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Home > Recipes > Ice Cream

Published: Mar 10, 2021 ยท Last Updated On: Mar 7, 2025 by Natasha Minocha

No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream

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This no-churn thandai ice cream is mouthwatering, luxurious, with ribbons of creamy texture and rich taste. And hereโ€™s the scoop โ€“ making it at home is fuss-free.

Really fuss-free!

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

You donโ€™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?

What is thandai?

If youโ€™re uninitiated in all-things-thandai, then youโ€™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 โ€œsomething that cools.โ€

While thandai powder is easily available in stores, Iโ€™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. (Hereโ€™s the step-by-step recipe for 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 baked yogurt, eggless thandai cookies,or mango thandai popsicles!ย 

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.
  • Add 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 youโ€™ll have ice cream with a smoother texture.ย 

But if youโ€™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 a teaspoon of the spice in a tablespoon of milk.ย 

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 saffron. We are making it for Holi, so a bit of extra touch never hurts.ย 

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 donโ€™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 havenโ€™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 donโ€™t need anything additional.  

You can even omit the saffron-infused milk I swirled in before freezing. But if youโ€™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.ย 

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 โ€œI canโ€™t eat another biteโ€ and then promptly relishing more of it!

Well, I canโ€™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

Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others.ย Thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m always eager to hear from you.ย So go right ahead and drop a comment or reach out onย Instagram,ย Pinterest,ย YouTube, orย Facebook. I hope you love this no-churn thandai ice cream as much as we do!

๐Ÿ“– Recipe

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

No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream

Natasha Minocha
The no-churn thandai ice cream is mouthwatering, luxurious with ribbons of creamy texture and rich taste. And hereโ€™s the scoop โ€“ making it at home is fuss-free.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Chilling time 8 hours hrs
Total Time 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Course Dessert, Ice cream
Cuisine Indian
Servings 10 Servings
Calories 401 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 1/3 cup Cream I used Amul cream
  • 14 oz 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!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 ServingCalories: 401kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 5gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 72mgPotassium: 224mgSugar: 24gVitamin A: 1289IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 166mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
No-Churn Thandai Ice Cream | Easy Thandai Ice Cream Recipe

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38 shares

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Claudine says

    June 06, 2024 at 6:09 am

    This looks and sounds delicious! I came across this recipe while looking for a no churn cumin ice cream recipe.

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      June 15, 2024 at 12:27 pm

      Hi Claudine, this is a very delicious one and easy too. Thank you for your interest in this recipe. xx

      Reply
  2. 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! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. 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
  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. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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 ๐Ÿ™‚ I used Amul Fresh Cream.

      Reply
5 from 1 vote

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