3-Ingredient Rolled Ice Cream Recipe: Creamy Homemade Treat

Rolled Ice Cream is a trendy ice cream dessert you may have seen at specialty shops, mall kiosks, or enjoyed while traveling in Thailand or elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Even if you’ve never tried ice cream rolls, you’ll be happy to know that this spiralized dessert is easy to make at home from scratch.

This no-churn rolled ice cream recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, fun to prepare, and absolutely delicious.

Is there a rolled ice cream shop in your town? Maybe you’ve been mesmerized by videos showing the makers spread and scrape ice cream into neat rolls. If so, you’ll be glad to learn you can recreate that experience in your own kitchen.

Rolled ice cream, also called stir-fried ice cream, is traditionally made by spreading a liquid ice cream base on a large cold surface and scraping it into delicate spirals. The same technique can be adapted for home use on a smaller scale.

Good news: this Thai-style rolled ice cream uses just a few simple ingredients and requires no ice cream machine.

Why You’ll Love This Rolled Ice Cream Recipe

Simple base – A mix of heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt creates a creamy, flavorful base for rolling. Once you’re comfortable with the method, you can experiment with flavors and mix-ins.

Fun method – Rolling the ice cream is an entertaining process that kids and adults will enjoy. It’s hands-on and visually rewarding.

Helpful tips – The technique is straightforward when you follow a few key tips about freezing, tools, and timing. Read on for details and troubleshooting.

Ingredients in Homemade Rolled Ice Cream

Heavy cream – Full-fat heavy cream gives the ice cream a smooth, rich texture.

Sweetened condensed milk – This canned ingredient sweetens and stabilizes the base, replacing the sugar and custard components used in traditional churned recipes.

Vanilla extract – Vanilla adds depth and balances the dairy sweetness.

Salt – A small amount of salt enhances the overall flavor.

How to Make Rolled Ice Cream

1. Freeze the pans – Use two 9×13-inch rimmed sheet pans and chill them in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before pouring in the base.
2. Make the base – Whisk together heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until combined. Do not whip the cream; stir gently so the base stays dense.
3. Pour – Divide the mixture evenly between the chilled pans and spread to a thin, even layer.
4. Freeze – Place the pans flat in the freezer and freeze for about 4 hours, or until completely solid.
5. Scrape into rolls – Working along the long edge of one pan, use a sharp, straight-edged metal spatula held almost flat to the pan. Push and pull to scrape thin strips of frozen ice cream, rolling them into spirals.
6. Serve – Transfer the rolls to chilled serving bowls and enjoy immediately with your favorite toppings.

The steps above correspond to the photo sequence. For exact measurements and times, see the recipe card below in the article.

How to Store Rolled Ice Cream

After rolling, place the ice cream rolls on parchment-lined baking sheets and flash-freeze for about 30 minutes. Then transfer them to an airtight freezer container or bag. Properly stored, the rolls will keep for up to a week, though they’re best eaten fresh.

Tips and Notes

Choose quality ingredients – With only a few components, using fresh, high-quality cream and condensed milk makes a noticeable difference.

Chill everything – Keep your pans and tools cold to prevent melting while rolling. Freeze pans at least 15 minutes before pouring the base.

Clean pans thoroughly – Any residue on the pans can affect scraping, so use clean or newer pans for best results.

Don’t skimp on fat – Full-fat cream is essential for a creamy texture. Low-fat alternatives can produce icy or grainy results.

Limit add-ins – If you add mix-ins, keep them minimal and finely chopped so the base stays smooth and rolls cleanly.

Make freezer space – The recipe fills two sheet pans for ideal thickness. If you can’t fit both, freeze one pan at a time or halve the recipe.

Make ahead – The base can be mixed and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if you need to prepare ahead of time.

Roll slowly – Go gently when scraping so the ice cream bends into rolls instead of breaking.

Serve quickly – Because the ice cream is thin, it melts faster than scooped ice cream. Re-freeze rolls briefly before plating and chill serving bowls to help them last longer while eating.

What Tool Do You Need?

Professional shops sometimes use wide, flat scrapers similar to drywall tools, but any food-safe, flat-edged metal spatula with a straight edge works well. A 2–3 inch wide metal spatula used upside down is an ideal tool. Avoid thin plastic spatulas, which aren’t rigid enough, and steer clear of pans with nonstick coatings that could be scratched by metal.

Besides the spatula, you’ll need a mixing bowl and two rimmed 9×13-inch baking sheets.

Rolled Ice Cream Variations

A classic vanilla base makes beautiful rolls for sundaes topped with hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, and fresh fruit. You can also fold small amounts of sprinkles, shaved chocolate, crushed cookies, or finely diced berries into the base—just keep pieces small so the rolls form easily.

Convert No-Churn Recipes to Rolled Ice Cream

Many no-churn ice cream recipes use heavy cream combined with sweetened condensed milk and flavorings. To adapt these for rolling, follow a few adjustments:

• Do not whip the cream. Stir gently to keep the base dense and free of extra air.
• Reduce sweetened condensed milk to about 4 ounces rather than larger amounts used in some no-churn recipes, since dense rolled ice cream needs less sugar.
• Consider using add-ins as toppings instead of folding them into the base for a smoother rolling surface.

Want chocolate rolled ice cream? Use a no-churn chocolate base with the same adjustments for a rich, rollable chocolate version.

3 Ingredient Rolled Ice Cream

Yield:
4 servings

Prep Time:
20 minutes

Freezing Time:
4 hours

Total Time:
4 hours 20 minutes

Learn how to make Rolled Ice Cream, the popular spiralized ice cream dessert! It is super simple to make at home, from scratch.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Place two sheet pans in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
2. Add the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine. Do not whip the cream—stir gently to keep the mixture dense.
3. Divide the mixture between the two chilled sheet pans and spread into a thin, even layer. Place them in the freezer on a level surface.
4. Freeze for at least 4 hours, until completely frozen.
5. Starting on the long side of the pan, use a sharp straight-edged metal spatula (about 2–3 inches wide). Hold it nearly flat and push to scrape and roll thin strips of ice cream into tight spirals.
6. Place the rolled ice cream into serving bowls and serve immediately with your favorite toppings. For firmer rolls, flash-freeze them on a parchment-lined tray for 30 minutes before plating.

Notes

• Rolled ice cream melts quickly, so work on very cold pans and consider re-freezing rolls briefly before serving. Chilling serving bowls helps too.
• Store leftover rolls in the freezer for up to a week: flash-freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe container.
• Use a sharp, straight-edged metal spatula about 3 inches wide. Move slowly when rolling so the ice cream forms neat spirals.
• Two 9×13-inch pans give the ideal thickness. If freezer space is limited, refrigerate the remaining mixture and freeze the second batch later or halve the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 530Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 226mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 0gSugar: 24gProtein: 6g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment or share a photo if you try this rolled ice cream.