Cool Whip Ice Cream Recipe: Turn Cream Into Frozen Magic

So, real talk — cool whip ice cream is genuinely one of my all-time favorite recipe hacks, and I am not even a little bit embarrassed about it. 😄 My husband and I lugged our dumb little ice cream maker all the way from Utah to Virginia, only to find out (after the move) that it was broken. #lame

And after spending (what ended up being) thousands of dollars (#alsolame) on this cross-country move, we were very, very, very broke. So broke that we couldn’t buy another ice cream maker anytime in the foreseeable future. Which ended up being okay after all, because it led me straight to the oh-so-popular two-ingredient, no-machine-required easy ice cream recipe that basically changed my life!

I make it a lot on Sundays because we don’t shop on Sundays, and I forget to buy ice cream on Saturday pretty regularly. And we always like to eat brownies and ice cream on Sunday nights, hence the weekly ice cream emergency that requires me to bust out this recipe on a fairly regular basis. It’s the only way I survive dessert time without a full-on crisis, honestly!

The “original” two-ingredient recipe calls for mixing whipped cream with a can of sweetened condensed milk. Easy peasy, right? Well, it turns out it gets even easier than that! You can use a tub of Cool Whip in place of the whipped cream. I mean, really — how much simpler could a recipe get? The creaminess of the whip makes it taste like an authentic ice cream experience straight from the comfort of your own home. Be still my heart! 🍦

Cool Whip Ice Cream Tips for Success

• Make sure your whipped cream is nice and stiff before beginning. If it’s not, the ice cream will be more icy than creamy.
• You can use either Cool Whip or regular whipped cream in this recipe. Just make sure you whisk it together well with the sweetened condensed milk until there are no lumps. An electric mixer on low works beautifully here!
• If you want a bit more of a vanilla flavor in your ice cream, add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the mixture before freezing. Old-fashioned vanilla ice cream vibes, but make it lazy. ✨
• This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you need to make more — plenty of fun for a crowd!

Two Ingredient Ice Cream FAQ

My Favorite Flavor Variations

Okay, can we talk about how this base recipe is basically a culinary chameleon? It takes on new flavors so effortlessly — there are heaps of options and decadent-sounding ice cream ideas to try. Whether you want a classic flavor like vanilla pudding swirled in, or something totally wild, this recipe delivers with little hassle. Here are my absolute faves! 🙌

• Cheesecake: Mix the following ingredients with the sweetened condensed milk before adding the whipped cream: one 8 oz. brick of cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp vanilla. Omit 8 oz of Cool Whip or 1 cup cream. This is the base I used for my Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream — a family favorite for years!
• Peanut Butter Cup: Mix 1/2 cup of peanut butter with the sweetened condensed milk before adding the Cool Whip or whipped cream, then fold in chocolate chips. Peanut butter cup heaven, right in a small bowl.
• Mint Choc-Chip Ice Cream: Add 1 teaspoon mint extract and a handful of chocolate chips to your base. It has the most refreshing taste — total summer treats material!
• Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream: Fold in crushed graham crackers and sliced fresh fruit (bananas, obviously!) for a dreamy, pie-inspired scoop. So good!
• Chocolate Fudge Swirl: Stir in unsweetened cocoa powder and drizzle in a caramel fudge swirl before freezing. You can even use a packet of Jell-O mix in chocolate-flavored Jell-O (yep, chocolate-flavored Jell-O!) for a fun flavor profile twist. And if you want a full caramel moment, an easy four-ingredient caramel sauce drizzled over the top is absolutely chef’s kiss. 😍
• Peppermint Version: Perfect for the holidays! Think skinny frozen hot chocolates meets ice cream — you guys, my Skinny Frozen Hot Chocolate Cupcakes use similar flavors and they are SO good together.

Fun Mix-Ins and Everyday Treats Upgrades

One of my absolute favorite things about this recipe is how easy it is to customize with your favorite mix-ins. We’re talking a good base that plays well with basically everything — it’s one of the most versatile everyday desserts (and everyday treats!) in my whole repertoire. Here are some fun ways to level it up for your next time making a very special dessert!

