Cotton Candy Ice Cream

5 from 8 votes

Cotton Candy Ice Cream is an easy no churn homemade ice cream recipe that's creamy, velvety, and calls for only a few simple ingredients.

Prep Time20

Cook Time6

Total Time6 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 365kcal

Author: Britney

Freeze a loaf pan for 30 minutes prior to making. Make the whipped cream. Add cold heavy cream to a large bowl and whip using a hand mixer until stiff peaks. Then fold in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and cotton candy extract.
Divide the cream equally between two separate bowls. Add pink food coloring to one bowl and blue food coloring to the other bowl. Then add the cotton candy to each bowl and mix together until the cotton candy is fully dissolved.
Spoon the pink and blue cream into a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap or cover with a lid and freeze for 6-8 hours.
Let it soften a bit before serving to making scooping a bit easier. Serve in a waffle cone (my fave) or bowl. (optional: add cotton candy to the top of the ice cream) Warning - this will become your new favorite ice cream recipe! Enjoy!

Substitutions

No sweetened condensed milk? You can make your own homemade version which is a combo of whole milk and sugar! Here's an article on how to make sweetened condensed milk at home.
No heavy cream? This ingredient is key and you'll need it for this recipe! You may be able to use coconut cream (the canned kind, not the milk) but I haven't tried this so if you do, let me know!
If you don't have any cotton candy, you can simple omit it.

Tips

Here are some tips to help you make the perfect batch of no-churn ice cream:

Use full-fat ingredients: Opt for full-fat heavy cream or whipping cream, as it will provide a rich and creamy texture to your ice cream. Avoid using low-fat or light alternatives, as they may result in a less creamy consistency.
Chill your equipment: Before whipping the cream, make sure to chill your loaf pan, mixing bowl, and beaters in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes. This helps keep the cream cold and aids in achieving maximum volume when whipping.
Whip the cream to stiff peaks: This is an important step! Whip the chilled heavy cream until it reaches stiff peaks. This means that when you lift the beaters, the cream should hold its shape and form a peak that doesn't collapse. Be careful not to over-whip, as it can lead to a grainy texture.
Use gel food coloring for the best results!
Freeze and cover well: Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan or a freezer-safe container. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or a lid to prevent ice crystals from forming. Place it in the freezer for at least 4-6 hours, or until it reaches a firm and scoopable consistency.
This ice cream melts quickly! Because of its smooth and velvety texture, this cotton candy ice cream melts really quickly. Be sure not to leave at room temperature for too long.

Variations

After freezing, serve in a waffle cone or sugar cone or a bowl! Add a little whipped cream on top for added decadence!

Add sprinkles! Choose your favorite sprinkles to add to this festive treat!
Add mix-ins: If you want to include mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, cookie crumbs, or fruit pieces, fold them into the ice cream mixture after adding the flavors. This adds texture and extra bursts of flavor throughout the ice cream.
Get creative with colors and add different types of food coloring.