Strawberry Ice Cream
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is by far my favorite way to eat strawberries!
One of the big 3 ice cream flavors, strawberry ice cream is a classic standard, that we are going to make gourmet using a French style ice cream base studded with fresh juicy berries.
This recipe is naturally gluten free and nut free, and it’s perfect in a traditional Banana Split.
Strawberry Ice Cream is the third most favorite ice cream flavor after vanilla ice cream and chocolate ice cream. You will certainly find strawberry ice cream on the menu at your favorite ice cream stand. It’s a familiar constant that everyone enjoys.
We love making strawberry ice cream, and this Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is one of our favorites. We also love using it to make a Strawberry Milkshake.
For a dairy free strawberry experience, make this Strawberry Sorbet. If you’d prefer to make strawberry ice cream without eggs, try this recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream.
Or, enjoy this strawberry ice cream as a Strawberry Banana Milkshake instead. Don’t forget the whipped cream!
Why You’re Going to Love This Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
Fresh, ripe strawberries will make this the best strawberry ice cream you’ve ever tasted. The absolute best flavor will come from in-season local berries. If you can go strawberry picking where you live, plan to make this ice cream with those.
Strawberry is a favorite flavor. One of the top three most favorite ice cream flavors, strawberry ice cream is one of the best. Everyone will be excited when you make this recipe.
No Junk Ingredients. Homemade ice cream is made with ingredients that you can see and pronounce. This ice cream recipe has no preservatives, chemical additives, or artificial colors. They aren’t needed!
Simple Step by Step Instructions. French style ice cream can seem intimidating, but I promise it’s not difficult. I’ll guide you through each step so that you are successful at making a delicious homemade strawberry ice cream with eggs.
Pretty Pink Color – I don’t know exactly why, but pink ice cream is an extra special treat! Peppermint Ice Cream and Bubblegum Ice Cream have this same effect. In strawberry ice cream, we don’t need any food coloring to get this beautiful color.
Ingredients in Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberries – Fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and cut in half are our main flavor ingredient. We will mix them with sugar and macerate them to pull out all of their juices.
Granulated Sugar – For sweetness and amazing ice cream texture, plain, white, granulated sugar is the perfect choice.
Lemon Juice – When making ice cream with berries, a bit of lemon juice amplifies the flavor in the best way.
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.
Whole Milk – Milk is cooked with the egg yolks and sugar to create our custard base.
Kosher Salt – Just a bit of salt balances the sweetness and makes everything taste a bit brighter.
Heavy Cream – Making strawberry ice cream with both heavy cream and whole milk is what gives us the perfect creamy texture.
Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is a must for almost all of our ice cream recipes. It elevates the simple flavors of milk, sugar, and cream.
Full recipe measurements and detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
How to know if strawberries are ripe
Perfectly ripe strawberries should be bright to dark red and you should be able to smell their delicious aroma from across the room. In season, look for fresh berries at the farmer’s market.
You can make strawberry ice cream with off-season grocery store strawberries, just choose them carefully to make sure they are flavorful.
Have an abundance of fresh ripe strawberries? Make this ice cream, then use the rest to make a Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake, or a strawberry party punch.
How To Make Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
- Add the strawberries, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and lemon juice to a medium bowl and mix to combine.
- Let the strawberries site for 15-20 minutes to let their natural juices release. Once juicy, mash the strawberries with a fork or potato masher until no large chunks remain.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining granulated sugar until pale yellow in color and smooth. Add the milk to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and them remove it from the heat, being sure not to boil.
- Add 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture, and whisk constantly until combined. This process tempers the eggs so they are closer in temperature to the milk.
- 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 extract, then the strawberry puree, and stir to combine. Chill the ice cream base for at least three hours. Be sure to cover your ice cream base with plastic wrap, being sure that the plastic touches the surface of the ice cream before putting it in the fridge.
- Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine, according to your manufacturers instructions until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Mine takes about 20 minutes.
- Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or loaf pan. Press plastic wrap of wax paper to the surface of the ice cream and freeze for at least four hours, or until solid. To serve, let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to soften a bit.
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 Strawberry Ice Cream
Store your strawberry ice cream in the freezer in an airtight container (we really like these reusable ice cream containers) with a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper pressed on top to keep ice crystals from forming. Homemade ice cream will stay fresh in the freezer for up to one month.
Tips for making this Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
Strawberry ice cream is pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are some tips to make sure you get perfect ice cream every time.
Use quality ingredients – When making homemade ice cream, you’ll want to make sure you are using high-quality ingredients for the best outcome.
Fresh Strawberries are best – But if you can’t get fresh strawberries, or the berries at the store are not the best right now, use frozen berries instead. Allow them to thaw, drain away most of the liquid and then macerate in sugar and lemon as instructed.
Avoid large chunks – Any large pieces of strawberry in the ice cream will get very hard and icy. This can be difficult to eat, so I suggest making sure that the berries are well mashed.
