THE TAKE-IT-EASY ICE CREAM
With hazelnut butter, milk, heavy cream, and sugar.
Craving real hazelnut flavour?This ultra-creamy hazelnut ice cream skips eggs, thickeners, and long waits—using more cream for naturally smooth texture.
What’s more, instead of simmering and infusing milk with whole hazelnuts, this recipe uses smooth hazelnut butter for bold flavour with zero hassle. You briefly warm the milk to dissolve the sugar, blend it with the hazelnut butter, then chill it quickly in an ice bath. No overnight refrigeration required. From there: churn, and you’re done.
This is what’s known as a Philadelphia-style ice cream—but don’t let the name throw you off. There’s no cream cheese involved. It simply means no eggs, no custard—just a faster, cleaner method that still delivers rich, satisfying results.
The outcome? Bold hazelnut flavour, smooth texture, and none of the usual effort. No steeping, no custards—just proper ice cream, made fast. Because sometimes you want the good stuff… without turning it into a weekend project.
3 more ways to make this hazelnut ice cream:
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
Warm the milk and sugar until hot.
Whisk together the hazelnut butter and hot milk, adding the hot milk a little at a time to create a smooth, even texture.
Blend the mixture. Add the cold heavy cream, and blend again until smooth.
Cool down over an ice bath. Chill the ice cream mixture overnight or until completely cold.
Churn in your ice cream maker until fluffed up and creamy.
Put it in the freezer for a few hours to set.
As soon as it sets, you can either serve it from the ice cream maker bowl or transfer to a container and store it in the freezer.
When making ice cream, it’s best to weigh all your ingredients—even the liquids. We also recommend weighing liquids directly into your bowl or pan as you follow the recipe, rather than measuring them in a separate container and transferring them. This helps avoid small but unnecessary losses during transfer.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use the following guidelines:
• 1 cup (US) = 237 ml
• 1 tablespoon = 15 ml
Sugar: Measuring sugar by tablespoons is more accurate than using cups. Use a proper 15 ml measuring tablespoon—not a regular spoon. One level tablespoon equals about 13 grams of sugar. To measure accurately, level off each scoop with the flat side of a knife.
Milk and heavy cream: When measuring liquids by volume, always use a rubber spatula to thoroughly scrape any residue left in the measuring cup. This ensures you’re using the full amount.
Please note: the metric, imperial, and volume measurements provided in our recipes
Here are a few simple ways to deepen the flavour of your Hazelnut Ice Cream, enhance the texture, and add a personal twist:
✨ Use Raw Cane Sugar
Enhance the flavour by replacing regular white sugar with high-quality raw cane sugar like Demerara or Turbinado. Their gentle caramel notes pair beautifully with the roasted richness of hazelnut, adding warmth and depth to the ice cream.
✨ Add Citrus Peel
For a subtle lift, add a small piece of citrus peel to the mixture during the chilling stage (Step 2), then remove it before churning:
Orange peel gives a classic, cozy feel.
Mandarin adds a soft, floral sweetness.
Lemon zest brightens the base.
Bergamot (or a little Earl Grey) brings a refined, floral citrus note.
✨ A Touch of Vanilla
Half a teaspoon of vanilla paste or the seeds from half a vanilla bean adds warmth and rounds out the flavour without overpowering the hazelnut.
✨ Add a Pinch of Sea Salt
Just a tiny pinch makes a huge difference. It enhances the nuttiness and balances the sweetness—especially if your hazelnut butter is unsalted.
✨ Boost with Coffee
1–2 teaspoons of espresso or strong cold brew bring out the roasted notes and add a rich, mocha-like depth to the ice cream.
✨ A Splash of Frangelico
For an adult-friendly twist, stir in a tablespoon of hazelnut liqueur before churning. It adds flavour and helps keep the ice cream smooth and scoopable straight from the freezer.
✨ Add Crunchy Bits
For extra texture, fold in 150g (5.3 oz) of unsalted, roasted hazelnuts, lightly crushed. Add them during the last few minutes of churning, or mix them in by hand after churning. You can also try cocoa nibs or dark chocolate shards for added contrast and a touch of indulgence.
A rubber spatula isn’t just for scraping—it’s your best tool for stirring ice cream bases the right way.
Use it for:
✔ Scraping the bottom of the saucepan when heating milk or sugar
✔ Mixing evenly, especially when combining thick ingredients like hazelnut butter
✔ Getting every last bit out of bowls, pans, and blenders—no waste, no shortcuts
⚠️ Inadequate stirring = uneven mixture = poor texture after churning.
Good stirring gives you a smooth, even base—and better ice cream.
Don’t have a spatula?
Get a heat-resistant, flexible rubber spatula. It’s a small tool that makes a big difference—and you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without it.
The ice cream mixture needs to cool completely and hydrate before churning, so prepare it in advance (approx. 8 hours before) to give it time to chill in the refrigerator.
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
Heat the milk and sugar: In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk (425 g / 15 oz) and sugar (185 g / 6.5 oz). Heat over medium-high, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the milk is hot and steamy. No need to boil.
Prepare the hazelnut butter: Place the hazelnut butter (100 g / 3.5 oz) in a large bowl and set a whisk into the bowl.
Incorporate the hot milk: Gradually pour the hot milk over the hazelnut butter, a little at a time, whisking to create a smooth, even mixture.
