How to turn leftover whipped cream into ice cream

Here's how to turn leftover whipped cream into ice cream. This recipe is easy to follow, adaptable, and absolutely delicious. It also uses up lots of leftover whipped cream! 

As this blog's name might imply, I am a bit of an ice cream fiend. 

The beginning of COVID lockdown had me turning inward for entertainment, and that involved digging up the old ice cream machine stashed away in the pantry and figuring out how to use it. 

That's how my ice cream journey got started. 

Since then, I've made all sorts of different ice creams out of all sorts of ingredients. There's a lot of room for creativity in ice cream, including the base recipe. 

Yes, you can make ice cream base with leftover whipped cream. My family had lots of leftover whipped cream from Thanksgiving, and after using an online ice cream calculator, I decided to make ice cream with it. It turned out absolutely delicious. 

This is a pretty big recipe. I'd definitely recommend churning it in two batches or halving it. 

Here's the recipe. 

ICE CREAM MADE OUT OF LEFTOVER WHIPPED CREAM 

INGREDIENTS 

5 T powdered milk (optional; made the ice cream delicious, though!) 
1/2 cup sugar 
1/4 tsp xanthan gum 
2 cups milk 
585 grams homemade whipped cream (for me, this was about 3 3/4 cups) 
2 tablespoons high-proof alcohol (I used rum, but gin and vodka would also work) 
A pinch of salt 

DIRECTIONS 

1. If you're using powdered milk and want ice cream flavored like brown butter, add the powdered milk to a saucepan over medium-low heat to toast it. Watch it carefully! Stir very well, making sure to scrape the bottom, until the milk solids have turned a beautiful caramel color. Take it off the heat. 

2. Add sugar and xanthan gum to the saucepan. Stir well. Make sure the xanthan gum is evenly dispersed in the dry ingredients. 

3. Add milk to the saucepan and stir well. A whisk would be helpful. 

4. Turn the heat up to medium-low. Make sure the sugar and xanthan gum are all thoroughly mixed into the milk. 

5. Turn the heat up to medium and gently stir in all of the whipped cream. At this point, you're trying to deflate the whipped cream without turning it into butter. Do not stir vigorously. Stir it gently, making sure to scrape the bottom, until a little bit of liquid has evaporated. It's okay if the mixture is still a little bit foamy; just try to get it mostly deflated. Stir in a pinch of salt. 

6. Take the saucepan off the heat and chill mixture in the fridge, preferably overnight. Once cold, stir in the alcohol, strain the mixture, and churn according to ice cream machine instructions. 

7. Freeze until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy between two cookies, on a cone, in a bowl, or whatever makes your heart happy.