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No-Churn Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

No-churn dulce de leche ice cream with silky, caramel-forward swirls and thick ribbons of dulce de leche throughout each scoop. Creamy base is whipped to stiff peaks, folded smooth, then baked-freezing into a caramel swirl frozen dessert.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
freezing 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Latin American
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ice cream base
  • 2 cup heavy cream Use cold cream for faster whipping.
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup dulce de leche Divide into 1/2 cup and the remaining amount for swirls.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 flaky sea salt For finishing, to taste.

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 loaf pan

Method
 

Whip and mix
  1. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks using a stand mixer, 5 to 7 minutes, until the cream holds firm ridges when lifted. Visual cue: the whisk leaves peak trails that don’t droop.
  2. Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 cup of the dulce de leche, vanilla extract, and salt together until smooth. Visual cue: the mixture looks glossy and uniform with no streaks of caramel.
Fold and swirl in the pan
  1. Fold the dulce de leche mixture into the whipped cream gently until no white streaks remain. Visual cue: the mixture stays thick and airy, with a creamy caramel tint.
  2. Pour half of the mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan, then drizzle half of the remaining dulce de leche over the top. Visual cue: you should see distinct caramel patches sitting on the cream.
  3. Swirl the surface using a knife or skewer in 6 to 10 gentle passes, keeping the ribbons thick rather than fully mixing. Visual cue: visible golden swirls spread across the surface.
  4. Repeat with the remaining ice cream mixture and remaining dulce de leche, then do another 6 to 10 gentle swirls on top. Visual cue: a second layer of caramel ribbons appears through the cream.
Freeze
  1. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt for finishing, then cover and freeze at least 6 hours. Visual cue: after freezing, the ice cream slices cleanly with firm, scoopable texture.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heavy cream cold and stop whipping once you reach stiff peaks so the texture stays creamy instead of grainy. Refrigerate any soft leftovers briefly, but for best texture keep stored frozen; it holds up to 2 weeks in the freezer. Freezing is yes; no-bake/uncooked. If you want a dairy-light swap, use lactose-free heavy cream and lactose-free sweetened condensed milk, keeping the same method for caramel ribbons.