Celebrate Independence Day with this easy 4th of July ice cream—an easy red, white, and blue ice cream! With three main ingredients plus mix-ins, this no-churn, no-cook recipe has won rave reviews in our home.
Every year my now adult boys request that I make this ice cream! It’s so easy, even they can make it! Sparkle and Shine!
If you love some red, white and blue treats, then try these festive Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies, or these healthier, Red, White and Blueberry Yogurt Parfaits, or this beautiful Red, White & Blueberry Cocktail.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Reasons to love 4th of July Ice Cream
- No Churn means it’s ready to go into the freezer in minutes! Just 3 ingredients, no ice cream machine necessary!
- Fun, festive and has all your favorite patriotic colors — RED, WHITE & BLUE!
- Easy if you can whip whipped cream, you can make this ice cream!
Studded with red and blue m&m’s along with white chocolate chips and KAPOW! SHAZAM! ZOINKS!
I personally think ice cream is still better from the ice cream maker vs. no churn, but you cannot beat no churn ice cream for a quick, low cost, E-A-S-Y, no bake dessert.
Try making this red, white and blue ice cream by adding patriotic m&m’s and white chocolate chips to my old fashioned churned Vanilla Ice Cream recipe, or this chocolate ice cream.
Which by the way — my people; more specifically my man-children; LOVE this ice cream and my other no churn ice cream Circus Animal No Churn Ice Cream or try this Rose Ice Cream recipe.
Our oldest informed me (while shoveling spoonfuls of ice cream into his mouth), that I should make TONS of this ice cream and open a shop! From the mouth of teens!
Basic Vanilla No Churn Ice Cream Recipe
Simple Ingredients for Red White and Blue Ice Cream
- Heavy cream, whipped (I used organic)
- Sweetened condensed milk (I used organic)
- Vanilla extract or paste, I used Vanilla Bean Paste
- Red, white and blue M&M’s (or sort out red and blue, about ⅓ of a cup)
- White chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to make Patriotic Ice Cream
Simply whip your whipping cream until stiff peaks form, then slowly pour in your sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, fold together, mixing until combined and pour into a standard 9×5 loaf pan or storage container.
If using mix-ins, stir in and then smooth into the loaf pan.
Fresh Tip
The M&M’s will bleed, but that’s kind of the beauty of the ice cream. Don’t stir them in too long, you want them to freeze with the streaks of colors. Unless you want to turn your ice cream blue, or red ice cream, then stir until your hearts content!
Freeze until solid, serve alone, or top with this Bourbon Caramel Vanilla Sauce or Rich & Chewy Hot Fudge or maybe this gorgeous blueberry syrup!
4th of July Ice Cream (no churn!)
I couldn’t find Red, White, and Blue M&M’s, so I resorted to using a package of mini M&M’s and sorting out the red and blue ones, then thought, I should toss in white chocolate chips for the white! Tada! A legend is born, okay — maybe not, but I guarantee two things: 1. It’s SO EASY and 2. It’s SO delicious!
Variations & Mix-in Ideas
By the way, mix in anything you want! The basic vanilla recipe is included, be creative, here are thoughts I’ve had.
- Chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or Reese’s Pieces
- Rich Chewy Hot Fudge Swirled and maybe chocolate chips
- Butterscotch chips with some Bourbon Caramel Vanilla sauce swirled in.
- Fresh summer fruits!! Slice strawberries, peaches, mangoes and more. Stir in blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and cherries (pits removed please)
- Chopped Andes Mints, ½-1 teaspoon mint extract and maybe a swirl of hot fudge.
- 1-2 Tablespoons Espresso Powder, Toasted Almonds and Chocolate Fudge (drooling!)
- Stir in ½ cup Lemon Curd or 6 tablespoons lemon juice plus 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1-3 Tablespoons cinnamon and swirl in ⅓ cup dulche de leche
What to Serve with Patriotic Ice Cream?
- How about this super fun, 4th of July Skillet Cookie Cake! So festive and fun!
- Check out my Best 4th of July Dessert & Drink Recipes
- These Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies, make sandwich cookies or just serve alongside.
