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    Home > Recipes > Desserts

    March 10, 2021

    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The no-churn thandai ice cream is mouthwatering, luxurious with ribbons of creamy texture and rich taste. And here’s the scoop – making it at home is fuss-free.

    Really fuss-free. 

    You don’t even need an ice cream maker and just four ingredients (five if I get too technical about it). And the result is heaven manifested in a bouquet of nutty, spicy flavors.

    So, are you honestly surprised I made the ice cream as a Holi special recipe?

    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe

    What is thandai?

    If you’re uninitiated in all-things-thandai, then you’re missing out on some serious deliciousness. 

    It is a North Indian drink made with milk mixed with ground spices, seeds, and nuts like saffron, fennel, and cashews. Around Holi, every Indian household makes copious amounts of the drink that translates into “something that cools.”

    While thandai powder is easily available in stores, I’ve always made it at home because the recipe is absurdly simple

    Thandai Masala Powder for No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe

    All you have to do is blend almonds, pistachios, cashews, poppy seeds, melon seeds, black pepper, fennel seeds, cardamom seeds, nutmeg, dried rose petals and saffron together. (Here’s the step-by-step recipe of instant thandai powder.)

    Store the thandai mixture in a jar and use it as and when needed and not just to make the drink but also eggless thandai cookies or ice cream! 

    How to make no-churn thandai ice cream?

    Ingredients for No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe
    • Infuse a few strands of saffron in warm, full-fat milk.
    • Dump cream, condensed milk, and saffron-infused milk in a blender.
    • Pulse till you have a smooth mixture. 
    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe
    • Stir in the thandai powder. 
    • Pour it into a freezer-safe tin (I used my regular cake tin). 
    • Let the ice cream chill, and then serve!

    Yes, indeed the recipe is that easy.

    In case you want to make the recipe even easier, dump all the ingredients into your mixer, including the thandai powder and blend. The process will go faster, and you’ll have ice cream with a smoother texture. 

    But if you’re like me and enjoy those bits and pockets of texture, stir it in separately. 

    The additional touch

    Just before the ice cream was starting to freeze, I swirled in a hint of saffron-infused milk. About half teaspoon of the spice in a tablespoon of milk. 

    Swirling in extra saffron in the No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe

    This step is entirely optional, and you can skip it. The taste remains just as yummilicious and flavorful because the thandai powder already has saffron in it. That said, it does lend a more luxurious feel to the ice cream, giving it a richer hue. 

    I also sprinkled chopped pistachios and dried rose petals on the top after swirling in the extra safron. We are making it for Holi, so a bit of extra touch never hurts. 

    Topping the semi frozen ice cream with pistachios and rose petals |No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe

    Variations of the no-churn ice cream recipe

    You don’t need an ice cream maker for this recipe, but if you have one and go ahead and use it. Remember to thoroughly chill the mixture before you churn. Then freeze for a good 6 to 8 hours. 

    Can you make it with store-bought thandai powder?

    The only effort the recipe asks is the thandai powder, and that too is nothing to write home about. But you can do away with it, use commercial thandai powder and make it the easiest ice cream recipe ever. 

    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe

    How to make vegan ice cream?

    Swap regular cream with coconut cream. Use my vegan coffee ice cream for the recipe. Also, if you have access to it, substitute the condensed milk with a plant-based option.

    I haven’t gotten my hands on it as of yet, but I have seen recipes for vegan condensed milk, which I will try soon (ish).

    What toppings can you use for the ice cream?

    Toppings are not necessary for the thandai ice cream. Leave them out, and people will still make appreciative noises. The flavors are so reminiscent of kulfi that you don’t need anything additional.  

    You can even omit the saffron-infused milk I swirled in before freezing. But if you’re feeling inspired, garnish with any nuts, not just pistachios. 

    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe

    Can you freeze the ice cream in molds?

    Absolutely! Try popsicle molds or kulfi molds. 

    For such little effort, you get a decent quantity of ice-cream. I had almost one and a half liters of it. So please experiment with all sorts of molds.

