This no-churn matcha ice cream is creamy and full of green tea flavour. If you’re looking for a delicious matcha dessert that doesn’t require an ice cream maker, this is it! This recipe is easy to make and tastes amazing.
This creamy matcha green tea ice cream recipe is so easy to make with just a few ingredients, you’ll be making batches of it all summer long. This is made with my basic no-churn ice cream base. The best part is that you can use it as a base for almost any flavour you want. I’ve just mixed in matcha powder and it’s such a simple way to make a matcha dessert that you’ll love.
If you’ve never made no-churn ice cream before, it’s really easy. No-churn ice cream also means it doesn’t have any stabilizers in it like regular ice cream so it melts quickly. Be sure to scoop your ice cream quickly and pop it back in the freezer.
I love serving this matcha ice cream in waffle cones or in a bowl and topped with some chewy dango mochi for an even more Japanese-inspired treat.
What is no churn ice cream?
Most ice cream you buy from the store or from ice cream shops are made by churning the ice cream mixture to aerate the mixture and prevent ice crystals from forming during the freezing process.
No churn simply means that the ice cream is not made using an ice cream maker, which constantly churns the ice cream mixture while it freezes. No churn ice cream is simply whipped up with an electric mixer and then left to be frozen in a container. The resulting ice cream is slightly stiffer and denser but just as creamy and much easier to make without specialty machines.
Why you’ll love this matcha ice cream recipe
- You only need 4 simple ingredients.
- No churning and no ice cream maker needed to make this matcha ice cream!
- You can adjust the amount of matcha powder for more or less matcha flavour. I personally like a very strong matcha flavour.
Ceremonial grade vs culinary grade matcha powder
Ceremonial grade matcha is more concentrated, higher quality, and usually a more vibrant green than culinary matcha powder. It has a fresh and sweet taste that would be lost during cooking or baking. It’s meant to be consumed directly or made into a drink with hot water. This higher grade usually comes at a much higher price point than culinary grade matcha.
Culinary grade matcha is meant to be used in cooking and baking. It’s usually a duller, yellow-green colour and the taste is more earthy and slightly bitter. Culinary grade matcha is designed to be added into food where it can withstand heat and being combined with other ingredients without losing its flavour.
Generally, I will use culinary grade matcha in baked goods and ceremonial grade matcha in anything that won’t be cooked. For this ice cream, I used culinary grade matcha powder just because I needed to use quite a bit of matcha powder to achieve a strong taste when combined with the cream. I reserve my much more expensive ceremonial grade matcha powder for drinks or recipes that only use a small amount.
Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make this matcha ice cream:
- Whipping cream - This is the main component of this ice cream. You can use whipping cream or heavy whipping cream with minimum fat content of about 35%. A higher fat percentage will make your ice cream creamier.
- Matcha powder - You can use both culinary grade matcha powder or ceremonial grade matcha powder. I used culinary grade as it’s more cost effective but ceremonial grade will make an ice cream with a fresher taste and greener colour. You may need to adjust the amount of matcha powder to taste if you’re using ceremonial grade matcha powder.
- Vanilla extract - I love pairing matcha and vanilla together as it mellows out the earthiness of the matcha.
- Condensed milk - This acts as the sweetener and an important ingredient for preventing too many ice crystals from forming, which makes ice cream hard and icy.
How to make matcha ice cream
Whip cream - In a large mixing bowl, add the whipping cream, matcha powder, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip the mixture until it becomes firm peaks.
Fold in condensed milk - With hand, drizzle the condensed milk into the whipped cream while folding it in with a silicone spatula with your other hand. Fold until combined and no streaks of condensed milk remain.
Pour into container - Pour the ice cream mixture into a loaf tin or any container of your choice. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
Scoop - When serving, leave the ice cream at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping. Immediately return the rest of the matcha ice cream to the freezer. Serve as is or top with dango mochi.
Storage
Cover your pan of ice cream well with plastic wrap or lid to prevent it from drying out. Freeze for up to 2 weeks but you should consume as soon as possible for the best texture.
Frequently asked questions
You can freeze homemade ice cream for up to 2 weeks for the best texture. Homemade ice cream can start to become icy and dried out if frozen for too long as it doesn’t contain stabilizers found in other ice cream.
No churn means that the ice cream is not made using an ice cream maker, which constantly churns the ice cream mixture while it freezes. No churn ice cream is simply mixed with an electric mixer and then frozen in a container.
You can prevent no churn ice cream from being icy by using a high fat whipping cream, whipping the cream well to beat lots of air into it, and using condensed milk as a high sugar sweetener. All these things help prevent ice crystals from forming during the freezing process.
Matcha ice cream tastes earthy, sweet, and just slightly bitter. It’s a mellow flavour that’s slightly grassy and almost savoury. It’s difficult to describe if you’ve never tried matcha before. And of course, it also tastes just like any other ice cream - creamy, cold, and melts in your mouth.
More matcha recipes to try
- Matcha Almond Croissants
- Matcha Strawberry Cake
- Matcha Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)
- Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
- Strawberry Matcha Latte
Matcha Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 600 mL whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons matcha powder, culinary grade
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 300 mL sweetened condensed milk (one can)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the whipping cream, matcha powder, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip the mixture until it becomes firm peaks.
- With hand, drizzle the condensed milk into the whipped cream while folding it in with a silicone spatula with your other hand. Fold until combined and no streaks of condensed milk remain.
- Pour the mixture into a loaf tin or any container of your choice. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
- When serving, run an ice cream scooper until hot water and wipe dry before scooping. Immediately return the rest of the ice cream to the freezer. Serve as is or top with dango mochi.
Meek
Made this and it ended up tasting just as good as the local ice cream stores near us! Will be making more throughout the summer 🙂