Neapolitan No Churn Ice Cream

When you can’t decide which flavor of ice cream you’re in the mood for, why not have three flavors in one scoop? Vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice cream come together in this creamy Neapolitan no churn ice cream for a beautiful, delicious treat. Each flavor complements the next, and it’s as fun to eat as it is pretty to look at. You’ll love this quick and easy no churn ice cream recipe!

Looking for more recipes like this? Don’t miss this striped Neapolitan birthday cake, cookies and cream ice cream, and yellow butter birthday cake with chocolate frosting.

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What is Neapolitan Ice Cream?

Neapolitan ice cream is a frozen dessert made of three ice cream flavors – vanilla, strawberry and chocolate – arranged side by side in a container. The pretty stripes have inspired bakers to make not just ice cream, but Neapolitan cakes, cookies and so many other treats combining these delicious flavors.

It’s presumed that Neapolitan ice cream was named in the late 19th century as a reflection of its origins in the Italian city of Naples, and the Neapolitan immigrants who brought their expertise in making the ice cream with them to the United States.

The first Neapolitan ice cream from Italy contained pistachio (green), strawberry (red) and vanilla (white) in honor of the Italian flag, with the recipe coming from the head chef of the Royal Prussian household in 1839. After the dessert came to the U.S., ice cream makers substituted chocolate for the pistachio ice cream, as it was a more popular flavor here.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Sweetened Condensed Milk. Most, if not all, no-churn ice cream recipes start with sweetened condensed milk. It adds sweetness, so no other sugar is needed, and makes the ice cream rich and creamy.
• Vanilla. I prefer vanilla bean paste for this Neapolitan ice cream, but you can use a good-quality vanilla extract, too.
• Bourbon. A little bourbon not only adds deep, caramel flavor notes, but the alcohol helps to keep homemade ice cream smooth and creamy, rather than icy. The alcohol is optional, if you prefer not to use it.
• Heavy Whipping Cream. The whipped cream adds fat and richness, for a smooth, creamy ice cream.
• Freeze-Dried Strawberries. To flavor the strawberry ice cream, crushed freeze-dried strawberries add a punch of strawberry flavor and beautiful natural pink color.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. And for the chocolate ice cream, rich and dark Dutch-processed cocoa powder adds wonderful chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness.

Instructions

Even though there are three flavors of ice cream to make, this is a really quick and easy recipe. You’ll follow the same basic process for each flavor, with one extra step for the strawberry and chocolate.

Vanilla Ice Cream

• In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and bourbon until smooth.
• Use an electric mixer to whip the cream until you have soft peaks that hold their shape. Fold the whipped cream into the milk mixture until combined.

Strawberry Ice Cream

• In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bourbon and crushed freeze-dried strawberries until smooth. It will be very thick.
• Use an electric mixer to whip the cream until you have soft peaks that hold their shape. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the milk mixture, stirring it in to loosen it up. Fold in another third of the whipped cream until combined. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold in until combined.

Chocolate Ice Cream

• In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bourbon and sifted cocoa powder until smooth. It will be thick.
• Use an electric mixer to whip the cream until you have soft peaks that hold their shape. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the milk mixture, stirring it in to loosen it up. Fold in another third of the whipped cream until combined. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold in until combined.

How to Assemble the Three Flavors

Now you need to decide how you want to assemble your Neapolitan no churn ice cream. There are a few ways you can layer the ice cream to make it look absolutely beautiful.

Layered.

• One option is to layer the chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream, one flavor on top of the next.
• A popular way to do this is to line a loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Then spread one flavor of ice cream evenly into the bottom of the pan, and freeze for an hour, before adding the next layer..
• Once the ice cream has frozen firm, you can lift the plastic or paper out of the pan, and slice the ice cream into pretty striped blocks for serving.

Swirled.

• Swirling the flavors together is an easy option, so that every scoop of ice cream will have a little of each flavor.
• Randomly dollop large spoonfuls of the three ice creams into your ice cream containers, then gently swirl them together with a butter knife.

Side by Side.

• Arranging the three flavors of your Neapolitan ice cream side by side takes a little more effort, but isn’t difficult.
• You’ll need to cut two pieces of clean cardboard (such as from a cake board), so that they fit inside your container. If you have someone to help you, have them hold the cardboard in place, to divide the container into three equal sections. If you’re doing it on your own (as I was late at night while everyone was sleeping), you can use tape to secure the cardboard to the container.
• With the cardboard in place, spoon the ice cream into the three sections, and smooth it down as much as you can. Then pull out the cardboard and use a large offset icing spatula or bench scraper to smooth out the top and blend together the edges where the flavors meet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy freeze-dried strawberries?

Freeze-dried strawberries have become more widely available in the last few years. You can usually find it at Trader Joe’s, and Target has quite a lot of freeze-dried fruit at their stores. The whole dried fruit crushes easily, but I usually buy mine as bags of freeze-dried strawberry powder so I can easily add it to recipes as needed.

Do I have to use heavy whipping cream?

Heavy whipping cream (known as “double cream” in the UK) has a high fat content, making it ideal for whipping into whipped cream. Lower fat creams, such as table cream or half and half are not suitable replacements, since they are not rich enough for whipping.

What kind of cocoa powder should I use for the chocolate ice cream?

I prefer to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for all of my cooking and baking. It has a deeper, richer flavor and beautiful color. I mostly use Rodelle and Drost cocoa powders, and both make delicious chocolate ice cream.

How long does it take for no churn ice cream to freeze and harden?

Usually it takes a good 8 hours for the ice cream to harden in the freezer. With the addition of the bourbon, your Neapolitan ice cream should still be soft enough to scoop straight from the freezer without needing to soften first.

How long does no churn ice cream last?

No churn ice cream is best eaten within about 2 weeks. After that, it can start to develop ice crystals from freezer burn.

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