Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe

Name: Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream (cold); 14 oz (397 grams) sweetened condensed milk; 1 cup peanut butter, smooth (do not use natural, I like Skippy or Jif); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; pinch of salt; 8 oz chocolate, chopped or chips (I like semi sweet, use your favorite chocolate); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (can also use canola or coconut oil)

If you're looking for the best creamiest homemade peanut butter ice cream recipe, this is it. Made with just 3 simple ingredients and only 10 minutes of prep, it's incredibly smooth, rich, and melts in your mouth. Scoop it into a bowl or freeze it in molds for the most irresistible ice cream bars, you'll want to keep a batch in your freezer all year long!!

Homemade chocolate peanut butter ice cream bars stacked on top of each other.

I poured mine into ice cream bar molds (so fun for summer) then dipped them in melted chocolate once they were frozen. You can use any chocolate you love! Milk, dark, or semi-sweet all work perfectly. The result tastes like a frozen peanut butter cup, but somehow even creamier, richer, and better than the original.

If you love chocolate peanut butter, check out my peanut butter chocolate cake, peanut butter rice krispies, and Reese's cookies!

Why You'll Love This Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe

It is so easy to make: This is a no churn ice cream recipe, which means you do not need an ice cream maker or worry about cooking eggs. Simply blend the peanut butter mixture, whip the cream, fold everything together, and freeze.
It is packed with peanut butter flavor: Peanut butter is the star of this recipe. Every bite is rich, nutty, and full of sweet and salty peanut butter flavor.
It is incredibly smooth and creamy: Whipped heavy cream gives the ice cream a light texture, while sweetened condensed milk keeps it creamy and helps prevent large ice crystals from forming.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe
Baking Tips
Peanut Ice Cream Ingredients
How to Make Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Pro Tips For Making Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Variations
Storage
FAQs About Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe
More Sweet Treats
📖 Recipe

Baking Tips

Using a kitchen scale is a total game changer for baking. It makes measuring ingredients super precise, so your recipe comes out perfect every single time. Plus, fewer measuring cups means less cleanup, and who doesn’t love that? Invest in one, and you’ll wonder how you ever baked without it!

I absolutely love baking with fine kosher salt, it gives the perfect balance of flavor. Table salt, on the other hand, can be a bit too harsh, so if you're using it, be sure to cut the amount in half to avoid over salting your treats.

Always check your oven temperature! Ovens can be sneaky, sometimes running hotter or cooler than what the dial says, and that can really affect how your baked goods turn out. For the most consistent results, I recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure your temps are spot on every time

Peanut Ice Cream Ingredients

Ingredients labeled for the homemade peanut butter ice cream recipe on the counter.

Heavy cream: Use cold heavy cream so it whips easily and holds stiff peaks. Heavy cream typically contains about 36 percent milk fat, although some brands may contain slightly more. This higher fat content gives the ice cream its rich, creamy texture and helps create a stable whipped base.
Sweetened condensed milk: Sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness and creates a smooth ice cream base without the need to cook a custard. This cannot be replaced.
Creamy peanut butter: Use a traditional creamy peanut butter, such as Jif or Skippy, rather than natural peanut butter. Natural peanut butter tends to separate and can make the ice cream oily or grainy.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla rounds out the peanut butter flavor and adds warmth to the ice cream.
Salt: A small amount of fine kosher salt enhances the peanut butter flavor and keeps the ice cream from tasting overly sweet. You can adjust the amount depending on how salty your peanut butter is.
Chocolate for bars: Use any chocolate you love to pair with peanut butter. If you're making ice cream bars and dipping them to create a chocolate shell, use 2 tablespoons of vegetable, canola, or coconut oil for every 8 oz of chocolate. This helps the chocolate set into a smooth, thin shell.

See recipe card below for quantities.

How to Make Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in a white bowl on the counter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together the peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt until fully combined. The mixture will be very thick, and that is completely normal.

Heavy cream whipped until stiff peaks showing the peaks on the whisk attachment.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. To check it, hold the beater upside down. The whipped cream should stay firmly in place without sliding off. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside.

Adding the heavy cream mixture to the peanut butter mixture in a bowl.

Add 1 cup of the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined. This helps loosen the mixture and makes it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Folding and swirling in the whipped heavy cream into the peanut butter mixture in a bowl.

Set the mixer aside. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until the mixture is smooth and no streaks remain. Be careful not to over mix or deflate the whipped cream.

Hint: Top with chopped peanuts if you love nutty ice cream!

Scoops of ice cream in a bowl with chopped peanuts on top.

Pro Tips For Making Homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Blend the peanut butter mixture: Blend the peanut butter with the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt before folding it into the whipped cream. This creates a smoother base and prevents pockets of unmixed peanut butter.
Whip the cream to stiff peaks: The whipped cream should hold its shape and stand upright when the beaters are lifted. Underwhipped cream can make the ice cream too soft, while overwhipped cream can become grainy.
Fold gently: Use a rubber spatula and fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture carefully. Mixing too aggressively can knock the air out of the cream and make the ice cream dense.
Keep the cream cold: Cold heavy cream whips faster and holds more volume. Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to use it.
Use traditional creamy peanut butter: Avoid natural peanut butter because the separated oil can affect the texture of the ice cream.
Freeze until completely solid: Allow enough time for the ice cream with peanut butter to become firm before scooping, slicing, or dipping.
Thin the chocolate for dipping: When making ice cream bars, the chocolate coating needs to be thin enough to dip easily. Adding oil makes it more of a thin shell.
Freeze the bars until solid: Ice cream bars must be completely frozen before dipping them into chocolate. If they are too soft, they may melt or slide off the sticks.
Work quickly when dipping: Keep the undipped bars in the freezer and remove them one at a time. The chocolate coating will begin to set almost immediately when it touches the frozen ice cream.

Variations

Honey: Add a drizzle of honey on top for a fun topping!
Peanut butter and jelly ice cream: Swirl strawberry preserves or your fave flavor through the ice cream mixture before freezing for a peanut butter and jelly inspired flavor.
Peanut Butter Swirl: Add a sweetened peanut butter swirl for more flavor!
Chocolate peanut butter ice cream: Swirl cooled chocolate ganache or hot fudge sauce through the ice cream base. Chocolate peanut butter combination is so hard to beat!
Peanut butter cup ice cream: Fold chopped peanut butter cups into the mixture before freezing and sprinkle more pieces over the top.
Oreos: Add chopped Oreos, Oreo peanut butter is seriously the best combo ever!!

Showing the peanut ice cream with chocolate and peanuts on it.

Storage

Store in an airtight container: Keep the peanut butter ice cream tightly covered in a freezer safe container to prevent freezer burn and protect it from absorbing other freezer odors.

Press plastic wrap over the surface: For additional protection, press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the ice cream before adding the lid.

Store for up to two weeks: The peanut butter icecream will have the best texture and flavor within about two weeks, although it can be kept frozen longer.

Store ice cream bars individually: Wrap the bars individually in foil or parchment paper, then place them in a freezer-safe container.

Let it soften before serving: If the ice cream is too firm to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for about five minutes before serving.

FAQs About Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe

What are the best containers for storing ice cream?

Use a shallow, airtight container: A wide, freezer safe container helps the ice cream freeze evenly and makes it easier to scoop. You can also use a metal loaf pan, but be sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap and foil to prevent freezer burn and ice crystals.