Thandai Ice Cream (No Egg, No Ice Cream Maker)
on Mar 22, 2016, Updated Nov 17, 2023
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Trust this Thandai Ice cream to kick in those Holi vibes this year. It is really easy to make and requires no egg or ice cream maker! Say bye to the heat with this ice cream that deserves to make it to every party this Holi season!
There is the sweltering heat and then there is holi. This thandai ice cream will help you with both. I’m talking creamy spoonfuls of cold ice cream when you take a break from rubbing colors, eggs, mud or whatever catches your fancy, on your friends! This no-churn thandai ice cream requires no fancy ingredients or appliances. All you need is a few pantry staples to put together an ice cream that screams festive, comfort and delicious at all once!
Quick Walk Through: Thandai Ice Cream
Homemade vs. Store-bought Thandai Powder
You can always use store bought thandai masala, but I will not recommend using the syrup because it’ll make everything too sweet. And boy was it perfect! Before this, I’ve always used store-bought thandai syrup because I had no idea making thandai masala powder at home was so damn easy! It’s just a simple blend of spices. Takes about 5 minutes from start to finish if you have all the ingredients at hand, and you are ready to go.
What Goes Into Thandai Ice Cream
If you have the thandai masala ready, this ice cream is really quick to put together. The base of this ice cream recipe is just cream and condensed milk, and it’s a simple proportion of 2:1. Pretty easy to remember if you want to try different flavors. There are no eggs in this recipe so strictly vegetarian, and it doesn’t even need an ice cream maker. Apart from this, all you need is some nuts and dried rose petals for garnish (highly recommend), and you are ready to start putting everything together!
Frequently Asked Questions
Crystals in ice cream forms because of being directly exposed to the cold temperatures in the freezer. In order to prevent this, make sure to freeze and store the ice cream in an airtight container. I would also recommend covering the ice cream with a plastic wrap/cling foil in a way that it’s touching the surface of the ice cream before putting the lid on.
Another way to do it is to freeze the ice cream in smaller containers so that you don’t have to take out the whole batch and refreeze leftovers.
Absolutely! However, the ice cream might not be as fluffy. To make it without a hand mixture, simply add the heavy cream and thandai masala mixture along with condensed milk to a blender and blend. This will help to whip a little more air into the mixture so that the ice cream turns out creamy. Take it out, follow the rest of the recipe as usual, freeze and your thandai ice cream is ready!
Top Tips To Make The Best Thandai Ice cream
- I like to mix in some chopped nuts and dried rose petals while mixing the ice cream too, instead of just as garnish. Even though this is optional, chopped nuts in the ice cream provide an added layer of crunch and flavor, which makes it very interesting to eat.
- Always freeze the ice cream in an airtight container or a metal bowl covered with cling foil. Exposing the ice cream directly to the freezer can make crystals to develop, which prevents the ice cream from becoming creamy.
- I would really recommend full fat milk and cream for this ice cream. However, you can even use 50-50 for this recipe.
- This thandai ice cream can easily be stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, post which it can develop ice crystals. You can freeze this ice cream for even longer, provided that it’s stored in smaller containers that won’t be refrozen again and again.
- If you are making this ice cream for a large crowd, I would highly recommend freezing the ice cream in smaller containers. That’s because a large batch of ice cream set in a big bowl can sometimes not freeze evenly.
This no churn thandai ice cream is not only super easy and delicious, but it is the perfect way to make your Holi celebrations a little sweeter. Top it with your favorite garnish and this Holi special dessert is ready to be served!
Thandai Ice Cream (No Egg, No Ice Cream Maker)
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream
- 400 grams Heavy Cream
- 200 grams Condensed Milk, sweetened
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 2 tablespoons Masala, Thandai
- 2 tablespoons Pistachio, Chopped (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon Rose Petals, Dried (Optional)
For Thandai Masala
- 1/2 cup Cashewnuts
- 5 – 6 Pistachio
- 1/4 cup Almonds
- 15 Peppercorns
- 6 – 7 Cardamoms
- 2 tablespoons Melon Seeds, Magaz
- 2 tablespoons Fennel Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Rose Petals, Dry
- 1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
- 10 – 15 Strands Saffron
Instructions
- If making thandai masala on your own, grind together all the ingredients listed under thandai masala to a smooth powder.
- In a pan, add half the heavy cream, milk and 2 tablespoons thandai masala. Gently bring it to a simmer. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Once cool to touch, add rest of the cream and condensed milk. Use a hand blender to whisk for 5 minutes till light and creamy. Mix in pistachios and rose petals if using.
- Pour the mixture into a freezer proof container and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight. Top with more pistachios before serving.
Notes
- Thandai Masala: Ensure this masala is ground to a smooth powder. If it is coarse, it will give an odd mouth feel.
- Condensed Milk: I’ve used sweetened condensed milk to make this recipe. If you are using the unsweetened variety, you will have to adjust the sweetness by adding in sugar or jaggery. The quantity can be estimated according to your taste.
- Storage: As this ice cream is made without an ice cream maker, the churning process is skipped. This means that the longer it is stored, the less creamy it becomes. While it lasts good for up to a month in the freezer, it’s best to consume it within a week.
It was nice to go through your post. Thanks for sharing the recipe here. Keep up the good work.
Hi,
Lovely recipe! When you say Heavy Cream, which cream do you mean? is it standard Amul cream with 25% fat?
It’d be best to get Amul whipping cream because that doubles up in volume, but if you don’t find it, standard Amul Cream works.
Nidhi thanks for the lovely comment, and thanks for stopping by!
Thank you Sundari
Thanks Subhasmita
Richa this looks brilliant. The food, the photography & your taste for good kitchenware. You should have your own damn TV show!
Tempting…and the picture is so good, feel like scooping out from the bowl
You are killing me Richa.. I can imagine all the flavours here and it looks so creamy.
Thanks Shibani 🙂
Yummy yummu icecream