This Red Velvet Ice Cream has a creamy texture with chunks of gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies throughout! It only takes a few minutes to mix up (minus freezing time) and no machine is needed! As always, it’s gluten free, nut free and egg free!
This recipe is made with cream cheese to give it that little bit of tang that we associate with red velvet!
In addition to cocoa powder as well!
If you’re a red velvet lover, you’re going to adore this easy recipe!
Furthermore, if you’re looking for more red velvet recipes, try my strawberry red velvet cake, red velvet muffins and red velvet chocolate chip cookies!
Reasons To Love This Ice Cream
- Allergy Friendly- This ice cream is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can be dairy free (vegan).
- Super Creamy- This ice cream is so creamy and smooth!
- Cream Cheese- It has cream cheese to give it that classic red velvet tang.
- Cocoa Powder- Creates those soft chocolate undertones that’s essential to red velvet.
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies- A great addition to the flavors and a nice crunch!
Ingredient Notes
- Cream Cheese- We need 4oz for this recipe.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk- It helps the ice cream to be thick, creamy and sweet.
- Light Brown Sugar- Has a little molasses so it helps a bit with the tang.
- Pure Vanilla Extract- Make sure the vanilla you use is pure and gf.
- Kosher Salt- Brings all the flavors out.
- Cocoa Powders- I like to use half dutch or natural unsweetened and half dark. If you only have one, use dutch or natural unsweetened.
- Red Food Coloring- I use McCormick’s Red Food Coloring.
- Heavy Cream- We need 2 cups (1 pint).
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies- We need 14 total. Make sure they’re gf. These are my favorite.
Expert Baking Tips
Only Use Cold Cream Cheese
Softened cream cheese will make it more difficult for the ice cream to solidify.
Beat the cold cream cheese with the paddle attachment of an electric stand mixer for about 3-4 minutes until smooth.
Using Two Types of Cocoa Powder
People ask how I get my red velvet baked goods to have such a deep red. The secret is in that bit of dark cocoa powder.
The same goes in making ice cream. Using two types of cocoa powder creates a richer color and flavor, which I adore.
It should be noted that cocoa powder is quite dry. And dark is even drier than dutch or natural unsweetened.
If you only used dark, your baked goods and ice creams would be way too dry and bitter and not very red at all.
If you don’t have both types of cocoa powders on hand, just use dutch or natural unsweetened.
Break the Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Use your hands to break the chocolate sandwich cookies into large pieces.
Do not smash or cut them. We don’t want a sand like consistency or tiny crumbs.
I usually break each cookie into about 3-4 pieces.
Let it Freeze Overnight
No churn ice cream is simple to make but very soft.
It really does need to freeze overnight otherwise it will be a soupy mess within a minute of taking it out of the freezer.
Step by Step Instructions with Pictures
Here are the steps to make this ice cream!
Step 1: Beat the cold cream cheese
First, in a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cream cheese until it is soft and creamy. About 3-4 minutes.
Step 2: Add in the sweetened condensed milk, light brown sugar, vanilla and salt
Switch the mixer to a whisk attachment. Beat the sweetened condensed milk, light brown sugar, vanilla and salt into the cream cheese.
Step 3: Beat in the cocoa powder and red food coloring
Add in the cocoa powder and red food coloring. Beat until smooth and combined.
Step 2 Step 3
Step 4: Whip the heavy cream
In a separate large bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. You can also do this with a whisk.
Step 5: Add in the cream cheese mixture
Using a spatula, slowly pour in the cream cheese liquid mixture and slowly stir with the spatula until all combined.
Once combined, whisk until stiff peaks form. Only a few seconds.
Step 4 Step 5 Step 5: All combined
Step 6: Break in the cookies
Break 10 chocolate sandwich cookies over the liquid ice cream mixture.
Once all broken in, use a spatula to fold them into the liquid ice cream.
Step 7: Top with extra cookies
Using a spatula, scoop the ice cream into a 9 x 5 loaf pan or a freezer safe ice cream container.
Last but not least, break 4 more cookies over the top of the ice cream and gently press them down but don’t submerge them.
Step 8: Freeze
If using a loaf pan, cover the ice cream with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze overnight.
How to Make this vegan
Additionally, a lot of you have been asking how to make my ice cream vegan.