• Crunchy sprinkles — fold them in right before freezing for a funfetti vibe. Kids go absolutely bananas for this.
• Chocolate sandwich cookies (hello, Oreos!) — crush them up and stir in. My Cookies & Cream Pudding Mousse uses a similar idea and it is DREAMY.
• Biscoff biscuits — crush and swirl in for the most unexpected, caramel-y, subtly spiced flavor. Unusual ways to upgrade ice cream? This one tops my list!
• Strawberry pie filling — fold in a cup of strawberry gelatin or strawberry pie filling for the prettiest pink summery option. Total summer vibes! 🍓
• Cake mix — yes, really! Stir in a few tablespoons of dry cake mix for a birthday cake ice cream that tastes like pure joy. That airy texture and subtle taste is just *chef’s kiss.*

Instant Pudding Mix: The Game-Changing Add-In

Okay, you guys — adding an instant pudding mix to this recipe is genuinely the best thing I’ve ever done in my life (culinary-speaking, obviously 😂). It adds the most incredible creamy dimension, and the pudding variety options are endless! Vanilla pudding is the classic go-to and gives you that old-fashioned vanilla ice cream flavor we all grew up loving. But honestly? The whole flavor profile changes dramatically depending on what you pick.

Want something fruity? Try a cup strawberry gelatin vibe by mixing in a strawberry instant pudding — instant summery option unlocked! Want something rich and indulgent? Chocolate fudge pudding mixed into your base with a dollop of Cool Whip on top is basically a cup caramel ice cream situation in terms of sheer decadence. Sugar-free options work great here too — sugar-free works just as beautifully as the full-sugar version, so this is absolutely a Weight Watchers-friendly hack if you need it to be! 🙌 I literally can’t even with how good the sugar-free works out.

Using a large liquid measuring cup to combine your instant pudding mix with the sweetened condensed milk before folding in the Cool Whip makes the whole process so smooth. In a small mixing bowl, you can whisk until it’s totally lump-free, then fold gently so you keep that fluffy topping texture. So dreamy!

Beyond Cool Whip: Other Easy Ice Cream Methods

Now, I know some of you are out there with fancy handy appliances — and if you have a Ninja Creami machine, oh my goodness, you are living your best life. The ninja creami ice cream trend is huge right now (hello, Jell-O’s Gen-Z rebrand giving us new ways to use classic ingredients!). You basically pour your mixture into a ninja creami pint container, freeze it solid, then process for the most authentic ice cream experience ever. The top sellers in the Ninja Creami world use ingredients that are SO similar to this recipe — sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream, mix-ins — so this method translates perfectly!

Not into the Ninja Creami? No worries at all! This no-machine version is still the easy way, the easy four-ingredient approach that gives you gorgeous results on your first attempt every single time. And if you want to bake desserts to serve alongside your ice cream, my Chocolate Trifle is absolutely spectacular with a scoop of this on top. Or try it next to some Dirt Cupcakes for the kids — they will absolutely lose their minds! 🎉

Enter Cool Whip’s Fan Dessert World

Can we talk about how Cool Whip (a Kraft Heinz brand, in case you didn’t know!) has basically taken over the dessert world in the best way? Enter Cool Whip’s fan dessert community and you will find delicious ideas, plenty of other recipes, and enough inspo to keep you busy for weeks. From crinkle cookies topped with a fluffy topping of Cool Whip, to frozen sorbet choices layered with whipped cream, to hot chocolates topped with a generous dollop of Cool Whip — it is EVERYWHERE, and for good reason.

Whether this editorial content is your first introduction to the magic of Cool Whip in frozen desserts, or you’re a longtime fan returning with a participating sponsor discount coupon in hand 😂, the bottom line is this: you absolutely have to make this. It’s the easiest, most foolproof path to gorgeous everyday deserts (and I definitely mean desserts, not sand dunes, lol) that feel like a very special treat every single time. Now go make some cool whip ice cream — you deserve it! ❤️

My Favorite Variations of This Recipe

• Cheesecake: Mix the following ingredients with the sweetened condensed milk before adding the whipped cream: 8 oz. brick of cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp vanilla. Omit 8 oz of Cool Whip or 1 cup cream. This is the base I used for my Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, which has been a family favorite for years!
• Peanut Butter/Nutella: Mix 1/2 cup of peanut butter or Nutella with the sweetened condensed milk before adding the Cool Whip or whipped cream. Fold in some chocolate chips for a next-level peanut butter cup situation!
• Add any Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Flavor Packet for instant flavor magic! (I used Key Lime last time and I was absolutely obsessed.) There are plenty of fun flavors to explore, so go wild — this recipe has heaps of options and I want you to try them all! 🍦

Easy 2 Ingredient Ice Cream

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Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks -or- 16 oz. Cool Whip Lite
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• Optional: 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Whisk together the Cool Whip and the sweetened condensed milk until combined.
2. Pour in a freezer safe container, cover, and freeze for at least 4-6 hours or overnight!
3. Serves 8-12