Pineapple Ice Cream
Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream is a delicious blend of creamy, sweet, and tart flavors.
This ice cream recipe is made with simple ingredients, and traditionally churned using an ice cream maker.
The sweet, tangy pineapple flavor is tropical and perfect for hot summer days and for learning how to make ice cream.
Both canned or fresh pineapple can be used in pineapple ice cream, making these ingredients easy to find any time. Next up, make a pineapple milkshake.
Looking for more ice cream recipes? Readers are loving this Raspberry Ice Cream. Try our Marshmallow Ice Cream next. Melon ice cream is also refreshing and fruity.
PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM RECIPE
Pineapple ice cream is made in the traditional French way, using egg yolks, sugar and cream to create a smooth, creamy custard base.
If you’re looking for a recipe that doesn’t use eggs, try my Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream.
There are many different ways to make homemade ice cream- with eggs or without eggs, churned or no-churn.
This pineapple ice cream recipe uses eggs and an ice cream maker to create a rich, creamy ice cream that is well worth the few extra steps needed to make it. It’s incredible with a scoop of blackberry ice cream.
PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM INGREDIENTS
Egg Yolks – Use large eggs. We will be cooking the yolks to temper them, but if you have any concern about that, feel free to use pasteurized eggs.
Granulated Sugar – Sugar adds the right amount of sweetness to this creamy pineapple ice cream recipe.
Whole Milk – A mixture of both whole milk and heavy cream makes this ice cream super creamy.
Heavy Cream – We use a ratio of half milk, half cream to get the perfect texture and creaminess.
Vanilla Extract – Vanilla adds flavor that complements the pineapple.
Pineapple – You have options here. You can either use crushed pineapple from a can, or fresh pineapple that is very finely chopped. If using canned, be sure to drain it very well.
If you have any questions about making pineapple ice cream, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you.
HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
- Add the milk into 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.
- Add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Heat the saucepan on low, stirring constantly, until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any of the pieces of egg that may have cooked. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover the ice cream base with plastic wrap, making sure to have the wrap touching the surface. Chill for at least 3 hours.
- 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.
- In the last two minutes, add the pineapple and churn until it is 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 and freeze until solid.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes.
For the complete list of ingredients and instructions in this pineapple ice cream, please see the recipe below.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM
Store this pineapple ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container (we really like these reusable ice cream containers) with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed on top for up to on month.
TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE PINEAPPLE 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 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.
Pineapple – You can use either canned pineapple or fresh pineapple to make this homemade pineapple ice cream. Make sure to drain your canned pineapple well so that you don’t add too much pineapple juice to the mix.
NO CHURN PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM
To make no churn pineapple ice cream, 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.
CANNED OR FRESH PINEAPPLE IN PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM?
For canned pineapple, choose either crushed pineapple or use larger pieces of canned pineapple, but cut them into a small dice.
If you use pineapple pieces that are too large, the ratio to pineapple and ice cream will be off.
If using fresh pineapple to make pineapple ice cream, chop it very finely to resemble crushed pineapple. Make sure that your pineapple is ripe before cutting it up to use in ice cream.
A ripe pineapple is golden brown on the outside.
More Fruity Ice Cream Recipes:
If you don’t see an ice cream flavor you are looking for, use the search box at the top.
Some of our favorite things for making ice cream:
- Cuisinart 2QT Ice Cream Maker – Works with ice cream, sorbets, and frozen yogurt.
- 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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Pineapple Ice Cream
Equipment
- Set of 2 Reusable Ice Cream Tub Containers For Homemade Ice Cream 1.6 Quart
- Cusinart ICE-70P1 2-Quart Cool Creations Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Gelato and Sorbet Maker, LCD Screen with Countdown Timer, Makes Frozen Treats in 20-Minutes or Less, Stainless Steel
- KitchenAid KO117OHAQA Gourmet Ice Cream Scoop, One Size, Matte Aqua Sky
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups canned crushed pineapple or finely chopped fresh pineapple
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.
- 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 your 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 the chopped pineapple 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
- We used canned pineapple in this recipe so you can make this tasty ice cream all year long. However, you can also use fresh pineapple. Just chop it up finely so there are not too large of chunks in your ice cream.
- Be sure to drain your canned pineapple. It’s okay to have some juice in the ice cream but you don’t want to add too much otherwise you will have an icy consistency.
- If you use canned pineapple, you can use pineapple chunks and then cut them up into smaller pieces. Do not use too large of pineapple pieces otherwise the ratio of ice cream to pineapple in each bite will be off. You can also use crushed pineapple if you would like a more overall pineapple flavor in your ice cream.
More pineapple recipes.
Hi I can’t see where you mention the quart size of your ice cream maker??
I use a 2 QT 🙂
Just made this pineapple ice cream. Absolutely delicious and so creamy! I’m so glad I tripped on this recipe. Will definitely be making this again! 10 stars!!
Hi Cary,
We’re so glad you loved it. Thank you so much for taking the time to stop back by and let us know.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
Do you need to cook the fresh pineapple to deactivate the enzyme that reacts with and breaks down dairy protein? Thanks!
Because were adding it in at the end of the churning cycle, the fresh pineapple starts to freeze on the edges and it doesn’t have much time to break down the dairy. You can also use canned pineapple (drained) which has already been heated during the canning process.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
I have seen other recipes that puree the fresh pineapple. I do t like icy pieces of fruit in my ice cream. Would that work? And if so should I put it in at the end of at the beginning? Would I need to heat it first?
Hi Connie,
You can add it in at the end of the churning. Just note that the liquid amount may change the texture of the ice cream.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
Can I leave the mixture in the fridge over night? (Directions say at least 3 hours).
Yes, you can leave it in the fridge overnight.
The Ice Cream from Scratch Team