Ice Cream Recipe

ByChrystal Posted on
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We love to share easy-to-make homemade ice cream recipes, tips on making ice cream, and all the amazing and fun things you might want for making ice cream recipes.

If you’re looking for an ice cream recipe you’ve come to the right place. All of our recipes are homemade, and all of them are simple to make.

Ice Cream is fun and there are so many flavor options. Here’s our list of best ice cream recipes. We’ll keep adding more as we share them.

a glass loaf pan with handles, filled with black walnut ice cream. Three scoops have been made with a yellow handled metal ice cream scoop. Around the dish are sugar cones and chopped nuts.

Homemade Ice Cream

First off, for a frozen treat to be qualified as ice cream, the mixture used to make the ice cream must be no less than 10% milkfat. The higher the fat, the creamier the texture.

There are several types of ice cream but we’re going to cover the ones we use to make homemade ice cream.

Custard Based – Traditionally, many ice cream recipes begin with an egg custard. Custard based ice cream uses a combination of milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, and is first cooked then frozen.

Philadelphia Style – Philadelphia style ice cream is simply ice cream made without eggs. It can be made in an ice cream maker, or without, using a few simple steps.

No-churn using sweetened condensed milk – You can also make a Philadelphia style ice cream using sweetened condensed milk in place of the sugar and some of the milk fat. This is one of the simplest ways to make ice cream and it’s perfect for when you want to switch up flavors with add-ins.

Soft Serve Ice Cream – Soft serve ice cream is a style of ice cream where air is introduced during freezing, making it softer than traditional churned ice cream. It usually has less milk fat and it’s stored at a higher temperature than ice cream.

Sorbet – Again, it’s not ice cream but we want to include it. Sorbet is frozen treat that contains little to no dairy (depending on the sorbet). Although it’s not considered an ice cream because it doesn’t have any milk-fat, it is a delicious frozen treat and it’s a great option for those that can’t have dairy. Because it is made by using frozen fruits, sugar and water (also called sweetened water), it’s light in texture.

a sugar cone with a scoop of melon ice cream, propped up in a glass in front of another melon ice cream cone in another glass. A wedge of orange cantaloupe is in the background

Easy Ice Cream Recipes

Here’s a collection of our favorite ice cream recipes:

To start off our list of favorite ice cream recipes, we’re sharing this homemade Black Walnut Ice Cream. It’s a rich, creamy, French-style churned ice cream featuring the bold, nutty flavor of a special ingredient, wild black walnuts, but you can use regular walnuts if you like.

Next up on our list of favorite ice cream recipes is Pistachio Ice Cream. It’s a traditional ice cream flavor that comes with lots of nostalgia. This ice cream is made with a creamy custard base, chopped nuts, and has the perfect amount of sweetness.

This traditionally churned, Toasted Almond Ice cream recipe features a rich, creamy base flavored with toasted almonds, and a crunchy texture from even more toasted almonds. It’s one of our favorite homemade ice cream recipes.

And speaking of favorite ice cream recipes, Mississippi Mud Ice Cream holds all of the deliciousness you’d expect from a Mississippi Mud pie, including cookies, chocolate, coffee, and cream.

Delicious and seasonal, Pumpkin Pie Ice cream is a traditional, French-style, churned ice cream recipe that’s perfect for fall so we couldn’t leave it out of our list of favorite homemade ice cream recipes. Creamy, silky, pumpkin pie ice cream is swirled with crisp gingersnap cookies to make this recipe extra special.

pistachio ice cream being scooped with a silver ice cream scooper.

More Ice Cream Recipes

Melon Ice Cream – A flavor that you aren’t likely to find in a grocery store, Melon Ice cream is a fruity, fresh, and delicious gourmet ice cream flavor that you can make at home.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream – Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream is a favorite seasonal treat! Make your own pumpkin spice ice cream easily, in your ice cream maker, whenever you’re in the mood for it.

Black Raspberry Ice Cream – Black raspberry ice cream is a sweet, fruity ice cream flavor that so many people love. This French style churned ice cream recipe uses an egg custard base to create a rich, creamy, delicious black raspberry treat.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream – Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream is a favorite seasonal treat! Make your own pumpkin spice ice cream easily, in your ice cream maker, whenever you’re in the mood for it.

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream – Of all the strawberry shortcake ice cream recipes we tested, this one is the absolute best! This Philadelphia style churned Strawberry Shortcake ice cream is creamy and sweet with the perfect amount of crunchy cookie add-ins.

Strawberry shortcake ice cream garnished with fresh strawberries in a glass ice cream dish. In the background is a cone of strawberry ice cream and a bowl of strawberries.

Banoffee Pie Ice Cream – The perfect flavors of sweet bananas and buttery toffee combined to create Banoffee pie ice cream.

French Silk Ice Cream – A rich chocolate ice cream with a French style custard base is swirled with a fluffy vanilla mousse to create this delicious homemade French silk ice cream This French silk ice cream is naturally gluten-free and nut-free.

