Easy Grape Ice Cream Recipe
Indulge in a sweet, juicy, delightful treat with this delicious Grape Ice Cream Recipe. Made with a rich French-style custard base, and flavored with grape jelly and grape juice, grape ice cream has the perfect balance of fruity sweetness and creamy, rich texture.
While you won’t likely find grape flavored ice cream at the grocery store, you can easily make a batch at home that the whole family will devour.
Why You’re Going to Love This Grape Ice Cream Recipe
- With just six ingredients and a little bit of knowledge and patience, you’ll be enjoying the best homemade grape ice cream ever!
- The fresh and fruity flavor that comes from Concord grape juice and grape jelly is unmistakable! It’s sweet, fresh, and juicy.
- This French-style ice cream has the most amazing creamy and smooth texture. This comes from using the classic method of making ice cream with an egg-yolk custard base.
If you love fruity ice creams and need more easy recipes to make at home, be sure to try our Tutti Frutti Ice Cream and Peaches and Cream Ice Cream recipes next. Blackberry ice cream is also a reader favorite.
Ingredients in Homemade Grape Ice Cream
- Half and Half – Half and half is the perfect base for ice cream– it adds just enough richness and creaminess and results in a delicious texture.
- Granulated Sugar – Sugar is a must for ice cream recipes, it makes the mixture sweet and helps create the most delicious, creamy texture.
- Egg Yolks – Egg yolks thicken the custard and add great richness to the ice cream.
- Grape Juice – This adds grape flavor and sweetness. Choose concord grape juice (the purple kind) rather than white grape juice for the most grape-y flavor!
- Vanilla – Vanilla extract enhances the sweetness and fruit flavor of the ice cream.
- Grape Jelly – This adds even more grape flavor to the recipe! Choose grape jam or preserves if you’d like a bit more whole-fruit texture. Some of the Jelly is churned into the ice cream base, while more is swirled in at the end.
- Optional Food Coloring – When adding food coloring to ice cream, use gel colors for the most vibrant results! Here I’ve used about a half teaspoon of Americolor’s Regal Purple food coloring. Without it, this grape ice cream will have a brownish-gray color.
We use natural coloring in our Black Ice Cream. Grape ice cream and black ice cream would be great together. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
How to Store Grape Ice Cream
Store this homemade Grape Flavored 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. Before serving, allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes. This will make it easier to scoop.
Can I Make Ice Cream With Fresh Grapes?
While probably can make ice cream from fresh Concord grapes, you would first need to cook those grapes down into jam or jelly before using them. In this recipe, we’ve used a shortcut and made ice cream with pre-made grape jelly and grape juice.
Is Ice Cream Made With Eggs Safe to Eat?
Yes, this French custard ice cream recipe is safe to eat. The egg yolks are very gently cooked when the hot milk is added to them. If you have any concerns about food safety, simply use pasteurized eggs in this recipe rather than fresh ones.
No Churn Grape Flavored Ice Cream Directions
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.
When making no-churn ice cream, it can be tricky to create the swirl effect. I suggest mixing most of the grape jelly in with the ice cream base and then adding a bit as a swirl after the first hour or so.
Grape Ice Cream Add-Ins
Wondering what goes with grape ice cream? Here are some ideas:
- Honey: Drizzle a bit of fresh honey over bowls of grape ice cream to further enhance the sweet flavor of grapes.
- Cookies: Crushed vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies would be delicious churned in at the end.
- Fresh Berries: Top scoops of grape ice cream with fresh berries, or try my recipe for Blueberry Compote.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
- Pistachio Ice Cream
- Lemon Custard Ice Cream
- Cantaloupe Ice Cream
- Raspberry Ice Cream
- Blueberry Ice Cream
- Honey Lavender Ice Cream
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Grape Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 cups half and half
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup grape juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Purple food coloring optional
- 1 cup grape jelly divided
Instructions
- Freeze your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and egg yolks until well combined and pale yellow.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the half and half over medium heat until it begins to steam and bubble around the edges.
- Slowly pour the hot half and half into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
- Pour the ice cream base back into the saucepan and return it to medium heat. Cook the custard base, stirring constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon– about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl to remove any clumps of egg.
- Stir in the grape juice, vanilla extract, and purple food coloring, if using.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until very cold.
- Once the custard base has chilled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker with ½ cup of the grape jelly. Churn to a soft serve consistency– about 15 minutes.
- Transfer half of the ice cream to a loaf pan and drop dollops of grape jelly onto the top. Swirl the jelly into the ice cream with a spatula or butter knife. Pour the remaining ice cream on top and dollop on any remaining grape jelly, swirling it in again.
- Wrap the loaf pan tightly with plastic and place it in the freezer until firm and set– at least 4 hours. Scoop and enjoy.
