No Eggs? No Problem. Try These 2 Ingredients In Homemade Ice Cream

There's something extremely satisfying about making homemade ice cream. Knowing exactly what ingredients it has (and doesn't have) can make it seem like you're eating a healthier dessert. However, the process can also be time-consuming, especially if your recipe involves whisking egg yolks with sugar while cooking them Did you know that you can also make smooth, thick, delicious ice cream at home without cracking any eggs by using cornstarch and cream cheese?

While some swear you need eggs to emulsify and stabilize the ice cream, you really just need a thickener (cornstarch) and protein (cream cheese). While the amount will differ based on the rest of the ingredients in your recipe, a typical quart-size container of ice cream will require 1 tablespoon to 4 teaspoons of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of softened cream cheese.

The method was popularized by Jeni Britton Bauer, who uses the method in her Jeni's Ice Cream flavors as well as her "Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home" cookbook. "I started working at a dairy and over time realized that we can build body and texture in ice cream without stabilizers by using milk proteins," she told Ohio's Travel Inspiration. She didn't like using eggs because she "felt like it still gave the cream too much flavor, and I wanted it to really be just that flavor of cream." You also don't have to stress about accidentally scrambling the eggs while making your ice cream.

While many people are obsessed with the decadent richness of custard ice creams, not everyone appreciates the eggy flavor often present in the finished product. Luckily, many delicious ice cream varieties don't require eggs, so even if you don't have cream cheese in the fridge, there are many options for the at-home ice cream maker.

One popular eggless ice cream is Philadelphia-style, which many consider one of the easiest to make. Consisting of mainly heavy cream, sugar, and extracts or flavors, Philadelphia-style ice cream is often icier than its egg-based counterpart. As with the cornstarch and cream cheese combo, the flavors become more vivid when there isn't any egginess to compete. Also, there is little stove time, with the cream warmed just enough to allow the sugar to dissolve before the rest of the ingredients are added and then frozen.

For those looking to make ice cream and skip the stove, no-churn ice cream is your answer. If you have strong arms, you can even make it with a whisk, but the rest of us will use a hand mixer. You only need heavy cream, sweetened, condensed milk, and whatever flavoring you desire. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, and slowly fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk.