No-Churn Durian Ice Cream

Discover the rich, creamy taste of homemade durian ice cream made effortlessly with just 4 simple ingredients. This easy durian ice cream recipe delivers delicious results every time; no ice cream maker needed!

Durian: The King of Fruits

In Southeast Asia, the Durian holds the prestigious title of the King of Fruits. It is known for its extremely strong odor. Its odor is so potent that it’s banned from most hotels and public transportation!

Despite this, the durian offers an incredible taste akin to a creamy custard with a rich, intense flavor. It’s a polarizing fruit— you either love it or can’t stand to be near it. Personally, I’m a huge fan!

When I lived in the United States, I often craved durian. Fortunately, I was able to find frozen durian imported from Thailand at the Asian supermarkets, but I found it quite different from the Malaysian durian (specifically Penang durian) I used to enjoy.

Now that I’m back in Penang enjoying the current durian season, what better way to celebrate than by making some creamy, delicious durian ice cream!

How to Make Durian Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker

This no-churn Durian Ice Cream is to die for! The durian pulp is already creamy on its own, but adding the whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk, plus the vanilla extract, makes it absolutely divine.

What you’ll need:

• Flesh from 5 – 10 durian pieces 
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

If you don’t have access to fresh durian, you can use frozen durian pulp for this recipe. Allow it to thaw at room temperature for about 2 – 3 hours.

Run the durian pulp through a sturdy mesh strainer using the back of a large spoon. This will separate the stringy threads and give you a smooth, creamy pulp.

5 – 10 pieces of durian will yield about 1 cup of strained durian pulp, depending on the size of the durian.

Stir in 3/4 cup of Sweetened Condensed Milk to the durian pulp. This gives the ice cream its sweetness, creaminess, and richness.

Since we’re not using an ice cream maker, we will need to whip the cream. This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Make sure that the whipping cream is cold, so don’t take it out of the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor of the cream.

Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip the cream to stiff peaks – this means that the texture of the whipped cream should be a little on the firm side and when you lift the beater or whisk from the mixing bowl, the peaks should stand straight up instead of immediately sinking back down.

Gently fold the durian pulp mixture into the whipped cream.

Give it a quick stir for a few seconds with the mixer so that everything is well incorporated, then pour it into a container.

You will want to ensure that the container you use to freeze your durian ice cream is really AIR-TIGHT so that none of that durian smell will escape.

Tip: If your freezer or fridge does start to smell like durian, place a small bowl of baking soda in your fridge to absorb the smell.

Allow the ice cream to freeze overnight before enjoying your homemade, delicious, creamy Durian Ice Cream 🙂

Enjoy!

PS – Looking for more ice cream recipes? This Thai Tea Ice Cream and Mango Peach Ice Cream are among my favorites. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, check out this list I’ve compiled of Unreal Ice Cream Flavors you need to try!