Easy Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

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Homemade no-churn Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream is simple to make and filled with the rich, sweet, robust flavors of real vanilla extract from Mexico. Tip: If you can’t find Mexican vanilla, you can use regular vanilla.

a sugar cone filled with scoops of mexican vanilla ice cream.

You don’t need an ice cream maker or egg yolks to make amazing ice cream recipes. This Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream recipe is naturally gluten-free and nut-free, and will be ready in just a few hours.

Vanilla is a classic ice cream flavor, and when you make ice cream with pure Mexican Vanilla extract, it’s even more special with the addition of different flavors!

Use natural, pure, authentic Mexican vanilla extract made from real vanilla beans for this recipe. You can also use Mexican vanilla in my French-style vanilla bean ice cream recipe, or any of our recipes that call for vanilla.

Looking for a different kind of Mexican-inspired dessert? Try my Easy Churro Ice Cream recipe! For another great recipe idea, try this Mexican Vanilla Iced Coffee.

Why You’re Going to Love this Recipe

It features the fantastic flavor of Mexican Vanilla!
With only 4 ingredients, the vanilla extract is truly the star of this show, with nothing to detract from its warm, aromatic, authentic flavor.
This is also a no-churn ice cream recipe. While we love using our ice cream maker to churn out pints, you can absolutely make delicious vanilla ice cream without any special equipment or an ice cream machine.

If you’re looking for more easy no-churn recipes, be sure to try my Death by Chocolate Ice Cream and Cornbread Ice Cream next.

The four ingredients needed to make no-churn mexican vanilla ice cream

Ingredients You’ll Need

Sweetened Condensed Milk: Using this thickened, sweetened milk is a shortcut that replaces the traditional custard used in churned ice cream recipes. You’ll need just 1 standard-sized can.
Heavy Whipping Cream: To add airiness to no-churn ice cream, we will whip the cream and then fold it in gently.
Mexican Vanilla Extract: I’ve already told you all about how special this stuff is! This recipe will work perfectly fine with any high quality vanilla extract, but it won’t taste the same.
Salt: Just a bit of salt enhances the flavor of the vanilla even further.

For the complete list of ingredients quantities and instructions on how to make Mexican vanilla ice cream, please see the recipe below.

scoops of vanilla ice cream in a glass footed dish.

How to Store Homemade Ice Cream

Store this homemade no-churn ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed on top for up to one month.

FAQS

How is Mexican Vanilla Different?

Wondering what the big deal is about vanilla extract from Mexico? It’s helpful to understand the history of this flavoring, so get ready to learn!

Up until the early 16th century, Mexico was the only place in the world where vanilla beans were grown and used to flavor food and drinks. The orchid that vanilla beans come from is native to the country of Mexico. It was first used as a sacred herb, then cultivated to be used as a flavoring. It was only after the Spanish invaded northern Mexico that vanilla beans were introduced to Europe.

So, vanilla beans can now be grown and cultivated all over the world, but the beans grown in Mexico are still extra special. This is because Mexican vanilla is the only variety that is pollinated naturally, by a specific type of bee that only exists in Mexico!

So while all vanilla comes from the same plant, the method of growing, pollinating, and extracting the flavor from the pods affects the flavor. Mexican vanilla beans are traditionally dried in the sun, and then aged in wooden boxes. This gives it a particularly earthy, woodsy flavor that can’t be replicated anywhere else!

Can You Taste the Differences in Types of Vanillas?

It takes a bit of practice to be able to tell the difference between Mexican vanilla and other varieties such as Bourbon and Tahitian Vanilla. Not everyone will be able to notice or identify them immediately.

It’s similar to olive oil or wine in this way. You need to train your palette to taste all of the unique flavor notes in the vanilla.

Expert tasters note that Mexican vanilla has astringent, smoked, toasted notes as well as hints of raisin, clove, cinnamon, cocoa, sesame, tamarind, and black pepper.

Where to Buy Mexican Vanilla?

Most specialty grocery stores carry Mexican Vanilla. You can also find it online.

Expert Recipe Tips

If you can’t find Mexican vanilla extract in the store, you can use regular vanilla extract (or bourbon vanilla) in this recipe. Just note you’ll miss out on the distinctive flavor of the Mexican vanilla extract. Either way, it will have a great taste.
Be sure that your heavy cream is chilled before you whip it. It can also be helpful to chill your mixing bowl before you whip it.
Make sure you whip the heavy whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. This is what gives our ice cream the air that it needs, for that fluffy creamy texture.
You’ll want to gently fold the whipping cream into the sweetened condensed milk, so it doesn’t loose the air bubbles.

a glass dish of mexican vanilla ice cream with a spoon in it.

Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream in an Ice Cream Maker

If you’d like to make a churned version of Mexican vanilla ice cream, I recommend following my Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe and following the manufacturer’s instructions on your ice cream maker. Use Mexican vanilla in place of the vanilla extract and paste called for in that recipe.

You can use this easy recipe for Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream to make fried ice cream! Top it with melted Mexican chocolate for a special treat. It’s also a perfect base for ice cream sundaes. I also love it as part of a Strawberry Sundae or Hot Fudge Sundae.

We also love enjoying a scoop between two pumpkin cookies.

More Ice Cream Recipes

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Yield: 12 Servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

Homemade no-churn Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream is simple to make and filled with the rich, sweet, robust flavors of real vanilla extract from Mexico. Tip: If you can't find Mexican vanilla, you can use regular vanilla.

Ingredients

14 oz sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Place in the freezer.
Combine sweetened condensed milk, Mexican vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, similar to making whipped cream.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture.
Pour into the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Notes

You can use regular vanilla extract in place of the Mexican vanilla but the flavor profile will be different.

Make sure the whipping cream is cold before starting.

It’s best to use chilled bowls, but it’s not necessary for this recipe.

The Mexican vanilla ice cream should be soft enough to scoop, but if not, let it sit out on the counter at room temperature for a few minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 280Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 25gProtein: 5g