• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Toasty Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • FAQ
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • FAQ
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Frozen Desserts

    No Churn Unicorn Ice Cream

    Published: Apr 25, 2021 · Modified: Apr 27, 2023 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 908 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article.

    Jump to Recipe
    No churn unicorn ice cream recipe.
    No churn unicorn ice cream recipe.
    No churn unicorn ice cream recipe.

    No churn unicorn ice cream is a fruity, magical frozen treat! No ice cream maker needed for this simple ice cream recipe. Loaded with rainbow sprinkles, it's perfect for birthdays and celebrations!

    Bowl of rainbow ice cream with sprinkles on top.

    This bright rainbow ice cream is the perfect addition to your next unicorn birthday party. Flavored with vanilla, lemon, and orange, it tastes just like a creamsicle!

    No churn ice cream is easier to make than you think - you don't even need an ice cream maker! An entire batch takes about 20 minutes to make before it's in the freezer. You'll be enjoying homemade ice cream in no time.

    Swirls of pink, purple, blue, and yellow ice cream are topped with funfetti rainbow sprinkles. This magical ice cream is a must for your next princess party, birthday, or just because.

    What flavor is unicorn ice cream?

    So what should unicorn ice cream taste like? While there is no definitive answer, I imagined it to be fruity and sweet. So for this recipe, I went with a dreamy creamsicle flavor.

    If you're curious, Target carries a sour blue raspberry version, and Walmart carries unicorn ice cream that's flavored like strawberry with pound cake.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Ingredients on a counter top.
    • Heavy cream - May also be labeled as heavy whipping cream, is needed to make your homemade whipped cream. Other dairy, like milk or half & half, will not work for this recipe. Heavy cream has a higher milkfat percentage, which is what helps it hold its shape when whipped.
    • Sweetened condensed milk - Sweetens your ice cream and adds a creamy consistency.
    • Extracts - Lemon, vanilla, and orange add flavor to your ice cream. You're welcome to use just one, or all three flavors in this recipe.
    • Sprinkles - Rainbow jimmies work best because their color doesn't bleed like other shapes (like nonpareils).

    Here is the exact food coloring I used for the ice cream in the photos:

    • Betty Crocker Food Color Neon Gel, 2.7 oz - pink and purple
    • Betty Crocker Classic Gel Food Colors - blue and yellow

    Food coloring alternatives

    I'd you'd prefer to use natural food coloring, keep in mind that your colors may not be as bright or vibrant as shown.

    Jellies and jams can used to add pastel color and fruity flavor, like in my strawberry ice cream. 8 ounces of jam can be added to an entire batch of ice cream, or 4 ounces of half of your ice cream.

    Here's a great article on how to make your own natural food coloring at home, using ingredients like cabbage, matcha powder, beets, pomegranate juice, and turmeric. Keep in mind that these ingredients will add flavor to your ice cream : How to Make Your Own Safe Food Coloring at Home

    You can also buy natural food coloring and sprinkles on Amazon:

    • McCormick Nature's Inspiration Food Colors, 0.51 oz - comes in pink, blue, and yellow, with directions on how to mix even more colors
    • India Tree Nature's Colors Carnival Sprinkles, 6 Ounce - sprinkles made with vegetable colorants and no artificial dyes
    Making and assembling unicorn ice cream in a loaf pan.

    How long does homemade ice cream take to freeze?

    No churn ice cream takes between 4 to 6 hours to freeze, or overnight, depending on the temperature of your freezer.

    If you're making ice cream for an event, it's best to make it the day beforehand to ensure it will be frozen evenly throughout.

    A pan of frozen unicorn ice cream alongside a white bowl filled with ice cream.

    What size pan to use

    This recipe will fill a 9x5 loaf pan (as shown in the photos). However, any container or pan with a 6 cup capacity will work.

    If using a freezer-safe tupperware container, check the bottom for a cup capacity - most are labeled with their size.

    Or, split your ice cream between two smaller containers - this will also help speed up the freezing time!

