Ice Tray Ice Cream Recipes
Old-Fashioned Frozen Desserts Made the Ice Tray WayPublished: August 09, 2026This blog will be a ongoing collection of vintage frozen desserts made right in the refrigerator freezing tray.
As we find and test more recipes from old cookbooks, clippings, and recipe cards, they’ll be added here.
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Blog Index:
1. 🍴 A Retro Bite of History
2. Frequently Asked Questions
3. Step by step instructions
4. Fun vintage serving tips
5. Retro shopping
6. Closing Words
🍴 A Retro Bite of History
By the 1930s–1940s, cookbooks and refrigerator manufacturers were publishing frozen-dessert recipes designed specifically for refrigerator freezing trays.
(Step-by-step gallery showing a 1973 vanilla ice cream recipe made using the vintage ice tray method, including the ingredients and metal ice tray, mixed ice cream base, filled vintage-style ice cube tray, and removal of the frozen mixture for beating and refreezing.)
✦ Ice Tray Ice Cream Recipe Box
Recipe #1
1973 Vanilla Ice Cream - Ice Tray Method
This 1973 vanilla ice cream uses an old-fashioned refrigerator-freezer method: the mixture is partially frozen in a metal ice tray, beaten until fluffy, then returned to the tray to finish freezing. Makes: About 1½ pints
Ingredients
⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
½ cup cold water
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, water, and vanilla extract.
Refrigerate until chilled. About 30 minutes.
In a separate medium bowl, whip the cream until it reaches a soft, custard-like consistency.
Fold the whipped cream into the chilled condensed milk mixture.
Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray. Freeze for about 1 hour, or until a firm slush forms. Transfer the partially frozen mixture to a chilled, large electric mixer bowl and break it into pieces. Beat until fluffy, being careful not to let the mixture melt.
Quickly return the mixture to the ice cube tray and cover with aluminum foil. Return to the freezer and freeze until firm.
Testing Notes
The ingredients were easy to source, and the recipe was surprisingly simple to make. When combining the sweetened condensed milk, be sure to add the water at the same time.
I used homemade vanilla bean extract, which gave the finished ice cream a wonderful vanilla flavor.
Following the steps in order is important, particularly the one-hour partial freeze followed by beating the mixture until fluffy.
That extra step makes a noticeable difference in the finished texture.
Once completely frozen, the texture was very close to traditional ice cream and scooped nicely.
The recipe makes about 1½ pints, and I love the idea of using several ice trays to make different flavors at once a tray of vanilla, another of coffee, strawberry, or peppermint.
Variations From the Original Recipe
The 1973 booklet also offered several variations using the same basic ice-tray method, including Coffee Ice Cream, Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream, and Peppermint Candy Ice Cream.
🛒 Retro Shopping
Available on Amazon: Heavy Duty Metal Ice Cream Scoop with Soft Grip Handle, Mint | Professional Ice Cream Scooper for Kitchen
Available on Amazon: Stainless Steel Ice Cubes Tray with Release Lever Remove Handle | Classic Metal Ice Cubes Trays With Ice-Clips
✦Closing words: New Recipes Are Being Added
The Ice Tray Ice Cream Project is ongoing.
I'm still digging through the archives. As new ice tray ice cream recipes turn up and make their way through the Vintage By The Bite Research Laboratories I'll add them to this collection.
Then Joan can be standing there with her clipboard looking extremely qualified. 😂
Recipe Paper Trail: 1973 booklet - The Dessert Lovers Handbook
Photo Credit: Vintage by the Bite / Shelly O. Photography
