Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Loaded with fresh strawberries, this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is an easy and delicious summer dessert!
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Strawberry Ice Cream is a classic. Sure, it’s not vanilla or chocolate…but it’s still a classic. I mean, it even has a spot in the Neapolitan lineup right alongside its two heavyweight friends. So why is strawberry ice cream so difficult to find? It usually takes me a bit of rummaging around in the ice cream bins at the store to find strawberry. Of course, I can always do the Neapolitan threesome–but sometimes I just want all strawberry. I don’t want to eat around the other two flavors. (I have issues with mixing my ice cream flavors. I was a strange kid.) I just want a bowl of plain strawberry ice cream, darn it!
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Homemade Strawberry Ice CreamNow that the weather has finally turned warm again, I’ve been craving ice cream like no other. (To be fair, I crave ice cream year-round. The warmer weather just gives me the excuse I need.) Warmer weather also means planting the garden, and I couldn’t be happier about this. However, strawberries are one item that won’t be in our garden this year.
Strawberries actually grow pretty well here in upstate New York. I know this from experience. Sadly, the chipmunks know this, too. After several years of constructing a virtual Fort Knox around our strawberry bed, we pulled out all of our strawberry plants last year. You happy now, Chip and Dale? You win. But the joke is on you since now we grow arugula and jalapenos in that old strawberry bed. Have fun chowing down on those, little guys.
Thanks to Chip and Dale, I had to buy the strawberries for this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream from the grocery store. They were a little on the tart side, but that actually led to a delicious ice cream. Instead of an overwhelmingly sweet dessert, this version is perfect. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, then may I suggest that you go out and get one. Today. They aren’t terribly expensive, and you’ll be able to use it to create amazing frozen treats all summer long…starting with this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream! Enjoy!
Did you make this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 cups strawberries hulled and sliced
- 2/3 cup sugar divided (see note)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Using a food processor or mini-chopper, add the strawberries, 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon juice. Process until strawberries are mostly chopped, but a few larger pieces remain. Set mixture aside.
- Using a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it just begins to simmer. (Tip: Do not let milk boil.)
- Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, salt and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually pour half of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking vigorously the entire time.
- Transfer the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon (5-6 minutes).
- Remove mixture from the heat and stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Stir the strawberry mixture into the bowl until well combined.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly to the surface of the mixture. Refrigerate overnight.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. (If you prefer a harder ice cream, just freeze the ice cream for several hours before serving.)
Notes
Looking for more tasty ice cream recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Honey Ice Cream with Roasted Figs
Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Malted Milk Ice Cream
Coffee Ice Cream
Strawberry ice cream IS weirdly hard to find, isn’t it? Plus, when it comes to fruity flavors, I much prefer homemade to store bought because it tastes fresher. Love this!
That’s a really good point, Medha! Fruity ice cream flavors do always taste better when you make them at home. It’s kinda cool to make strawberry ice cream with nothing but fresh ingredients. 🙂 Plus, ice cream in the summer is the best!!
Haha – poor Chip and Dale – they sure are in for a burn if they return to their old chomping grounds! I adore strawberry ice cream that isn’t too sweet – as well as not too filled with lactose – but, coconut milk would be a good sub for heavy cream! Happy Friday David!
You know, I kinda felt bad for ole Chip and Dale…they are just so darned cute. But they are serious pigs…especially when it comes to my strawberries. They were eating those things while they were still green. The berries didn’t stand a chance. Coconut milk would be an excellent sub for the cream here, Shashi…you should make it and let me know how it is! 🙂
I always thought that I hated strawberry ice cream, because it tasted so artificial and then I tried making my own and WOW. Such a difference. It is one of our favourites now.
I totally agree, Dannii! It’s amazing how different ice cream tastes when you make it at home. It’s insanely awesome…and it’s one of our favorites, too!
I think we should hunt those chipmunks down. We’ll show those rodents not to mess with the wolfpack!
Afterwards we can enjoy a serving (or two) of this awesome ice-cream. You down?
#WolfpackHunt
Absolutely! I think this would be an excellent use of Wolfpack resources. Plus, anything that involves ice cream at the end is a win in my book. Let’s get all Lord of the Flies on those chipmunks!
Oh sorry, David for your strawberries, but, on the other hand, chipmunks are so cute:) We’ve got a lot of hyperactive squirrels in our garden. Last year not only did they eat or dig out some plants, but also gnawed a small area of our wooden balcony – I guess they were looking for a nut I might have lost while taking the pictures:) We love ice cream all year round too, and we don’t need any excuse. Summer is a good one, though. Even though we don’t like strawberry ice cream that much (at least we’ll never buy it), this one looks amazing. I think, I’ve never made the simple version – but I did incorporate rhubarb, basil, and cream cheese to strawberries, and those kinds turned great. Indeed, I’ve seen recently a lovely idea of strawberry and pink peppercorn ice cream which sounds great to me as well. Well…I’ve got to start my ice cream season off:) Have a nice weekend!
