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The Vitamix blender can quickly chop ice cubes into a smooth consistency, making it possible to prepare blended ice cream in just a few minutes. Vitamix ice cream recipes rely on ice or frozen fruit and therefore do not require a traditional ice cream maker to freeze the batter. This type of quick dessert isn't true ice cream, as it lacks the added fat and emulsifiers that keep the real thing pliable, and it tastes best served directly out of the blender.

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Pour cold milk into the jar of your Vitamix. You can use non-fat, low-fat or full-fat milk, whichever suits your personal preference.

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Travis Robertson/Demand Media

Measure 1 part sugar by volume for every 2 parts of milk, and pour it into the blender. For example, add a 1/2 cup of sugar per cup of milk. Add 1/4 cup of non-fat milk powder for every cup of milk, to compensate for the diluting effect of the ice.

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Add vanilla extract, or other liquid flavorings, to taste. Finally, measure in four cups of ice for every cup of milk. Secure the lid on the Vitamix, set the speed to variable setting 1 and turn on the blender.

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Travis Robertson/Demand Media

Increase the speed to variable setting 10 and then switch it to high power within 10 seconds of turning on the blender. Press the mixture down with the tamper to help everything reach the blades of the Vitamix.

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Travis Robertson/Demand Media

Turn off the Vitamix when you stop hearing ice hitting the blades and when four mounds form at the surface of the ice cream. This should occur within 30 to 60 seconds. Check the consistency of the ice cream. If it is too runny, add another cup of ice cubes and blend until the ice cream is smooth, which should not take more than 20 seconds.

Tip

The quantity of sugar given here is only as guide, and can be increased or decreased to meet your personal taste. For example, you might reduce the sugar if you're using other sweet ingredients.

The heat of the blender will melt your ice cream, so process it as little as possible for the thickest consistency.

Add chocolate syrup or powdered chocolate milk mix to the vanilla ice cream recipe to make chocolate ice cream.

Use 2/3 of the milk and an equal quantity of peanut butter to make peanut butter ice cream. This variation is rich enough to not need the milk powder.

Substitute 1 pound of frozen strawberries or peaches for the ice cubes and dry milk powder to make fruit-flavored ice cream.