    Recommended

    • Scooping ice cream from a loaf pan.
      No Churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream
    • Christmas cookie ice cream in a green serving bowl.
      No Churn Christmas Cookie Ice Cream
    • Scoops of strawberry ice cream melting in a bowl.
      No Churn Strawberry Jam Ice Cream
    • Bowl filled with scoops of ice cream.
      No Churn Butter Pecan Ice Cream

    📖 Recipe

    Bowl of rainbow ice cream with sprinkles on top.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 4 reviews

    No Churn Unicorn Ice Cream

    A fruity, magical frozen treat! Loaded with rainbow sprinkles, it's perfect for birthdays and celebrations.
    Prep Time20 minutes minutes
    Freezing Time5 hours hours
    Total Time5 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 248kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups (454 g) heavy cream
    • 14 ounces (397 g) sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
    • 1 teaspoon orange extract
    • food coloring, pink, purple, blue, and yellow
    • 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks are achieved, about 3 minutes.
    • In a separate bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Fold whipped cream into milk mixture until combined. Divide mixture evenly between two bowls. Add orange extract to one bowl and lemon extract to the other, folding to combine each. Then, divide the orange mixture into two bowls, and the lemon mixture into two bowls, making four bowls total.
    • Add food coloring to each bowl - pink, purple, blue, and yellow (or your desired colors). Gently fold to combine.
    • In a loaf pan, add dollops of each color to fill the pan. Once the pan is halfway full, add half of your rainbow sprinkles in a single layer. Once full, add remaining sprinkles on top. Run a butter knife through the ice cream a few times in each direction to make a swirl pattern.
    • Cover and freeze for 4-6 hours, or overnight, until firm.

    Equipment Recommendations

    • Kitchenaid Hand Mixer
    • 9x5 Loaf Pan
    • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls

    Notes

    • Extracts can be substituted with your favorite food extract flavors. Or, omit lemon and orange extracts to make vanilla ice cream. 
    • Homemade ice cream will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer in a tightly sealed container. 
    • I used Betty Crocker Gel food coloring in yellow, blue, neon pink, and neon purple. Any food coloring (including natural coloring) will work in this recipe. 

    Nutrition Estimate

    Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 153mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American

    More Frozen Dessert Recipes

    • A white bowl filled with everything bagel ice cream.
      No Churn Everything Bagel Ice Cream
    • Vanilla ice cream being scooped by an ice cream scoop.
      How To Make No Churn Ice Cream - with flavor and mix-in ideas
    • A bowl of ice cream topped with chocolate shell and candy cane crumbles.
      Peppermint Chocolate Ice Cream Shell Topping
    • Frozen yogurt breakfast bark recipe.
      Frozen Yogurt Breakfast Bark

    Share this post:

    Subscribe

    Get our newest recipes delivered to your inbox for free!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Heather of The Toasty Kitchen. I love cooking with real, unfussy ingredients, and I want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

    More about me →

    Summer recipes

    • Grilled asparagus topped with melted parmesan cheese on a white serving plate.
      Grilled Asparagus in Foil
    • A serving bowl filled with southern coleslaw.
      Southern Coleslaw
    • A saute pan filled with lemon garlic pasta topped with parmesan cheese.
      Lemon Garlic Pasta
    • Two grilled chicken tacos in corn tortillas on a white plate.
      Grilled Chicken Tacos (Tacos de Pollo Asado)

    Reader Favorites

    • A spoon scooping raspberry sauce from a white bowl.
      Raspberry Sauce For Cheesecake
    • Cooked steak tips in a cast iron pan.
      Garlic Butter & Herb Sirloin Tips
    • Red spatula covered in white frosting.
      Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
    • Graham crackers dipped in a bowl of strawberry cheesecake dip.
      Strawberry Cheesecake Dip

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Contact

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As seen in

    logos of publications The Toasty Kitchen has been published in.

    Copyright © 2023 The Toasty Kitchen®