Here is the issue. Most vegan alternatives for making ice cream contain coconut and my son cannot have it.
Some contain legumes and he can’t have those either; therefore I am unable to have these products in my home to test for you guys.
Please keep in mind that because I cannot test this out at my home due to my son’s allergies, I can’t promise it will work and it will change the flavor since coconut has a unique taste.
Apart from the fact I can't test it, these ideas listed below should work. Hope they help!
Vegan Products to try
Ideally, you should be able to swap out the heavy cream with a vegan heavy whipping cream. This is not sponsored but the brand silk makes one.
It says it’s gluten free but I don’t see a certified label, so I would look into that if you have celiac.
As for allergens, it does contain coconut, sunflower and faba bean protein.
As for the sweetened condensed milk, use sweetened condensed coconut milk.
A bunch of different brands make sweetened condensed coconut milk. Just make sure whatever you choose is gluten free if you’re gf.
Finally, make sure to use a vegan cream cheese.
How to ensure the ice cream is vegan
- Use a dairy free heavy whipping cream.
- Only use sweetened condensed coconut milk.
- Also, use dairy free cream cheese.
- Make sure the red food coloring you use is gluten free and vegan.
- Use gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies that are also vegan. These are my favorites!
FAQ
Yes. It needs about 6-7 hours to freeze.
No churn ice cream is super soft and needs a long time to solidify.
If you don’t freeze it overnight, it will be a soupy mess within minutes of being on your counter.
This recipe makes about 1.5 quarts or 6 cups of ice cream.
You can replace the chocolate sandwich cookies with whatever cookies you desire.
Many food colorings are NOT safe for those with celiac and nut allergies.
It appears to me that McCormick is.
I checked their website and it said that any product that contains a gluten free label is produced on a dedicated gluten free line and has been validated as gluten free.
McCormick says if gluten appears in a product, they will always list it on a label.
They will never hide allergens under the term “natural flavors.”
I even called the company. The statement said, if a product ever contained an allergen it would be declared on the label. If it is not declared, this means the product does not contain it.
I feel very confident in using McCormick products due to these procedures they have in place.
Storing and freezing
Storing
Store the ice cream in a 9 x 5 loaf pan or in an airtight ice cream container.
If using a loaf pan, cover the top with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.
These are my favorite air tight freezer safe ice cream containers.
Freezing
The ice cream can be frozen for up to two weeks.
Other no churn ice cream recipes to try
Please leave me a star review below!
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @laneandgreyfare if you make my recipes and follow along on Pinterest! Enjoy!!!
Red Velvet Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 oz cold cream cheese
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder I use 2 tablespoons dutch or natural unsweetened and 2 tablespoons dark
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon liquid red food coloring. I use McCormick's.
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 14 gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer, beat the cold cream cheese until smooth and creamy. About 3-4 minutes.
- Change to the whisk attachment and slowly beat in the sweetened condensed milk, light brown sugar, vanilla and salt.
- Add in the cocoa powder and red food coloring and beat till fully combined.
- In a separate large bowl, beat or whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Using a spatula, pour the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream and fold to combine thoroughly.
- Beat or whisk the mixture for another few seconds until stiff peaks form.
- Using your hands, break 10 gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies into the liquid ice cream. You want large chunks, not tiny crumbs. I break each cookie into 3-4 pieces.
- Use the spatula to fold the cookie chunks in.
- Pour the ice cream into a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Smooth the top with a butter knife or the back of a spoon.
- Break 4 more chocolate sandwich cookies on top and gently press them into the mixture but don’t submerge them.
- Cover the pan in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. You can also use an airtight freezer safe ice cream container.
Juhi
Can I skip sweetened condensed milk? could you please recommend a substitute, thanks
Lee
Yes you should be able to! Leave the sweetened condensed milk out but still beat the brown sugar, vanilla, salt, cocoa powder and red food coloring into the cream cheese. In a separate bowl whip the heavy cream and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Then continue the recipe. Hope this helps!
Nancy DiPaola
the recipe was easy to follow. my family enjoyed this immensely.
Lee
SO glad!
Em
Are there any dairy free options for this? Like coconut cream instead of heavy whipping?
Lee
Hi Em! Yes! If you scroll up into the post itself, I have an entire section called "how to make this vegan". I list some products to use and other people have used them successfully. Hope that helps!