30-Minute Philadelphia-Style Ice Cream Recipe

By
Max Falkowitz
Max Falkowitz is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Max Falkowitz
Max Falkowitz is a food and travel writer from Queens. From 2012 to 2015 he worked at Serious Eats, first as New York editor and later as features editor. He's also the co-author of the Dumpling Galaxy Cookbook with Helen You, and the author of the trivia game Taste Test: 200 Trivia Questions for Food Nerds.
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Updated Apr. 15, 2020
20141209-philadelphia-style-ice-cream-vicky-wasik-6.jpg
Photographs: Vicky Wasik

Philadelphia-style ice cream doesn't have eggs, which means you can make it start-to-finish in just 30 minutes. It'll be the freshest, fluffiest ice cream you'll ever taste, though it's best eaten the same day it's made, so don't make more than you can eat in a short period of time. This recipe is easily halved.

Why this recipe works:

  • Without eggs, the flavors of cream, milk, and vanilla shine through loud and clear.
  • A touch of Scotch adds big depth to vanilla extract.

Note: The optional milk powder below will make for a creamier (and creamier-tasting) ice cream that holds up slightly better in the freezer after a couple days. If you're eating your ice cream day-of, the textural difference is negligible. But if you want something that stores a little better for a few days, it's a stabilizer to consider. If you don't have Scotch, another whiskey or a dark rum works well.

Recipe Facts

5

(5)

Active: 2 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 8 servings
Makes: 1 quart

Rate & Comment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream, chilled

  • 1 cup whole milk, chilled

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon not-peaty Scotch, such as Glenlivet 12 or Monkey Shoulder (see note)

  • 2 tablespoons non-fat powdered milk (optional, see note)

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together until sugar completely dissolves. Churn mixture according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve right away as soft serve or transfer to an airtight container and harden in freezer for 4 to 5 hours. (Freezing in several smaller containers will greatly reduce hardening time.)

Special equipment

ice cream maker

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
298 Calories
22g Fat
22g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 298
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 29%
Saturated Fat 14g 71%
Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Sodium 108mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 74mg 6%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 98mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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