    Given that summer decided to pounce on us in 5 seconds flat, most of the ice cream will disappear before you know it. My kids have constantly been declaring “I can’t eat another bite” and then promptly relishing more of it!

    Well, I can’t blame them. The no-churn thandai ice cream is so smooth and creamy that it falls apart under the slightest pressure, completely quenching the thirst for something cool during warm days.

    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe

    Please tag me on Instagram @tashasartisanfoods, using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods. You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST for more fabulous recipes! Subscribe to Tasha’s Artisan Foods so you’ll never miss a recipe!

    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream

    The no-churn thandai ice cream is mouthwatering, luxurious with ribbons of creamy texture and rich taste. And here’s the scoop – making it at home is fuss-free.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Chilling time10 hrs
    Course: Dessert
    Keyword: Thandai Ice cream, no-churn thandai ice cream
    Servings: 1.5 ltrs
    Calories:
    Author: Natasha Minocha

    Ingredients

    • 800 ml Cream I used Amul cream
    • 1 can Sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 tsp Saffron infused in 2 Tbsp warm milk
    • 1/2 cup Thandai powder* You can add more if you like

    Topping ( Optional)

    • 1/2 tsp Saffron infused in 1 tbsp warm milk
    • Chopped pistachios and dried rose petals

    Instructions

    • Combine the cream, saffron-infused milk, and condensed milk in a blender.
    • Blend until smooth.
    • Stir in the thandai powder.
    • Pour into an air-tight container and freeze.

    If using the extra toppings

    • When the ice cream is semi-frozen, swirl in the saffron-infused milk and then top with the chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.
    • Return the container to the freezer for 8-10 hours or until frozen.
    • Scoop out into bowls and enjoy!

    Notes

    • You can find the recipe for homemade thandai powder here.
    No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jiya Uttamchandani says

      March 10, 2021 at 7:32 pm

      Hey! The recipe looks yummmmyyyyy n super easy...!!!!!
      But plz lemme know if u used fresh cream or whipping cream?

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        March 12, 2021 at 10:49 am

        Hi Jiya, thank you so much for stopping by! It is truly easy 🙂 I used Amul Fresh Cream.

        Reply
    2. Easyfoodsmith says

      March 11, 2021 at 7:04 pm

      Yum! The ice cream looks so tempting especially considering the (hot) weather here.

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        March 12, 2021 at 11:31 am

        Its really gotten so hot so fast here! Ice cream is a much needed treat. Thank you Taruna! xx

        Reply
    3. Sonia says

      March 15, 2021 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      Very nice and easy, everyone enjoyed

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        March 15, 2021 at 4:36 pm

        I'm so happy to hear that, Sonia! Thanks for stopping by xx

        Reply
    4. vmhoffers says

      March 21, 2021 at 5:21 pm

      Hello: I was just perusing your lovely recipes. I have a question. When you refer to condensed milk, do you mean milk that has been evaporated and not sweetened or the much thicker evaporated milk that has added sugar? The first we refer to as evaporated milk and the latter as sweetened condensed milk. The consistency and obviously sweetness are rather different.

      Thank you for your time.

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        March 22, 2021 at 2:43 pm

        Hello, thank you so much for stopping by and for pointing this out. This recipe uses sweetened condensed milk. I'll make the change in the recipe, right away. REally appreciate you.

        Reply
    5. Danielle says

      October 17, 2021 at 5:30 am

      I am trying the recipe with condensed sweetened coconut milk to veganize the recipe. What size can should I use?

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        October 17, 2021 at 6:35 pm

        Hi Danielle, the condensed milk can size we get here is 400ml. That's what was used in this recipe. For vegan condensed milk, please use the same volume. Hope this helps. Happy ice cream-making!

        Reply
    6. Shruti Gupta says

      March 14, 2022 at 7:43 pm

      Hi, can we use hand beater here ?

      Reply
      • Natasha Minocha says

        March 17, 2022 at 10:50 am

        Hi Shruti, yes, I suppose you can. Happy icecream making! 🙂

        Reply

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