12 Things You Didn't Know Your Ice Cream Maker Could Do

Make frozen sorbet

Sorbet is a delightful frozen treat made from ice, sugar, and flavorings, prepared in a way similar to ice cream. While it is dairy-free, which means it lacks the same creaminess, it boasts a more icy texture and bolder flavors. Despite the absence of dairy, sorbet can still be smooth and rich, and it can be created using an ice cream maker, which continuously churns the mixture.

Many modern ice cream makers come with a dedicated sorbet setting, making it easy to achieve a creamy consistency and uniform texture. You can personalize your sorbet by incorporating a variety of ingredients, from chocolate to pureed fruits. It's essential to use high-quality components, as sorbet typically doesn't contain many additives that could disguise subpar fruit.

After preparing the mixture, simply pour it into the ice cream maker and let it churn. Depending on your preference for firmness, you can either serve it straight from the machine or freeze it for a firmer texture. It's crucial to find the right balance of ingredients to avoid common pitfalls when making sorbet, such as it being too watery, too icy, or lacking flavor. Additionally, your ice cream maker's manual often features tasty sorbet recipes and bases that you can modify to your liking.

Mix up refreshing slushies

If you're in the mood for a blue raspberry slushie and curious about its flavor origins, you can whip one up at home using an ice cream maker. These delightful treats are essentially icy beverages that are thick enough to be enjoyed with a spoon or sipped through a straw. Unlike some other frozen desserts and drinks, slushies are more ice-heavy and have a lighter texture. Similar to sorbet, slushies are dairy-free and are made by blending fresh fruit or flavorings with sugar and hot water to create a base where the sugar dissolves.

Once your mixture is frozen, simply add water or juice and set your ice cream maker to the slushie setting (if available). If there isn't a specific setting, use a low speed and monitor the mixture's consistency as it freezes, adding more liquid if it becomes too thick. Alternatively, you can use the frozen drink setting and re-spin the mixture if it begins to freeze against the sides of the bowl.

Chill popsicles and store-bought ice cream

Many ice cream makers feature a removable double-walled, insulated basin that can serve as an excellent cooler. This means you can keep store-bought ice creams and popsicles cold and frozen in the basin, as it is specifically designed to maintain low temperatures.

Most models require you to freeze the basin before starting the ice cream-making process to ensure it stays cold. However, if you wish to use it as a temporary cooler, simply refrain from placing the basin back into the ice cream maker. Instead, fill it with your popsicles, ice cream bars, or ice cream sandwiches along with ice.

Ice cream makers typically have a square base that allows them to sit flat in the freezer and can usually accommodate one to two quarts of ice cream. You can also store popsicles and ice cream bars upright in their packaging and take them out as needed. Depending on the size, you may need to leave the lid off, and be cautious not to place unwrapped popsicles or bars in the basin, as they may stick together.

Create cold dips

You can incorporate nearly any ingredient into an ice cream mixture, even savory options like buffalo sauce and blue cheese. In fact, this versatile appliance can create delicious cold dips for vegetables or chicken wings, perfect for serving as appetizers. Some mixtures that resemble cold dips may even be labeled as ice cream, but you can modify the recipe to reduce the sweetness if that’s your preference (although a sweeter flavor profile pairs nicely with the tangy blue cheese and spicy buffalo sauce).

When preparing savory ice creams intended for cold dips, use the standard ice cream setting. Some models feature a special mix-in option that slows the paddle for larger ingredients; activate this setting at the end, once the rest of the mixture is frozen. Thanks to the double-insulated basin, you can also keep the dip cool right in the maker while serving. Depending on your ice cream maker's capacity, you might be able to whip up a large batch and freeze some for later use as well.

Indulge in frozen cocktails

Not all alcoholic beverages freeze solid in the freezer, allowing you to savor icy drinks like frozen margaritas or boozy milkshakes when you use an ice cream maker. Additionally, making a frozen cocktail in your ice cream maker is often straightforward, especially if it has a slushie or frozen drink setting.

Some recipes incorporate dairy, while others utilize water or juice as their base. This choice will influence the creaminess of the final drink, but the ice cream maker can accommodate both options. If your machine features a frozen drink setting, it's perfect for crafting frozen cocktails. You can also adjust the consistency by adding more liquid or re-spinning the mixture in the ice cream maker.

There are numerous recipes for popular frozen cocktails, and many ice cream maker manuals include a recipe guide. You can also create your own non-alcoholic versions by replacing the alcohol with juice, milk, water, or other liquid ingredients. While you'll still need ice for a slushy texture, you can enhance the flavor by using frozen fruit or puree instead of ice, avoiding dilution of the drink.

Use the bowl to keep side dishes cold

You already know that the basin of an ice cream maker serves as an excellent cooler for pre-frozen treats. However, it can also keep dishes chilled while in a buffet line or when you're heading out for the day and need to keep something on ice. This way, you can ensure that items like potato salad and pasta salad remain cool by placing them in the insulated bowl of the ice cream maker.

Before you head to a barbecue, chill the bowl and transfer your dish into it to maintain its temperature. Depending on the size of the bowl, you might need to add extra ice at the bottom to keep your dish elevated in the deep basin. Luckily, the insulated basin is designed to keep the ice frozen. Additionally, the bowl is perfect for smaller items like fresh fruit, vegetables, or snacking cheese, as you can pack them in ice and secure the lid on top to keep everything contained. The flat bottom allows you to place this makeshift cooler in the car, on the pool deck, or in the sand without worrying about spills.

