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Red and Blue Ice Cream

Red and blue ice cream with creamy vanilla base swirled into red, white, and blue ribbons. Made by whipping heavy cream, folding in condensed milk, layering colors in a loaf pan, then freezing until scoopable.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Freeze 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ice cream base
  • 2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Color and flavor
  • 1 red gel food coloring
  • 1 blue gel food coloring
  • 0.5 cup red berry syrup or strawberry sauce
  • 0.5 cup blueberry sauce
  • 1 red, white, and blue sprinkles (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 electric mixer

Method
 

Make the vanilla base
  1. Whip the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 3–5 minutes, and the cream holds its shape when you lift the beaters (look for stiff peaks that don’t droop).
  2. In another bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until smooth, about 30–60 seconds (the mixture should look glossy and evenly blended).
  3. Fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture until no white streaks remain, using gentle strokes so the texture stays airy.
Color and layer
  1. Divide the mixture into three bowls.
  2. Leave one bowl white so it remains the base color for your swirls.
  3. Tint one bowl red using red gel food coloring, mixing until the color is uniform with no streaks (adjust intensity to your preference).
  4. Tint another bowl blue using blue gel food coloring, mixing until the color is uniform with no streaks (adjust intensity to your preference).
  5. Spoon the mixtures alternately into a loaf pan, layering red, white, and blue so the colors are visible from the top.
  6. Swirl gently with a knife to create red, white, and blue ribbons, making a few shallow passes rather than stirring all the way through.
  7. Drizzle the red berry syrup or strawberry sauce and blueberry sauce throughout the pan, letting some streak and pools form between layers.
  8. Sprinkle with red, white, and blue sprinkles if desired so they stick to the soft surface.
Freeze and serve
  1. Freeze the ice cream for at least 6 hours or overnight, until firm enough to scoop (it should look fully set and not slushy).
  2. Scoop and serve immediately, for clean swirls and the most scoopable texture.

Notes

For the cleanest ribbons, swirl only a few times and keep the mixture thick before freezing. Store covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; thaw for 5–10 minutes at room temperature for easier scooping. Freezing is required—do not refrigerate instead. Dietary swap: use full-fat coconut cream plus sweetened condensed coconut milk (or a condensed-milk alternative) for a dairy-free version, keeping the same layering method.