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closeup of blueberry ice cream being served with a metal ice cream scoop.

Blueberry Ice Cream

Ice Cream From Scratch
Creamy homemade Blueberry Ice Cream is bursting with summer blueberry flavor and is the most beautiful shade of purple! Churn this ice cream using either fresh or frozen berries.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling/Freezing Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Course Ice Cream Recipes
Cuisine Dessert
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 428 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz. blueberries roughly 2 cups
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar divided
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon 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. In a saucepan, add the blueberries, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice. 
  • Let heat over medium heat, until the blueberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 6-8 minutes. Mash with a wooden spoon. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 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 ½ cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined. 
  • Then, add the strained blueberries and 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 25 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

  • Fresh blueberries work best in this recipe, but frozen berries can be used. If you choose to use frozen blueberries, omit the water from the recipe, since frozen berries have more water in them.
  • For a smoother consistency, use a blender or food processor to puree the cooked blueberries, then strain out the pulp.
Keyword blueberry ice cream, blueberry ice cream recipe