You will love this Sugar Free Cranberry Ice Cream Recipe! It's the perfect way to use frozen cranberries any time of the year! No ice cream maker is needed. You will love this no-churn recipe.
Disclosure: This post is a paid partnership with Cape Cod Select. We used their premium frozen cranberries to develop this recipe. Cape Cod Select is a small, family-owned business that aims to show folks how these tasty, nutritious berries are a year-round food and not just for the holidays. Their frozen cranberries are of incredible quality. Thank you for supporting brands that make A Full Living possible!
No ice cream machine? No problem! This cranberry ice cream is made with fresh cranberry sauce and puree, then is combined with a vanilla bean ice cream base.
The sweet and tart flavors compliment each other beautifully and make for a wonderfully refreshing treat. It's also the perfect dessert for a holiday dinner.
If you're looking for more delicious cranberry recipes, be sure to check out this cranberry salad dressing, or this cranberry old-fashioned, which are all made with our classic keto cranberry sauce.
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❤️Why you'll love this
- Simple ingredients: Making homemade ice cream is surprisingly easy. If you have leftover cranberry sauce, this is the perfect way to use it up the next day. Anything you don't have on hand can be found in our pantry, fridge, freezer, and most grocery stores.
- Refined sugar free & gluten free: This ice cream just so happens to be sugar-free, as it's sweetened with a homemade sugar-free sweetened condensed milk base, and allulose sweetener in the cranberry puree and sauce. You could swap allulose for whatever your favorite sweetener is. This recipe is also totally gluten free.
- Great year round: This recipe can be made whenever the craving strikes with Cape Cod Select's frozen cranberries. We find it to be equally satisfying on hot summer days, as it is during the holidays.
🍨Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need, plus a few optional ingredients. You can find the full recipe, quantities, and nutritional information in the recipe card.
✏️Ingredient Notes
- Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries - The best quality frozen cranberries around!
- Water - To make the cranberry sauce.
- Allulose sweetener - We use allulose as a sugar substitute in this recipe, although any form of sugar you prefer works. Allulose is used since it doesn't crystallize when it freezes, unlike other sugar substitutes. You can of course use plain white sugar in place of allulose in this recipe.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice & zest - For a zing of fresh citrus. Orange juice and orange zest could be used as well.
- Xanthan gum - Optional, used as a gluten-free thickener, and helps give the ice cream a smoother, more creamy texture.
- Milk - We used whole milk to create our sweetened condensed milk base.
- Vanilla extract & vanilla beans (optional) - We use both for a rich, vanilla flavor. The vanilla beans are totally optional but we love them.
- Kosher salt - To balance the sweetness.
- Vodka - This is also optional, and it doesn't add any flavor to the ice cream mixture. It simply helps the ice cream from freezing rock solid. We prefer ice cream that is very easy to scoop. If you like firmer ice creams, you can omit this.
- Heavy whipping cream - Make sure it's nice and cold before whipping it. Heavy cream is what gives this ice cream the creamy, rich texture and flavor.
📖Instructions
🔪Prep work
- Make sure your heavy cream is very cold and kept in the fridge up until right before using it.
- Before mixing the heavy cream into whipped cream, store a metal bowl and metal mixers in the fridge.
- You can make the cranberry sauce and sweetened condensed milk up to 7 days in advance, and store in the fridge, or up to 6 months in advance if stored in the freezer and then thawed.
Make the cranberry sauce
In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cranberries, about half a cup water, and sweetener to a boil in a stockpot. Once boiling, lower heat to a low or medium-low to allow the mixture to simmer.
Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the berries have popped and the mixture has begun to thicken. You can use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture every so often to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan.
At this point, add in the remaining water to thin if desired, followed by lemon zest and juice, followed by the xanthan gum. Whisk constantly to incorporate the xanthan gum completely.
Puree the cranberry sauce (optional)
After the sauce has simmered and thickened for another 5-10 minutes, puree some of it if desired. We use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender to puree the mixture.
We like to leave some of the sauce unblended so you can see the berries in the ice cream. The other half of the sauce we puree, then strain thru a fine mesh sieve.
Once the sauce is complete, refrigerate to cool completely before adding it to the ice cream mixture.
Make a sweetened condensed milk mixture
Heat milk in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add sweetener and kosher salt. Stir constantly, not allowing the mixture to simmer until the sweetener is totally dissolved.
Allow the mixture to simmer very gently over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir often to scrap the sides of the pan and prevent any scorching of the milk.
Allow the mixture to thicken, it should reduce by about half, and coat the back of a spoon before it's ready. The color will also deepen to a very light caramel-like color.
At this point, pour in the vanilla extract and vodka. Stir to combine, then strain through a fine mesh sieve if desired to remove any milk solids.
Allow the mixture to sit covered in the fridge until completely cooled before combining the components.
Whip the heavy cream
After the components have cooled completely, add the cold heavy cream and vanilla bean pods to a cold mixing metal bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Make the ice cream mixture
Add the cooled sweetened condensed milk mixture to the whipped cream, and fold gently with a rubber spatula to combine to make a smooth mixture.
Now, fold in some of the cranberry mixture, reserving some for topping the ice cream once it's ready to go into the freezer.
Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container, then swirl in the remaining cranberry sauce and purees to create a ripple effect throughout the ice cream.
Now, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the mixture to freeze for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
After freezing, scoop, and enjoy in a dish, on top of some pie or cake, or in an ice cream cone!
✨Substitutions
If you follow a different diet type, don't worry! We have a few suggestions.
- Traditional diet - You can skip making your own sweetened condensed milk, and just replace with one 14-ounce can of store bought. You can also use regular sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey to sweeten the cranberry sauce and ice cream.
- Dairy free and vegan - Instead of whole milk and heavy cream, use full fat canned coconut milk for a rich, creamy texture in place of both heavy cream and whole milk.
*Please note, that allulose has been known to cause some GI distress in some people if consumed in large quantities. We recommend starting out by not consuming more than 1 serving at one time before enjoying more to ensure you're not sensitive to it.
🌟Tips & tricks
- For best results, be sure to chill the heavy cream in the fridge, as well as place a mixing bowl and mixing beaters in the freezer before whipping the cream. The colder the better for whipping the cream.
- This is great to prep ahead of time. You can make the cranberry sauce and sweetened condensed milk up to 7 days in advance.
💭Variations
Here are a few ways to add more flavors to the ice cream.
- Add chocolate chips - Love chocolate? Why not mix in some of your favorite chocolate chips, or chunks into the batter? This would go great with white chocolate or dark chocolate!
- Add more citrus - Mix in some orange extract or lemon extract, or add in more fresh lemon juice, orange juice, lemon zest or orange zest to add more zing.
- Spiced - Cranberry goes well with spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Add some into the mixture if you like!
- Add extracts - Add in a dash of almond or maple extract for even more delightful flavor.
💭Frequently asked questions
Since ice cream is a frozen treat, it is necessary to convert the sweetener to a liquid form in order for it to freeze properly and give the ice cream a silky smooth texture.
Unfortunately, using regular sugar leads to a gritty, frozen solid texture so that is something to avoid.
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🥣Storage
Store in the freezer in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months.
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📖 Recipe
Cranberry Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
For the cranberry sauce:
- 12 ounces Cape Cod Select whole frozen cranberries
- 6 ounces water
- 192 grams allulose sweetener (could substitute with sugar or other sweetener of choice)
- 1 whole lemon, juice and zest
- ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
For the ice cream mixture:
- 16 ounces whole milk
- 192 grams allulose sweetener (could substitute with sugar or other sweetener of choice)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ whole vanilla bean pod (optional)
- ½ tablespoon vodka (optional, to keep the mixture from freezing)
- 16 ounces heavy whipping cream (very cold!)
- ½ whole vanilla bean pod (optional)
Instructions
Make the cranberry sauce:
- In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cranberries, about 4 ounces of water, and sweetener to a boil in a stockpot. Once boiling, lower heat to a low or medium-low to allow the mixture to simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the berries have popped and the mixture has begun to thicken. You can use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture every so often to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan.
- Add in the remaining water to thin if desired, followed by lemon zest and juice, followed by the xanthan gum. Whisk constantly to incorporate the xanthan gum completely. After the sauce has simmered and thickened for another 5-10 minutes, puree some of it if desired.You can leave the sauce unblended so you can see the berries in the ice cream. The other half of the sauce we puree, then strain thru a fine mesh sieve.Once the sauce is complete, refrigerate to cool completely before adding it to the ice cream mixture.
Make the ice cream base:
- Heat milk in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add sweetener and kosher salt. Stir constantly, not allowing the mixture to simmer until the sweetener is totally dissolved. Allow the mixture to simmer very gently over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir often to scrap the sides of the pan and prevent any scorching of the milk.
- Allow the mixture to thicken, it should reduce by about half, and coat the back of a spoon before it's ready. The color will also deepen to a very light caramel-like color. Pour in the vanilla extract and vodka. Stir to combine, then strain through a fine mesh sieve if desired to remove any milk solids. Allow the mixture to sit covered in the fridge until completely cooled before combining the components.
Whip the heavy cream:
- After the components have cooled completely, add the cold heavy cream and vanilla bean pods to a cold mixing metal bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Combine all ingredients:
- Add the cooled sweetened condensed milk mixture to the whipped cream, and fold gently with a rubber spatula to combine to make a smooth mixture. Now, fold in some of the cranberry mixture, reserving some for topping the ice cream once it's ready to go into the freezer.
- Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container, then swirl in the remaining cranberry sauce and purees to create a ripple effect throughout the ice cream.Cover with plastic wrap, and allow the mixture to freeze for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight. After fully frozen, freeze, and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Soften at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.
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Notes
- Please note, that allulose can be substituted for any sweetener of choice. It should be mentioned that allulose can cause gastrointestinal distress in some people when large amounts are consumed.
- Sweeten to taste.
- To use store bought sweetened condensed milk, swap one 14 ounce can for the 2 cups of milk + 192 grams of allulose found in the ice cream mixture.
- Please note that if you plan to use regular sweetened condensed milk & sugar, the nutritional information will change pretty drastically.
- The vodka doesn't add any flavor to the ice cream, it just helps it from freezing too solid. If you prefer a firmer ice cream, feel free to omit the vodka.
Nutrition
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