- Check out my festive Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies!
- And last but not least, make this layered Blueberry Gin Cocktail!
Frequently Asked Question
If you want the base of this ice cream to be all blue, stir in the blue m&m’s only or a touch of blue food coloring and stir until desired color, then decorate finished blue ice cream with red, white and blue m&m’s and sprinkles.
Also called Blue Moon Ice cream, Smurf’s ice cream is a delicious creamy ice cream that is tinted bright Smurf blue and traditionally it has marshmallow in the ice cream too.
Hopefully this will get your creative juices going! Just think of your favorite ice creams and mix it in! And in case this recipe didn’t float your boat, check the following recipes out!
Looking for more cool, summertime treats?
- Chocolate Brownie Fudge Ice Cream – cool, creamy, chocolatey and fudgy!
- Mile High Mud Pie Ice Cream Cake
- Award Winning Key Lime Pie Recipe (thousands have made and saved this recipe!)
- Old Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream
- Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream
- Fried Ice Cream Cake
- Copycat Chick-Fil-A Frosted Lemonade
- Best Banana Pudding Magnolia Bakery Copycat
- Lemon Icebox Pie with Golden Oreo Crust
Like this recipe?
Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
Basic Vanilla No Churn Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream whipped (I used organic)
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk (I used organic)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or paste I used Vanilla Bean Paste
Patriotic Ice Cream
- ⅓ cup or ½ package Red White and Blue M&M’s
- ½ package White Chocolate Chips I used Ghirardelli
Instructions
- Simply whip your whipping cream until stiff peaks form, then slowly pour in your sweetened condensed milk, vanilla. Stir in M & M's and white chocolate chips until just combined (colors may run, don't over mix.2 cups heavy cream, 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or paste, ⅓ cup or ½ package Red, ½ package White Chocolate Chips
- Spread into a standard 9×5 loaf pan or storage container, smoothing out and freezing until firm at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Can’t believe how quick this ice cream is. Such a great dessert to celebrate with hardly and effort – perfect.
It really is so easy!! Thanks!
Ieva
Great recipe! The m&ms bled beautiful colours into the ice cream, creating a very visually effective result! The ice cream was delicious too!
Thank you!
Elisa
Love this Red, White and Blue Ice Cream, 4th of July is just around the corner, perfect for summer and looks delicious. Definitely will make this for summer hot days. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Perfect for the 4th!
Anjali
What a fun and festive treat! I’m totally going to make this when we have friends over for Memorial Day this weekend!
They’ll love it!!
Gina
I love homemade ice cream, and this is a fun and festive way to cool up and celebrate all the upcoming summer holidays!
It really is!
Kechi
What a genius idea; definitely making this during Fourth of July! The family will be all over it.
Thanks so much! Great for the 4th!
Ieva
What a brilliant and simple idea to celebrate 4th of July! And I am sure everyone will enjoy this ice cream! Perfect for us too, as our ice cream maker stopped working a few days ago, so really keen to try this no-churn recipe 🙂
This is perfect for you then!
kushigalu
Looks so beautiful. A perfect treat for the 4th of July.
Yes!
Kris
This is so fun! Can’t wait to make again for the 4th!
Yay!!
Beth
My kiddos love making ice cream so i’m glad they can make this on their own! We love to add the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups too! Fun & festive!
Yes, Reese’s would be so great in this!
kushigalu
The perfect treat for 4th of july. Pinned. Thanks for sharing.
Yes it sure is!
Vicky
Okay, you had me at 3 minutes. Who am I kidding? You had me at ice cream. I love how simple this is to make and the fact that you don’t need an ice cream maker to do it. Add in the festive patriotic touches, and this is a winner in my book!
Haha, love it! It’s certainly a winner!
Tara
Such a fun and delicious dessert to celebrate! I love how you made the ice cream base no churn. So easy!
Thank you!
Casey
Love this festive, no churn recipe!!! We were all about the sprinkles over here!!!!
Yes, the sprinkles make it!
Carrie Robinson
This is such a festively fun sweet treat! 🙂 This would be perfect for the summer holidays.
It is indeed!
Eliza at The YOLO Blog