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 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 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 Strawberry Ice Cream Directions
No ice cream machine? No problem! Strawberry ice cream is simple to make without an ice cream maker.
Chill a shallow container or loaf pan in the freezer while you mix the ice cream ingredients as directed in the recipe to create the strawberry ice cream base.
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 two hours to help add air. This will help to create a creamy, smooth texture.
Strawberry Ice Cream Add-Ins
I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to strawberry ice cream. I honestly don’t think that this recipe needs anything else! That said, I’d love it if you showed me that I’m wrong.
- Try adding crumbled vanilla flavored cookies or cake to add texture.
- Chocolate pieces would create a chocolate covered strawberry effect in your ice cream.
- White chocolate pieces could also be really good, adding more sweet creaminess.
- Instead of adding things to the ice cream, add the strawberry ice cream to some homemade cookies and make strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Why is my strawberry ice cream icy?
To avoid icy strawberry ice cream, pay attention to your berries.
First, be sure not to adjust anything in the macerating step. It’s important to add enough sugar to the berries, and to let them sit for at least 20 minutes. Macerating replaces the juices inside the berries with sugar, so that they will stay soft in the ice cream.
Second, don’t leave any large pieces of strawberry in the ice cream. Smaller pieces may still get icy, but that iciness won’t be so bothersome.
Are the strawberries in strawberry ice cream cooked?
While I have seen recipes for strawberry ice cream that called for cooking the berries down into sort of a jam, I don’t like to make ice cream that way. Cooking the berries takes away their fresh, bright flavor. Keeping the berries fresh is best.
Why do I need to let the ice cream soften before scooping?
Commercially made ice creams contain preservatives that allow them to be softer when frozen. Since our homemade ice cream doesn’t include any unnatural ingredients, it will freeze hard. Just a few minutes at room temperature will make it soft enough to scoop though.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
We have so many amazing ice cream recipes for you to make! Start with these:
- Avocado Ice Cream is similar to strawberry ice cream, but with avocados.
- Banana Pudding Ice Cream is just like your favorite no-bake pudding dessert.
- Birthday Cake Ice Cream is a perfect treat for a special day or anytime you feel like celebrating.
- Need some chocolate? Make Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream or a simple No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream
- Peach Ice Cream is also a fun, fruity, and delicious ice cream.
These are our Favorite Ice Cream Making Tools:
- 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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Did you make this homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe? Leave a comment below letting us know what you thought and if you added any additional add-ins!
Strawberry 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
- 2 cups strawberries hulled and halved
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 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 strawberries, ¼ cup of the granulated sugar, and lemon juice to a medium bowl. Mix to combine.
- Let the strawberries sit for 15-20 minutes to let their natural juices release. Once juicy, mash the strawberries with a fork or potato masher until no large chunks remain.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining ½ cup of 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.
- Add in the strawberry puree and stir until incorporated.
- 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.
- 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
- This is a traditional, or french-style, ice cream which is made with a custard base that contains eggs.
- For best results, start with chilled ingredients and tools.
- Don't make adjustments to the amounts of types of sugar or dairy products. The success of this creamy ice cream depends on lots of sugar and high-fat dairy.
- You can also use frozen strawberries in this recipe. Just let the strawberries thaw before macerating with sugar.
- If you prefer a smoother strawberry ice cream with no chunks, you can blend your macerated strawberries in a food processor until smooth and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. If mashing with a fork, be sure the chunks of strawberry are small to avoid icy spots in the ice cream.
- Choose the freshest strawberries you can find. Making strawberry ice cream is especially delicious with fresh, locally picked strawberries.
- Chopped chocolate or other add-ins can be added to the ice cream maker during the last two minutes of churning.
Hi,
Can you use crushed frozen strawberries in this recipe??
Yes, you can used crushed frozen strawberries. You’ll want to let them thaw first. If there is a lot of juice, you may want to remove some of the juice before you add them to the ice cream base.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
I have been reading about ice cream stabilizers to improve and maintain the quality of homemade ice cream but do not know if those stabilizers are part and parcel if eggs are included in the recipe. Are the eggs added for stabilization, or for a different reason?
Egg yolks do help stabilize, but they are also there to add additional fat so that the ice cream is creamier for certain ice creams, like fruit ice creams, because the fruit adds some water content.
The Four Score Living Team
My ice cream did not thicken at all in the churner … followed recipe to the .. any ideas what I may have done wrong
Hi Kellie,
It sounds like your ice cream bowl wasn’t frozen solid before you started. You can save the ice cream mixture, refreeze the bowl for 24+ hours, and then follow the manufacturers instructions for how long to churn it.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
I have made ice cream with f fruit in it before and the fruit is a little icey. Will that happen with this recipe?
It shouldn’t be icy 🙂
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team