Strawberry Ice Cream
- By Amy Dong
- Updated May. 24, 2024
This Strawberry Ice Cream uses only 5 natural ingredients. There’s no artificial food color, no egg tempering, and no fuss – just good, old fashioned rich and creamy ice cream.
In This Article
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
Here’s to ultra-creamy homemade ice cream and why this recipe works:
- My Family Loves this More than Store-bought: Even teenage boys devour homemade strawberry ice cream faster than anything from the store!
- Only 5 Ingredients: Unlike most store bought ice creams, all that’s needed for this recipe are 5 simple, fresh ingredients.
- No Tempering Eggs: While we love a good creamy custard ice cream, sometimes it’s nice to take the easier, egg-free route. This recipe doesn’t require any egg tempering whatsoever.
- Super Creamy: Don’t be fooled by the lack of eggs. We use both heavy cream and whole milk in this recipe for a super creamy, velvety ice cream.
- Loads of Strawberries: Summer calls for fresh, juicy berry recipes and this Strawberry Ice Cream answers that call.
Five Recipe Ingredients
- Strawberries: We prefer fresh strawberries here, but frozen work great too as they’ll end up getting frozen anyways. Look for strawberries that are red all the way through and don’t have white caps.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens this ice cream just right and macerates the strawberries.
- Whole Milk: Don’t skimp on the fat percentage of your milk for ice cream. The whole milk is super important for achieving that creamy texture with no ice crystals.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream works with the whole milk to bring an ultra-creamy, soft texture to this ice cream.
- Vanilla Extract: While you could skip this and still have amazing results, we just can’t get enough of the amazing smell and flavor that vanilla brings to the table.
Substitutions And Variations
Here are some fun variations to try:
- Swap the Berries: This recipe works amazingly with any kind of berry. So, feel free to swap in blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or even cherries.
- Make it Dairy-Free: We actually made this strawberry ice cream completely dairy-free and vegan and it was delicious! Check out our recipe for Creamy Vegan Ice Cream for an amazing dairy-free dessert.
- Change the Flavor: If you’re craving a scoop of vanilla ice cream, simply omit the berries. Also, check out our recipe for Easy Vanilla Ice Cream (which also happens to be egg-free).
- Make a Sundae: We love drizzling this 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce and this Hot Fudge Sauce on our ice cream for a make-it-yourself sundae.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Slice strawberries and stir with 2 TB sugar. Let sit and macerate for up to 1 hour.
- Whisk together the milk and sugar until sugar is fully dissolved.
- Stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Cover and chill.
- Turn ice cream maker on and pour ice cream mixture in. Follow directions on your ice cream maker for churning.
- During the last 5-10 minutes of churning, add the strawberries.
- If ice cream is soft, let firm up in freezer for 2-3 hours. Enjoy!
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
Commonly Asked Questions
How long will strawberry ice cream stay fresh?
Strawberry ice cream will have the best texture 2-3 weeks in the freezer. After that, it tends to get a little freezer burnt.
What’s the difference between custard and ice cream?
The main difference between frozen custard and ice cream is that custard contains eggs while ice cream does not. Both kinds of ice cream turn out super creamy and velvety, but custard tends to have a richer flavor and a slightly golden color from the egg yolks.
Do I need an ice cream maker to make this?
Yes! You will need an ice cream maker for this recipe. Pretty much any standard ice cream maker will do just fine.
What is a good custard ice cream recipe?
We’ve got a great frozen custard recipe for French Vanilla Ice Cream. Check it out for all the tips and tricks on making ice cream with eggs.
What does it mean to macerate strawberries?
Macerating strawberries simply involves mixing strawberries with sugar and letting them sit. The sugar both sweetens the strawberries and draws out their juices making them prime for dessert-making.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh, if you prefer. Do not thaw frozen berries, but if you can slightly chop them up prior to adding, it may make them easier to incorporate.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Strawberry Ice Cream
This Strawberry Ice Cream uses only 5 natural ingredients. There's no food coloring, no egg tempering, and no fuss – just good, old fashioned rich and creamy ice cream.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, diced and chilled
- 1 cup sugar, plus 2 TB extra
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix diced strawberries with 2 TB sugar to macerate. Chill in fridge while you proceed with the recipe (can macerate up to 1 hour).
- In a bowl, whisk together the milk and 1 cup sugar until sugar is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla, and whisk to combine well. Place bowl in fridge to chill 10-15 minutes.
- Turn ice cream make on and pour very cold milk/cream mixture in. Follow directions on your ice cream maker for churning; generally about 25-30 minutes.
- During last 5-10 minutes of churning, add drained strawberries.
- Ice cream may be soft and need to firm up in freezer for 2-3 hours before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Measure ingredients carefully; if even slightly over-measured, it can create overflow in ice cream machine.
- We highly recommend ripe, fresh strawberries. However, if you prefer to use frozen strawberries: place them in a blender or food processor to pulse a few times just until roughly chopped. Use them frozen; do not thaw nor macerate them.
- Note that frozen strawberries tend to be less sweet than fresh ripe ones.
- You can also use a mixture of berries: blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are all great.
- Do-Ahead: cream, sugar, milk, and vanilla mixture can be whisked together the day before, covered, and chilled. Mix again just prior to using.
- I used natural food coloring made from juice for a pretty pink hue. Otherwise, the ice cream will remain more of a vanilla color, but tastes the same.
- Serve with a generous drizzle of Hot Fudge Sauce for a homemade sundae.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 618IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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- Easy Chocolate Ice Cream – Homemade chocolate ice cream can be yours with this simply egg-free recipe – rich, creamy, and chocolatey with no fuss!
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream – This homemade cookies and cream ice cream beats your favorite store bought tub any day.
- Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream – We can’t get enough of this ice cream version of our favorite java drink. Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream is the perfect combo of sweet and salty.