Much like open-office floor plans, no-churn ice cream is great in theory, but oftentimes disappointing in reality. Trying to dish out a scoop is like digging into a slab of concrete: hard, unyielding, and anything but creamy. You might even find pockets of ice crystals sparkling like geodes; a reminder that while this might look like regular ice cream, it’s not.
But the dream of at-home, no-churn ice cream that’s as soft as the store-bought stuff can still be a reality—as long as you have some vodka nearby.
Anyone who has stored a bottle of booze in the freezer (that’s how you get the coldest martini) knows that it doesn’t freeze all the way. Why? Alcohol has a low freezing point (about -16°F, depending on the spirit), and your freezer hovers around 0°F. This makes alcohol an invaluable addition to no-churn ice cream.
Adding just two tablespoons of vodka to the base solves several problems: For starters, the lower freezing point means that the ice cream doesn’t freeze into a rock solid mass—an issue commonly seen in many no-churn recipes. The finished ice cream can go from freezer to scooper without a hitch. Another perk: Alcohol prevents large ice crystals from forming, so pockets of ice will no longer be a worry. Each bite will be as lush and velvety as a fancy scoop you’d splurge for at a shop.
Because vodka is both flavorless and odorless, you don’t have to worry about it changing the flavor of your ice cream or adding any unwanted aromas. You can, of course, pick a spirit that does have a flavor: Tequila added to a fruity raspberry-swirl ice cream, bourbon in a nutty miso-pecan base, and rum in an earthy tea-infused variety would all make welcome additions. Just don’t overdo it. Much like drinking, two shots does the job, and anything more can be a bummer the next day. With too much alcohol, you risk the ice cream turning out too soft and never fully setting. (Think: milkshake versus ice cream consistency. Delicious? Yes. But not what we want here.)
My recipe for no-churn ice cream doubles down with a dark chocolate base streaked with a chewy fudge ripple. You’d never guess vodka was in there—notify parents and kiddos accordingly—and that’s the whole point. It’s absurdly good, and no one will be able to put their finger on why. It’s also made entirely in a blender: You just blitz all the ingredients until the mixture is light and fluffy, like chocolate mousse. Dolloped into a loaf pan, rippled with fudge, the ice cream is as dreamy as can be, ready to be scooped straight from the freezer, all thanks to the vodka.