Blackberry Ice Cream

This blackberry ice cream recipe is a rich, luscious, and delicious treat that you can make at home using fresh or frozen seasonal berries.

It’s a French-style churned ice cream recipe that starts with an egg custard base that is blended with fresh blackberry puree. This process makes the ice cream extra creamy.

Aside from tasting spectacular, homemade blackberry ice cream is also gluten-free, nut-free, and made without any food dyes.

Not to be confused with black raspberry ice cream, Blackberry Ice Cream is a rich and creamy delight made from juicy fresh blackberries.

This isn’t a very common ice cream flavor, and you won’t easily find it in your grocery store’s freezer. But trust me, this ice cream is well worth the time it will take you to Blackberry Ice Cream homemade.

I love all types of ice cream made with berries! Check out recipes for Blueberry Ice Cream, Raspberry Ice Cream, Huckleberry Ice Cream, and Strawberry Ice Cream too!

Why You’re Going to Love This Blackberry Ice Cream Recipe

Balanced, Rich Flavor: The slight tartness of blackberries pairs beautifully with rich cream and sugar to create an ice cream flavor that is perfectly balanced while letting the earthy, bright flavor of the blackberries shine through.

Fun and Unique: You’ll love making this ice cream flavor at home, and it’s probably the only way you’ll get to enjoy blackberry ice cream! It’s not a common grocery store flavor, so DIY is the way to go.

Step By Step Instructions: Don’t be intimidated by the list of steps in this recipe. French-style ice cream recipes are a bit involved, but I’ll walk you through every step with photos and plenty of tips and tricks too.

Ingredients in Homemade Blackberry Ice Cream

Blackberries – Buy fresh blackberries in season, or use frozen blackberries that you’ve thawed for this recipe.

Egg Yolks – These create the base for our ice cream custard. We’ll gently heat the egg yolks to pasteurize them, but you can also purchase pasteurized eggs if you prefer.

Granulated Sugar – For sweetness and texture, plain, white, granulated sugar is the best choice.

Whole Milk and Heavy Cream – A mix of both heavy cream and whole milk is what gives us the perfect creamy texture.

Kosher Salt – A bit of salt enhances the flavor of the berries and vanilla.

Vanilla Extract – a nice, high-quality, pure vanilla extract will add tons of warm vanilla flavor that pairs beautifully with blackberries.

How to Make Blackberry Ice Cream from Scratch

Start the day before by making sure that the bowl for your ice cream maker has at least 24 hours to freeze solid.

1. Add the blackberries to a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the berry puree through a mesh sieve, pressing down with a spatula or spoon to get as much juice as possible, while leaving the seeds behind. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
3. Add the milk to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the milk to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Be sure not to boil. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined. 
4. Now, add the tempered egg mixture back to the saucepan with the rest of the milk. Heat on low, stirring constantly until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Strain the custard into a bowl to remove any bits of egg that may have cooked. Then stir in the heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract.
6. Add in the blackberry puree and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or until it’s very cold. Be sure to let the plastic wrap sit on the surface of the ice cream base, to keep a skin from forming.
7. Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
8. Finally, spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or a loaf pan. Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid.

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions for making blackberry ice cream, please see the recipe below.

How to Store Blackberry Ice Cream

Store this homemade Blackberry Ice Cream in the freezer in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed on top for up to one month.

The parchment paper will keep ice crystals from forming on the surface of the ice cream.

When serving homemade ice cream, you’ll want to let it sit out at room temperature for 5 minutes or so to soften a bit before trying to scoop into it.

Tips for Making This Blackberry Ice Cream Recipe

Use quality ingredients – When making homemade ice cream, you’ll want to make sure you are using high-quality ingredients for the best outcome.

Chill out – If possible, always start with chilled ingredients. This is important for homemade no-churn ice cream recipes and ice cream maker recipes.

Don’t skimp on the fat – High-fat milk and cream are essential when making homemade ice cream. Opting for a low-fat option often leads to icy ice creams and inconsistency in the texture.

Don’t go crazy with the add-ins – If you’re adding in additional ingredients, pick one or two and make sure they are chopped into pieces no larger than a blueberry or pea.

Don’t skimp on the sugar – Sugar not only adds sweetness to homemade ice creams, it also helps with the texture. Sugar is essential for the creamy texture of ice cream.

Where to Find Fresh Blackberries

Blackberries have a short season and are typically available during the months of July and August, depending on your region.

If you can’t find them at your regular grocery store, check your local farmer’s markets as many times blackberries will be sold directly from the farms. 

Can I Make Ice Cream With Frozen Blackberries?

Yes! If you have some frozen berries stored in the freezer, this is a great way to use them. Allow the berries to thaw before blending them in the food processor.

Are Blackberries The Same as Black Raspberries?

On the outside, both of these berries look very similar. They are very dark purple berries that can appear almost black.

You might notice that black raspberries, like other varieties, are hollow in the center, while blackberries have a soft core inside.

Flavor-wise, the two fruits taste very different. Blackberries are more tart than raspberries, with a subtle sweetness and a rich, almost earthy flavor.

What Can I Use Instead of a Food Processor?

If you don’t have a food processor, you can puree the berries in your blender. You might need to add a little bit of cold milk to the blender with the berries to get the berries blended up smoothly.

No Churn Blackberry Ice Cream Directions

Chill a shallow container or a loaf pan in the freezer while you prepare and mix the ice cream ingredients to make the base.

Pour the blackberry ice cream mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for 3-4 hours. Stir the ice cream every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours to help add air. This will help create a creamy, smooth texture.

Blackberry Ice Cream Ice Cream Add-Ins

You can enjoy this delicious blackberry ice cream just as it is, or add in some yummy extras!

• Mini chocolate chips or shaved dark chocolate are always delicious with berry desserts.
• For extra creamy sweetness, try adding white chocolate shavings too.
• If you like texture in your homemade ice cream, stir in pieces of cheesecake, vanilla wafers, or pound cake.

More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

• Grape Ice Cream
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
• Pistachio Ice Cream
• Ginger Ice Cream
• Peaches and Cream Ice Cream

Our Favorite Ice Cream Making Tools:

• Cuisinart 2QT Ice Cream Maker – Works with ice cream, sorbets, and frozen yogurt.
• Loaf Pan – You can use any 9 x 13 loaf pan or a shallow pan, but we like this one.
• Ice Cream Scoop – Make sure you have a good ice cream scoop. This is one of our favorites.
• Ice Cream Containers – We love keeping a couple of ice cream containers on hand for when we make homemade ice cream.

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