — add a pleasing crunch

Other Ideas

• A tablespoon of smooth peanut butter or almond butter swirled through adds a rich, nutty depth
• A teaspoon of espresso powder dissolved in a tiny splash of hot water and stirred through gives a coffee ice cream that is excellent alongside anything chocolate
• Salted caramel sauce — shop-bought or homemade — swirled through in generous ribbons before the second freeze is one of the best things you can do to this ice cream

Using Homemade Custard

If you have made the homemade vanilla custard from the Small Batch Bakes series and have some left over, it makes a spectacular base for this ice cream — richer, more deeply flavoured and with a more pronounced vanilla character than the storebought version. Use exactly the same ratio: two parts custard to one part double cream (heavy cream). The method is identical.

It is also worth making the homemade custard specifically for this recipe if you want to take it to another level — perhaps for a dinner party, or simply because you want the best possible result. The extra twenty minutes of effort is absolutely reflected in the finished ice cream.

Ingredients and Tools You'll Need

Essential Ingredients

• 300ml storebought vanilla custard – full-fat, good quality, from the chilled section of the supermarket; or use the homemade vanilla custard for an even better result
• 150ml double cream (heavy cream) – full-fat; do not substitute with single cream (light cream) or whipping cream, which have a lower fat content and will produce a harder, icier result

Essential Tools

• Large silicone ice cube tray – for the first freeze; silicone makes popping the cubes out considerably easier than a rigid plastic tray
• Blender or food processor – for blending the frozen cubes; a high-powered blender gives the smoothest result
• Ice cream tub or freezer-safe container with a lid – for the second freeze and storage
• Balloon whisk – for combining the custard and cream before freezing
• Ice cream scoop – for serving

Storage

This ice cream keeps in the freezer in a sealed container for up to one month. After that it can begin to develop freezer burn and ice crystals, which affect both the texture and the flavour. Press a sheet of cling film (plastic wrap) directly onto the surface of the ice cream before putting the lid on — this prevents ice crystals from forming on the surface during storage.

Always leave it out for five to ten minutes before scooping — it freezes harder than commercial ice cream and benefits from a brief rest at room temperature before serving.

Dietary Variations

Dairy-Free

Use a dairy-free vanilla custard — several brands now produce one, typically found in the free-from section of larger supermarkets — and replace the double cream (heavy cream) with a full-fat coconut cream. The coconut cream gives sufficient fat content to produce a creamy, scoopable result. The finished ice cream will have a subtle coconut flavour alongside the vanilla, which is a very pleasant combination.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an ice cream churner for this recipe?

No — and that is one of the best things about it. The blending step mimics the aerating effect of a churner by breaking up the ice crystals that form during the first freeze and incorporating a small amount of air, giving a much smoother and creamier result than simply freezing the mixture solid in one go. It is not quite as refined as a properly churned ice cream, but it is genuinely very close.

Why do I need to freeze in a tray rather than a container?

Freezing in small cubes serves two purposes: the cubes freeze more evenly than a single large block, and they are far easier to blend smoothly. A large block of frozen ice cream is very difficult to blend — it is hard on the blender motor and tends to blend unevenly, leaving some parts over-processed and others still chunky. Small cubes blend quickly, smoothly and evenly with far less effort.

Can I use single cream instead of double cream?

Double cream (heavy cream) is strongly recommended here. Its higher fat content — around 48% compared to single cream's 18% — is what gives the finished ice cream its smooth, creamy texture and its ability to stay scoopable after freezing. Single cream (light cream) does not have enough fat to produce the same result and will give a harder, icier ice cream.

Why does my ice cream freeze so hard?

Homemade ice cream without stabilisers — the additives used in commercial ice cream to keep it soft and scoopable straight from the freezer — always freezes harder than shop-bought. This is completely normal. Leaving it out for five to ten minutes before scooping is all it needs. If it is consistently freezing very hard, make sure you are using full-fat custard and full-fat double cream (heavy cream) — lower-fat versions freeze harder.

How long does it keep in the freezer?

Up to one month in a sealed container with cling film (plastic wrap) pressed onto the surface. After that it can develop freezer burn and ice crystals. For the best flavour and texture, eat it within two to three weeks.

Can I make this with homemade custard?

Yes — and it is even better. The homemade vanilla custard from the Small Batch Bakes series gives a richer, more deeply flavoured result with a more pronounced vanilla character. Use the same ratio — two parts custard to one part double cream (heavy cream) — and follow exactly the same method.