Cantaloupe Ice Cream
Here’s an exciting and unique recipe for creamy Cantaloupe Ice Cream that you have to try making at home!
This French-style churned ice cream recipe is made with juicy cantaloupe melon, heavy cream, and a rich egg-yolk custard.
A naturally gluten-free and nut-free ice cream flavor, everyone is going to love this homemade cantaloupe dessert!
Fruity ice cream flavors are so fun to make, and even more fun to eat! One of our favorites is this sweet peach ice cream.
While we love rich, decadent flavors like Cookie Butter Ice Cream and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, creamy fruit ice creams like this Cantaloupe Ice Cream, Lemon Custard Ice Cream, and Blueberry Ice Cream are refreshing and amazing in their own ways.
Why You’re Going to Love this Cantaloupe Ice Cream Recipe
Cantaloupe Ice Cream is a very unique flavor that you won’t likely find for sale. Maybe if you have a very fancy independent creamery nearby, but otherwise, this flavor is meant to make at home! Your homemade ice cream will be one of a kind, no matter if you make it the traditional way, or follow our instructions for making a no-churn cantaloupe ice cream instead.
Rich and Creamy Melon Ice Cream – You can make melon sorbet, which is delicious in its own way, but it will pale in comparison to this frozen melon dessert, which combines juicy cantaloupe with a rich, creamy French-style ice cream base.
A Versatile Recipe – You can make this recipe with cantaloupe, honeydew, or any type of dense melon you find. Check the local farmers market for specialty melons that are super sweet and delicious.
Ingredients in Homemade Cantaloupe Ice Cream
Cantaloupe – You’ll need two cups of diced melon for this recipe. Avoid any urge to add more fruit than this, as there is a delicate balance between the juicy fruit and the creamy ice cream. Too much fruit can make the ice cream too icy.
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 – This common sweetener helps to create the silky texture of this ice cream recipe.
Whole Milk – This is used to create the custard ice cream base. Always choose whole milk, as it’s the fat in the milk that makes ice cream taste amazing!
Heavy Cream – The second of our dairy products, cream is what makes ice cream rich and luscious.
Kosher Salt – A little bit of salt balances out the sweetness from the sugar.
Vanilla Extract – a nice, high-quality pure vanilla extract will give the right amount of warm vanilla flavor.
If you have any questions about how to make this cantaloupe ice cream recipe, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you.
How to Make Cantaloupe 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.
- Add the diced cantaloupe to a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain the blended melon through a sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the fibrous pulp.
- In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and granulated sugar.
- Whisk until smooth and pale yellow in color, making sure that all of the sugar dissolves.
- Add the milk and salt 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 ½ cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined. Then, add the tempered egg mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and stir until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until cold.
- Before churning in the ice cream maker, add in the cantaloupe puree and stir until incorporated.
- 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.
- 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. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
How to Store Melon Ice Cream
You should store this homemade Cantaloupe Ice Cream in the freezer in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed on top of the ice cream to keep it from freezer burn.
It will stay fresh this way for up to one month.
Tips for Making This Cantaloupe 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.
Don’t add extra melon – You might think that more melon would make this recipe more delicious, but actually adding more than 2 cups will result in an icy ice cream since melon has a high water content.
Chill out – If possible, always start with chilled ingredients. This is important for homemade no-churn ice cream recipes and ice cream maker recipes.
Melon to Cold Ingredients – Make sure to add the cantaloupe into the ice cream mixture after it has chilled. Adding it in while the mixture is still warm will create a bitter flavor.
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.
No Churn Cantaloupe Ice Cream Directions
To make Cantaloupe Ice Cream without an ice cream maker, chill a shallow container or a loaf pan in the freezer while you mix the ice cream ingredients.
Pour the 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.
Cantaloupe Ice Cream Add-Ins
At the end of churning, try adding fresh pineapple, berries, or sweetened coconut flakes to cantaloupe ice cream to really emphasize the summery flavor.
A gourmet twist can be had if you’d like to add a bit of freshly chopped basil. Or try serving cantaloupe ice cream with homemade sage ice cream!
Another easy summer cantaloupe dessert is a cantaloupe sundae! Simply slice a wedge of melon (or use half a melon if it’s small), scoop out the seeds, and fill the cavity with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream! Drizzle the whole thing with homemade caramel sauce, add some chopped nuts, and dig in.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
- Raspberry Ice Cream
- Rosemary Ice Cream
- Orange Ice Cream
- Butterscotch Ice Cream
- Lemon Ice Cream
- Matcha Ice Cream
- Chunky Monkey Ice Cream
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Did you make this Homemade Cantaloupe Ice Cream Recipe? Leave a Comment Below letting us know what you thought and if you added any additional add-ins.
Cantaloupe Ice Cream
Here's an exciting and unique recipe for creamy Cantaloupe Ice Cream that you just have to try making at home! It's luscious, juicy, and perfect for summer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cantaloupe, diced
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours or until solid. You should not hear any water sloshing around when you shake the bowl.
- Add the cantaloupe to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Strain the cantaloupe puree with a sieve. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
- Add the milk and salt 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.
- Then, add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
- Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take a few minutes.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until cold.
- Before churning in the ice cream maker, add in the cantaloupe puree and stir until incorporated.
- 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.
- 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. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- It may be tempting to add more than 2 cups of cantaloupe to this recipe, but I’ve found that adding anything more will result in an icy ice cream due to the water content in the cantaloupe.
- Make sure to add the cantaloupe after you have chilled the ice cream mixture. Adding it in while the mixture is warm will create a bitter flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 416Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 228mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 0gSugar: 34gProtein: 9g
I didn’t see where to add the 1/5 teaspoon of kosher salt in the directions.
When is the appropriate time to do so?
Thank you!
Hi Heather,
You add it to the saucepan with the milk. Thanks for the catch, we’ve updated the post.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
I had a tough time accurately measuring two cups of cantaloupe. Should it also be two cups after purée as well so I can double check? Thanks!
Hi Caroline,
This recipe calls for two cups of diced cantaloupe. It will not equal two cups after it’s been pureed, which is fine.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
I love melona bars so I was super excited to try this! I learned, however, that mixing melon and dairy causes a chemical reaction and while it first tastes lovely, after churning it becomes SUPER bitter and inedible. I’m not sure how this didn’t happen for you, but I was very disappointed. And then I found out melona uses artificial flavoring to make their ice cream.
Hi Rachel,
We’re so sorry to hear your ice cream was bitter. It’s usually the reaction from adding melon into warm or hot milk that creates the bitterness. Next time you make melon ice cream, add the melon into the ice cream mixture after it has chilled for a bit and you should get nice, sweet melon ice cream.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
This was perfect. It’s going into the regular rotation, for sure. 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal