No-Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Updated Sept. 10, 2025
- Total Time
- 3½ hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 3 hours 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1(14-ounce) can or jar dulce de leche
- 1½cups heavy cream
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½teaspoon flaky salt (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
246 calories; 16 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 21 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 175 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Pour or spoon about ¾ of the dulce de leche from the can into a small bowl (save the remaining dulce de leche for swirling). In a large bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat heavy cream and fine sea salt until stiff. Add a dollop of the whipped cream to the small bowl, and mix until the dulce de leche has loosened.
- Step 2
Add the lightened dulce de leche mixture to the bowl of whipped cream, gently folding until combined.
- Step 3
Add remaining dulce de leche to the now-empty small bowl and season with flaky salt (or you can substitute ¼ teaspoon fine salt, but you won’t have the crunch).
- Step 4
In a quart-size container, add a quarter of the dulce de leche whipped cream. Dollop in a few small spoonfuls of salted dulce de leche on top and swirl gently. Repeat until all of the whipped cream and dulce de leche are transferred. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Private Notes
Comments
If you can’t find dulce de leche at your local grocery, you can easily make your own by simmering, for 3 hrs, an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water. Keep it covered by an inch or so of water! (No, it won’t explode.) Remove from hot water bath and bring to room temp. It stores indefinitely, so make several. Can’t wait? Open a can, scoop out 1/3 cup and top with whipped cream. I’ve made it this way for many years.
I just love everything Melissa does. Period.
I have made condensed milk based ice creams in a Cuisinart ice cream machine. I just mix the heavy cream and condensed milk together. I add it to the machine, no whipping necessary. Since dulce de leche is just caramelized condensed milk, this method should work well.
This frozen dessert was awesome and relatively easy. I did have to pay attention to the steps in the recipe. It was a practice in mindfulness! As for the Dulce de Leche sauce, I took a can of sweetened condensed milk and simmered it for three hours.
How do I keep a no churn from getting that strange almost grainy texture (I think caused by large ice crystals from slow freezing)?
I've tried several no-churn recipes from NYT and elsewhere: all variations on mixing whipped cream with condensed milk and flavouring. The result depends on: how stiffly you have whipped the cream, and therefore how well it integrates with the condensed milk (tough to get a homogenous mixture) ; the water content of the flavoring the freezer shelf height; the thawing time. Adding alcohol helps somewhat, sometimes, as does whipped eggwhites. However it's never predictable and never perfect..
just marvelous,Melissa. thanks for simplifying ice cream making!