Homemade Fruit Mince Ice Cream is certain to become a regular part of your Christmas menu. This easily made, no-churn ice cream requires minimal effort but will provide maximum, flavour-filled reward. The ice cream is luxuriously smooth and creamy, and with our Homemade Fruit Mince folded through adding rich, festive spices and tender mixed fruit, it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. In fact, this ice cream may become a permanent addition to your festive menu as it has with mine.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- You do not need to have an ice cream maker.
- It is smooth, rich, creamy, fragrant with seasonal spices and the right amount of Mince Pie filling folded through.
- I can’t stress enough how easy it is to make. If you’ve thought that making ice cream is difficult, I encourage you to try this recipe. Just follow the recipe and success is guaranteed.
- It is a great way to add a festive touch to your Christmas celebration.
- Here in Australia, our climate usually does not lend itself to a hot dessert for Christmas, so this ice cream is the answer, a great combination of spiced fruit and delicious cold, creamy ice cream.
- Because it needs to be made ahead of time; that is a great advantage when entertaining.
- Homemade ice cream is a great luxury, not difficult to make, and always popular.
Recipe Inspiration: it isn't Christmas without several batches of my Homemade Fruit Mince. It can be used in so many ways. It is, of course, an integral part of my Gluten-Free Fruit Mince Pies and I also include it in Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars and Pinwheels.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Condensed milk – we use sweetened condensed milk; it is not the same as evaporated milk which is not suitable for this recipe. This is an important part of the recipe. It not only adds sweetness, but it also helps keep the ice cream soft and creamy.
- Heavy whipping/thickened cream – this is cream with a minimum milk fat content of 35%. The cream helps provide the creamy mouthfeel and smooth texture. The higher percentage of milk fat does not freeze as hard as lower fat cream.
- Vanilla extract – use vanilla naturally extracted from the vanilla bean, not one which is artificially flavoured.
- Orange zest – adds a bright citrus note.
- Fruit mince – I used my homemade fruit mince but if you prefer, you can use a commercial variety.
Variations:
Chocolate chips - a little are a great addition to this recipe for the chocolate lovers.
Spices - if your store bought fruit mince is lacking in flavour, a little cinnamon or spices of your choice would be lovely.
How To Make Christmas Ice Cream:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Whip the ice cream base:
Add the cream and condensed milk to a large bowl, and using hand-held electric beaters, whip until thickened and soft peaks form.
2 – Fold through the mix ins:
Add the vanilla, orange zest and fruit mince and fold through using a spatula.
3 – Pour into your dish:
Add to your dish - I like to use a slice tin or baking dish that isn't too deep.
4 – Freeze:
Smooth out the top, cover and freeze for a minimum of six hours.
Hint: to keep the ice cream light and fluffy, fold in the fruit mince gently. Do not over mix or beat hard or you will knock the air out.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
For the best texture and flavour, store it in the freezer in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to a week. To avoid the development of ice crystals, lay a sheet of cling wrap across the top of the ice cream.
Because of the alcohol content in the fruit mince, the ice cream will not freeze super hard. You can serve it directly from the freezer.
Top Tip:
For the best result, use good quality ingredients and avoid using a lower fat condensed milk or cream. This will result in the ice cream being overly icy and not as soft or creamy.
Serving Suggestions:
You will find many ways to enjoy this delicious ice cream. Some suggestions are:
- Serve a scoop with our Oat Flour Waffles. The hot waffles with the cold ice cream are a flavour-filled delight, and it makes the perfect Christmas morning breakfast.
- Enjoy a scoop (or two) with our Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies.
- Have some with our Cinnamon Sugar Puff Pastry Pinwheels.
- Alongside a warm slice of our Apple Tea Cake.
I do hope that you will try this No-Churn Fruit Mince Ice Cream. You will be pleasantly surprised that just a small amount of effort can provide such a rich, creamy, flavoursome dessert. And if you’re like me, ice cream is not seasonal, it can be enjoyed at any time throughout the year.
Alex xx
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No-Churn Christmas Fruit Mince Ice Cream
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 395 g (14 oz) can of condensed milk
- 600 ml (2 ½ cups) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 1
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 ½ cups fruit mince meat – I use homemade, but store bought is fine. See Note 2
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add the cream and condensed milk.Using electric hand beaters, whip until the mixture has thickened and soft peaks form.
- Add in the vanilla extract, orange zest and fruit mince and gently fold through using a spatula until evenly combined.
- Add to a 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) square dish and freeze for a minimum of six hours or overnight.
Notes
- Cream: for a creamy texture and best flavour, use full-fat cream. Thickened/heavy whipping cream should have a minimum 35% fat content.
- Fruit mince meat: I use my Homemade Fruit Mince. Store bought can be used, but make sure it is vegetarian and tastes delicious. You may wish to jazz up store bought with some additional warm spices if required. This is one of the few occasions where a volume measurement is more accurate than weight.
- Storage: keep in an air tight container or covered dish in the freezer for up to one week. After this time, the flavour and texture will not be as ideal.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Selina says
Delicious and simple recipe. This was a great choice for a Christmas pudding here in Australia where it’s very hot at Christmas time.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Selina 🙂
So happy you enjoyed this recipe.
Alex xo