Freshly churned homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is sure to hit the spot on hot summer days. Just ask your family.
The rumors are true. Homemade ice cream is way better than store bought. And while making ice cream at home might seem scary, I can assure you it’s not. In fact, with the right tool, homemade strawberry ice cream is a breeze – a creamy, dreamy breeze that goes perfectly with Strawberry Crisp or Strawberry Pie à la mode. After just one taste, you’ll never buy strawberry ice cream from the store again.
How To Get Creamy Ice Cream
The key to getting the ice cream creamy is a mixture of heavy whipping cream and half and half. Together, these create a luscious and creamy texture that is complemented by chunks of strawberries in every bite. The only thing that could possibly make this better is also making vanilla and chocolate ice cream for homemade Neapolitan ice cream.
This is a churned ice cream, which means you will need an ice cream maker. And if you don’t have one, I highly recommend you invest in one. You won’t be disappointed. (We’ve put this one to the test and love it.)
Making Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
While you do need an ice cream maker for this recipe, it’s not custard based. What’s that mean? There’s no egg yolks or cooking required!
You will need to plan in advance though and make sure the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker has had plenty of time to freeze. You can check your models instructions for how long it needs, but usually 12 hours is good. Of course, if you make ice cream frequently and have the space, you can store it in the freezer so it’s always ready to go.
Next, it’s time to get the berries ready. You’ll want the fresh strawberries hulled and diced, then mix with the sugar and lemon. This will sit for about 15 minutes for the berries to release their juices.
Then you’ll mash the berries so there’s no large chunks that will end up icy after freezing. You can roughly mash them with a fork or pastry cutter if you enjoy some strawberry chunks in your ice cream, or put them in the blender if you prefer a smooth ice cream.
When your strawberries are the consistency you like, it’s time to add the heavy cream, half and half, and vanilla. Give it a stir and add your mixture to your ice cream maker. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning the ice cream, most take around 20 minutes.
If you want to enjoy your homemade ice cream right away, it’ll be the consistency of soft serve. Give it a few hours in the freezer in an airtight freezer container to firm up. Then remove from freezer and let sit out on the counter for 5 minutes or so before scooping.
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Strawberry Ice Cream
Freshly churned homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is sure to hit the spot on hot summer days. Just ask your family.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Freeze Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Ice Cream Maker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups hulled and diced strawberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Allow to sit until the strawberries have released their juices, about 15 minutes.
- Mash the mixture with a potato masher, fork or pastry cutter until there are no longer any large strawberry pieces (if you prefer a smooth ice cream, use a blender or food processor instead).
- To the strawberries, add heavy cream, half and half, and vanilla extract. Stir just until combined. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and follow your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 15-20 minutes to churn).
- Freeze it in an airtight container for 3-4 hours to thicken it up slightly. For best results, allow the ice cream to sit 5-10 minutes to soften before scooping and serving.
This post originally appeared in June 2018 and was revised and republished in April 2022.
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