Perk up with iced coffee

You can bypass the long queues and steep prices of coffee shops by using an ice cream maker. In fact, you can effortlessly prepare iced coffee at home by pouring hot coffee into the pre-chilled bowl of the ice cream maker. This appliance cools liquids quickly, allowing you to enjoy iced coffee faster than you could order one from a café.

For a straightforward iced coffee, simply swirl the coffee in the ice cream maker's bowl for a few seconds. There's no need to turn on the machine; just ensure the bowl is frozen beforehand, then pour the hot coffee into it and stir it around with your hands until it cools down. Avoid adding ice, sugar, or any other ingredients unless you're aiming to create a different type of coffee drink.

Once the coffee is chilled, pour it into a glass and feel free to add milk, sugar, or cream. If you're in the mood for a frozen coffee treat, mix milk and sugar into the coffee base and churn it in the ice cream maker like a smoothie. For a more liquid consistency, use the frozen drink setting. If you prefer a firmer texture, opt for the frozen yogurt or ice cream setting.

Start your day with a smoothie bowl

Start your day with a delicious and nutrient-packed smoothie bowl. To create the base, simply blend your ingredients in an ice cream maker, then enhance it with your favorite toppings for added flavor and texture. You can purchase frozen smoothie blends at the grocery store or make your own using frozen fruit, a sweetener like agave, and a liquid such as coconut milk. For an extra nutrient boost, consider adding some vegetables.

Blend your chosen ingredients to create the base, then pour the mixture into the ice cream maker's bowl. Once it freezes, select the smoothie or smoothie bowl setting (if available) and allow it to reach the desired consistency.

One of the best aspects of smoothie bowls is the ability to customize them with a wide variety of toppings. Fresh fruit is a popular and nutritious option, while granola adds a satisfying crunch and flavor, often enhanced by the seeds and nuts it contains.

Have an extra ice bucket for drinks

If you're hosting a gathering, you may find yourself in need of an extra place to chill and serve beverages like soda, beer, or wine. Interestingly, the bowl of an ice cream maker can serve as a stylish ice bucket. Many models are designed with a sleek appearance that belies their origins as kitchen appliances.

Most ice cream makers feature a stainless-steel bowl with both interior and exterior linings. Some even come in vibrant colors that can enhance your table setting. To maximize the bowl's effectiveness as an ice bucket, place it in the freezer before adding ice. This will chill the sides further, helping to keep the ice frozen for a longer period.

When using your ice cream maker to store drinks, ensure there's enough space to accommodate bottles or cans, and keep the lid off the bowl. The number of beverages you can fit will vary based on the size of your machine, but typically, the bowls are on the smaller side, so don’t expect to serve a large crowd with your ice cream maker.

Enjoy frozen horchata

Traditional horchata is a classic Mexican beverage created by blending rice with cinnamon-infused water, then straining it through cheesecloth to remove any solids. Once fully strained and achieving a silky texture, sugar is added, resulting in a wonderfully smooth and creamy spiced drink. Typically served chilled, this summer favorite can be elevated with a frozen twist using your ice cream maker.

The ingredients for frozen horchata are quite similar to the original drink, but you can simplify the process by using rice milk. Instead of soaking rice in cinnamon water for several hours, rice milk allows you to whip up horchata in a fraction of the time, eliminating the need to strain out any lumps with cheesecloth. Just combine the rice milk with simple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon in the ice cream maker to create the base.

Remember: The horchata mixture must be frozen before it can be churned in the ice cream maker. Once it’s frozen, add it to the machine and blend it using the frozen drink or smoothie setting, depending on your model. When it’s done, you’ll have a frothy frozen horchata that’s quick to prepare and just as delightful as the traditional, time-consuming version.

Try Indian lassi

If you're looking to create something refreshing in your ice cream maker beyond just ice cream, why not try a delightful lassi? This frothy beverage originates from India and combines yogurt with various ingredients to form a smoothie-like drink. With its creamy texture, thanks to the yogurt base, lassi incorporates crushed ice and cold water along with yogurt and any other desired ingredients.

To prepare lassi in an ice cream maker, you'll first need to freeze the base mixture. For a fruit lassi, this typically includes fruit puree, yogurt, and a sweetener, which enhances the flavor while substituting for ice. Once the mixture is frozen, you can blend it into lassi using the smoothie or slushy setting on your ice cream maker. Many models feature a specific setting for creamy beverages like smoothies, as we've mentioned. If you opt for the frozen drink setting, the ice cream maker will likely shut off automatically when the mixture reaches the perfect consistency.

Mango lassi is especially popular and has a rich history in Indian cuisine. Additionally, you can explore alternative options to accommodate various dietary preferences, such as using non-dairy cashew yogurt or substituting agave for honey.

Indulge in decadent gelato

Gelato contains a higher proportion of milk and less cream than traditional ice cream, and it is churned at a slower speed, leading to a rich and delectable dessert. Additionally, gelato has a lower fat content because it relies on milk instead of heavy cream, as is common in ice cream. Since gelato is not as readily available in the U.S. as regular ice cream, making it at home with an ice cream maker might be the best option, allowing you to tailor the flavor to your liking.

To create this delightful treat, you can use your ice cream maker on a slow setting (or a gelato setting, if available). The gelato setting should churn the mixture at a significantly slower pace than the standard ice cream setting, which is essential for producing gelato instead of ice cream. This slower churning process is vital because it affects the amount of air incorporated into the mixture. Ice cream is churned quickly, resulting in numerous tiny air bubbles, while gelato is churned more gently, incorporating less air overall, which contributes to its denser and creamier texture.