Java Chip Ice Cream – Fresh espresso and dark chocolate chunks flavor this Java Chip Ice Cream recipe. This is a Philadelphia style, churned ice cream that is creamy, rich, sweet, and just like an ice cream version of your favorite coffee shop treat.

Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream – Fresh, homemade and simple to make, this cherry vanilla ice cream is creamy, sweet, and perfectly with the addition of cherries. Tested to ensure perfection, you’ll love making sundaes or cones with this sweet treat.

Sprinkles Ice Cream – This Sprinkles Ice Cream is a Philadelphia style, churned ice cream. This means that it requires no eggs and no cooking, and is super creamy and delicious.

a silver ice cream scoop scooping into vanilla ice cream with sprinkles.

Marshmallow Ice Cream – Marshmallow Ice Cream is a traditional French-style churned ice cream with a creamy custard base packed with warm vanilla flavor and toasted mini marshmallows.

Sweet Cream Ice Cream – Sweet Cream Ice Cream is a delicious and simple Philadelphia style churned ice cream that you can make at home with four simple ingredients.

No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream – An easy recipe for smooth, creamy vanilla ice cream. This recipe is perfect with add-ins.

No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream – No Churn Chocolate Ice cream is cool, creamy, chocolatey, and a perfect way to relax on a hot day. You can make this chocolate ice cream recipe without an ice cream maker or any special equipment.

Homemade Cookies and Cream Ice Cream – Easy no churn cookies and cream ice cream recipe! This homemade cookies and cream ice cream recipe uses 4 simple ingredients and it’s super creamy and dreamy.

If you have any questions about these ice cream recipes, please leave a comment below.

a white loaf pan filled with mississippi mud ice cream, being scooped with a yellow and metal ice cream scoop.

HOW TO MAKE ICE CREAM IN AN ICE CREAM MAKER?

Because ice cream makers can vary from model to model, it’s best to follow the manufacturer’s directions when making ice cream in an ice cream maker.

NO-CHURN ICE CREAM

If you don’t have an ice cream maker or you want a quick no-churn ice cream you really only need a shallow dish or loaf pan, a couple of mixing bowls, and a good ice cream scoop.

Here are some of our favorites:

  • Glass Mixing Bowls – We love using these glass mixing bowls, but you can use what you like.
  • 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 Bowls – You can use any bowl, but we think these are fun.
  • Ice Cream Containers – We love keeping a couple of ice cream containers on hand for when we make homemade ice cream.

Note: Each of these links will take you to the exact product on Amazon. As an Amazon associate, I earn a little from each qualifying purchase.

three scoops of purple, black raspberry ice cream in a scalloped glass ice cream dish with black raspberries for garnish.

HOW LONG DOES ICE CREAM LAST?

Unopened store bought ice cream lasts 2-3 months. Homemade ice cream recipes stays good for 2-3 weeks, depending on the ice cream flavor.

When in doubt, if it looks bad or icy, throw it out.

HOW BIG IS A PINT OF ICE CREAM?

There are approximately 16 fluid ounces in a pint of ice cream, which is about 2 cups. I prefer to use the volume measurements vs. weight measurements when I’m measuring a pint of ice cream.

It drives us batty when ice cream shops post prices for a pint, which is a volume measurement, but weigh the ice cream on a scale as if it’s a weight measurement.

Volume and weight are different! Rant over.

HOW DO I SCOOP HARD ICE CREAM?

There are a couple of methods for scooping hard ice cream. First, you can allow the ice cream to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before scooping. You can also use a heated ice cream scooper. We prefer to set a metal ice cream scooper in hot water for 5 minutes, dry the ice cream scoop, and use it to scoop ice cream.

What’s your favorite ice cream recipe? Let us know in the comments below.

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close up of cookies and cream ice cream in a pan with a scooper

Ice Cream Recipes: Homemade Ice Cream Base

Ice Cream From Scratch
Ice cream base for many homemade ice cream recipes. We like to use this ice cream recipe as a base, and add our favorite add-ins to mix up the flavors.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Course Ice Cream Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 363 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Chill the Cuisinart ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours or until solid. You should not hear any water sloshing around when you shake the bowl.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
  • 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 ½ 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.
  • Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to the Cuisinart manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
  • In the last two minutes, add your add-ins and flavors, and churn until they are evenly distributed.
  • 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

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 milks and creams 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 small pieces.
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 in ice cream.
Keyword homemade ice cream recipe, homemade ice cream recipes, ice cream recipe, ice cream recipes

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Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

Don’t forget to check out our post on all things homemade ice cream.

I believe you can make amazing ice cream recipes at home using only a handful of ingredients, and minimal steps. I’m here to share my tried-and-true ice cream recipes with you!

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4 Comments

  1. Hi,
    I have a 2 quart freezer and I need the recipe for the cheesecake ice cream. I also have the 1.5 quart freezer, the recipe for that size is in the book, but not for the 2 quart one.

    Reply

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