Scrape with a rubber spatula: Use a flexible rubber spatula to wipe down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Make sure no hazelnut butter is left unmixed.
Blend the base: Blend the mixture with an immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender) until fully combined.
Add the cold heavy cream: Pour in the cold heavy cream (475 g / 16.8 oz) and blend again until smooth.
Check your blending: The mixture should be fully homogenised, with a uniform colour and texture. If needed, pause and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl or blender to ensure nothing is stuck or left behind. A quick check here avoids surprises later during churning.
Before churning, the ice cream mixture must be chilled to fridge-cold temperature. There are two ways to do this:
Option 1: Overnight Chill in the Fridge (Low Effort)
Transfer the blended mixture into a clean container, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
No ice bath needed.
This is the easiest option and gives the flavors more time to develop.
Option 2: Ice Bath Chill (Ready in About 40 Minutes)
To have it ready for churning fast, you can cool the mixture quickly using a strong ice bath.
Here’s how:
• Fill a large bowl or basin halfway with plenty of ice cubes and cold water.
• Nest the bowl with your ice cream mixture inside the ice bath.
• Stir the mixture occasionally to help it chill evenly.
• As the ice melts, add more ice cubes to keep the bath as cold as possible.
• Check the temperature with your finger (it should feel ice-cold) or use a thermometer.
It’s ready when the base drops below 12°C (54°F).
If the ice bath isn’t cold enough, the mixture won’t chill properly, so be generous with the ice and stir often.
Check the temperature: Before churning, make sure the ice cream mixture is properly chilled.
It should be below 12°C (54°F) or feel fridge-cold when you dip a (clean) finger into it.
Prepare your ice cream maker: Set up the machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions and ensure the canister is ready for use.
Blend before churning: If the mixture has been chilling overnight in the fridge, give it a thorough stir, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Then, give it a quick blitz with an immersion blender to re-homogenise the mixture.
This step improves consistency and ensures a smooth, even texture.
Churn: With the machine running, pour the mixture into the canister.
Let it churn until the texture becomes creamy and fluffed up.
Depending on your ice cream maker, this may take 30 to 70 minutes.
This ice cream mixture expands and becomes airy as it churns. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks smooth, creamy, and slightly wavy—similar to soft-serve ice cream. Churning time varies depending on your machine and can take anywhere from 30 to 70 minutes.
To check the texture, lift a spoonful. It should be thick enough to stay on the spoon, but still soft. If it looks too thin or starts melting immediately, it needs more time.
If you’re unsure, let it churn for 10 more minutes. Keep in mind that it won’t look like store-bought ice cream at this point—it will still be soft. It only becomes firm and scoopable after a few hours in the freezer.
Stop the machine once the mixture is thick and creamy. If you continue churning beyond that point, the mixture can start losing the air it has built up and may seize, resulting in a dense, heavy texture.
One important note: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop automatically after a fixed time, but that doesn’t always mean the ice cream is ready. If your machine stops and the mixture still looks too soft, simply restart it and continue churning until the texture improves.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· cover the ice cream bowl and place it in the freezer
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The setting time depends on the type of ice cream maker you’re using. Here are the general guidelines:
3–5 hours for machines with removable freezer bowls (these bowls must be pre-frozen before churning)
Under 1 hour for machines with built-in compressors and aluminum bowls
⚠️ Important: Ice cream in aluminum bowls sets quickly. Do not leave it for too long—once fully frozen, it can become extremely hard and difficult to remove without risking scratches to the bowl. Always monitor it closely.
To check if the ice cream is ready, aim for an internal temperature of –11°C (12°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, use this simple test:
Insert a round-tip knife all the way to the bottom of the ice cream:
✔ If it goes in smoothly but meets gentle resistance, it’s ready
✖ If it feels hard on top but soft underneath, it needs more time
✖ If it’s too firm to insert the knife, it’s over-frozen and likely too hard to scoop
If it’s over-frozen, don’t worry—head to the next section for how to bring it back to scoopable.
If the ice cream sits in the freezer in the removable freezer bowl for too long after it has set, it can become too hard to scoop or remove.
To make it scoopable again:
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the ice cream to soften gradually.
Here’s how long that may take:
4–10 hours for removable freezer bowls (pre-freeze models)
1–2 hours for aluminum bowls (from compressor ice cream makers)
Note: These times are approximate and may vary depending on your fridge and the amount of ice cream. Check the texture occasionally as it softens.
Once the ice cream is soft enough to scoop—or its internal temperature reads approximately –11°C (12°F)—you can:
✔ Transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer
✔ Or serve it directly from the bowl
Just be sure to avoid digging into an over-frozen bowl with hard utensils, especially if using a nonstick-coated or aluminum bowl.
Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve consistency and melts almost instantly on contact. At this stage, it’s too soft to serve neatly or transfer easily—it’s simply too messy to handle.
Freezing the ice cream immediately after churning allows it to set properly. This step brings it to the right texture: scoopable, stable, and easy to portion or transfer into a storage container.
It’s the final step that turns churned ice cream into finished ice cream.
Storing: Transfer the finished ice cream to a lidded container and store it in the freezer for up to one month.
Cover it well to protect it from absorbing any unwanted freezer smells.
Scooping: Like all artisanal-style ice creams, this one freezes hard over time.
To make it scoopable again, place the container in the refrigerator for 45–60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about –11°C (12°F).
Once softened, it’ll scoop cleanly and serve beautifully.
