No-Churn Peach Pie Ice Cream

Peach pie à la mode has always been one of our favorite summer desserts, and this no-churn peach pie ice cream is everything we love about it in one scoop. A creamy vanilla ice cream base, ribbons of peach pie filling made from fresh peaches, and a buttery baked pie crust are layered in a loaf pan, then frozen until firm. Every scoop tastes like the best part of a slice of peach pie, only colder and somehow even harder to stop eating.

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Peach season in Central Texas means loading up on Fredericksburg peaches every chance we get, and this has become one of our favorite ways to make that haul last a little longer. We use our no-churn vanilla ice cream as a base along with homemade peach pie filling, and bake the pie crust to get buttery flavor in every bite. The result is ice cream that tastes like peach pie. A bowl on its own is hard to beat, though a scoop melting over a warm peach turnover comes in at a very close second.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

This homemade peach ice cream uses a short list of ingredients, and a few of them make a real difference in flavor and texture.

The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.

• Peach Pie Filling: This is what turns it into peach pie ice cream instead of plain peach ice cream. We recommend our homemade peach pie filling, though a 20-ounce can of store-bought will work too. If you’re making our homemade version, cut the peaches into smaller bite-sized pieces before cooking so they’re easier to scoop once the filling is finished. If you’re using canned pie filling, check the size of the peach slices and cut them into smaller pieces if needed before folding them into the ice cream.
• Frozen Pie Crust: Baking the crust first helps it stay buttery and flaky, even after freezing, which is what makes each bite taste like real peach pie instead of peach cobbler. Don’t worry about making every pie crust piece the same size. The larger pieces are everyone’s favorite anyway. Graham crackers work in a pinch, but the flavor and texture won’t be quite the same.
• Corn Syrup: A little bit of light corn syrup helps reduce ice crystal formation and keeps the ice cream creamier after freezing. It won’t make the ice cream taste like corn syrup.
• Vanilla Bean Paste: We like to use vanilla bean paste over extract, since it gives the base a deeper vanilla flavor and adds little flecks of vanilla bean to the ice cream. If all you have is vanilla extract, you can substitute an equal amount and still end up with a delicious batch of ice cream.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Start with cold heavy whipping cream and stop mixing once soft peaks form. Overwhipping can make the finished ice cream less smooth, and nobody’s looking for homemade peach butter. You want cream with at least 36% milk fat, so it whips properly.

How to Make No-Churn Peach Pie Ice Cream

Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.

Pro-tip: Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 10 minutes before you start. Cold equipment helps the heavy cream whip to soft peaks faster and hold its structure once you start folding in the other ingredients.

1. Bake and cool the crust. Bake the pie crust until it’s deeply golden, not just lightly browned. The darker color gives the crust a richer buttery flavor and helps it stay crisp after it’s folded into the ice cream. Let it cool completely before breaking it into pieces, or it’ll crumble into tiny bits instead of the larger chunks that make every scoop taste like pie.

2. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Using a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream until it holds a soft peak that droops slightly when you lift the beaters, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stop before the peaks turn stiff, since overwhipped cream can turn grainy once you fold in the condensed milk mixture, and you’ll lose the light texture you want in the finished ice cream.

3. Mix in the condensed milk mixture. Gently fold the remaining ingredients into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula rather than the mixer to keep the air you just whipped in.

4. Layer half the ice cream base. Pour half of the mixture into an 8.5-by-4.5-inch loaf pan, then add half of the peach pie filling and half of the crust crumbles on top. Use a knife to swirl everything together in a few loose figure-eight motions. Resist the urge to over-swirl.

5. Repeat and press plastic wrap on top. Top with the remaining ice cream base, then the rest of the peach pie filling and crust crumbles. Swirl again, then press plastic wrap flush against the surface to keep ice crystals from forming as it freezes.

6. Freeze until firm. Freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight if you have the time. The ice cream will be firm straight from the freezer. Let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping so it softens just enough without losing its shape.

Storage

Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the ice cream before storing it in the freezer to help reduce ice crystals and keep the texture creamy. For the best quality, enjoy it within 2 weeks. After that, it will still be safe to eat, but the texture may become a little icier over time.

If you’re planning to keep it longer, wrap the container in a layer of foil to help protect against freezer burn. We’ve even vacuum-sealed the entire container in a FoodSaver bag after the ice cream was completely frozen, and it did a great job of protecting it from freezer burn and keeping it tasting fresh.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Save a few extra crust crumbles. Set aside a small handful of the baked crust to add on top after the ice cream is scooped into bowls for a little extra buttery crunch.
• Use room-temperature peach pie filling. Filling straight from the refrigerator is thick and harder to swirl evenly, so let it sit out for about 10 minutes before layering it into the ice cream base.
• Give the ice cream the full freeze time. It can be tempting to scoop early, but waiting the full six hours gives the ice cream time to firm up for cleaner scoops and a creamier texture.

Frequently Asked Questions