Yes! I am all about ice cream season…which really is all year long in our house. It’s just fruity flavors in the summer and deeper, comforting flavors in the winter. We have a few squirrels around here, too. I suspect it was the squirrels who ate the apples off our apple tree last Fall. But it’s the chipmunks who are the worst! Who knew that such cute little creatures could be such a pain in the butt when it comes to gardening. Well, the joke is on them with the arugula that now grows in place of the strawberries!
We just busted our ice cream maker out of the attic last weekend. We made peanut butter ice cream which is my favorite. Your strawberry is so pretty and pink! I love it! Have fun with the jalapenos Chip and Dale!
Yeah, seriously. Maybe I’ll even slice up a fresh jalapeno or two to make it nice and easy for Chip and Dale. But peanut butter ice cream? Send a bowl of that deliciousness my direction please!!
Hahaha enjoy the jalapenos Chip and Dale! Suckers. Dude, this ice cream is looking pretty epic. I’m partial to mint chocolate chip as my “classic” go to order, but I’d be happy to sample this ice cream if you’re offering… #wolfpackshares?
Absolutely! I always share my ice cream with fellow Wolfpackers. Whats the point of being friends if you can’t steal ice cream from one another?? I’ll take a bowl of your mint chocolate chip, please. Thanks!
Hahahaha Funny thoughts on Chip and Dale chewing japalenos! Also, now I’m craving a scoop (or two) or strawberry ice cream! Yum!
Heck yeah, Olivia! Summer is the best time for fresh fruity ice creams. Of course, now I’ll have tons of jalapenos this year…so maybe some jalapeno ice cream later this summer?? (Just kidding…that sounds terrible. Haha!)
Haha Arugula is actually edible punishment for animals- I tried feeding our bird a bite of my salad once and it hated me for it. Okay I NEED an ice cream maker- Pretty sure it was one of your recipes last year which you told me the same thing- BUY ONE! Time to hunt craigslist 😉
PS- You never mixed ice cream as akid? I used to make ice cream soups lol with the neopolitan ones!
Oh man, ice cream soup! Now there’s an idea! I never really mixed ice cream flavors, but I did mix in cookies with my ice cream. Vanilla ice cream with crumbled Oreos stirred in is still one of my favorite comfort-food desserts! And yes, you totally need an ice cream machine. They aren’t that expensive last time I checked, and you will absolutely get your money’s worth out of it. Just save me a scoop!
I think you’ll find that arugula is a favorite of squirrels. Maybe just California squirrels. I think that they’re really after the water content (drought and all). Too bad the little buggers can’t get their paws on strawberry ice cream. They’d give up arugula for good. GREG
Haha! So far, the squirrels have stayed away from our arugula…but man, if I just trade chipmunks for squirrels in the garden menace department, then that would be sad! Good thing squirrels don’t have opposable thumbs so they can’t open my freezer and steal my ice cream. Haha!
Hi David! You read my mind again! I bought a pound of strawberries and cream yesterday! Now I just have to find my ice cream maker???? P.S. Your sense of humor and gift with words makes me smile! 🙂
Where in the heck is your ice cream maker, Dorothy! You better go pull it out of hiding and introduce it to your strawberries and cream! Plus, I swear that I am not stalking you through the grocery store and just posting recipes based on things in your cart. Haha! 🙂
Strawberry ice cream is one of my fav’s! And I’m totally loving your homemade recipe!! Pinned 🙂
Thank you so much, Christina! Summer just calls for bowls of fresh strawberry ice cream, right? 🙂
I am now so sad that I needed to leave my ice cream maker behind when I moved 🙁 I think I need to get a new one! This is totally a classic!
Oh noes! I hope that ice cream maker went to a nice place in ice cream heaven, Cathleen! But yes, I am totally behind getting a new ice cream maker. We had ours for a couple of years before I rediscovered it, and now I can’t stop making ice cream! 🙂
Wow, this sounds so good! Too bad the chipmunks won, but they don’t get to try this. Funny I just made a passion fruit no-churn and Matt’s post today is ice cream sandwiches? #WolfpackIceCreamShop
Yeah, the chipmunks might have won the battle for the berries outside…but I won the battle for the ice cream inside! I date them to come take that from my freezer! And yes…the Wolfpack must be in all-out ice cream mode now. Summer is here! 🙂
I love strawberry ice cream! I didn’t really like chocolate ice cream when I was younger so the neapolitan ice cream was the worst because chocolate was there getting in the way. LOL! I have only made butter pecan ice cream before so I will have to try making strawberry soon since they are in season now.
I totally agree, Tamara! Chocolate ice cream was not my favorite as a kid, either. I like it now, but I’m still partial to strawberry and vanilla! I’ve never made butter pecan ice cream, but I have totally been thinking about it lately. Time to hit the kitchen apparently! 🙂
Critters controlling my garden drive me NUTS! I hope they eat the jalapenos. 😉 (And clearly I need to get that ice cream maker this summer, don’t I?)
Yes! Get out there and grab an ice cream maker, Ninj…but only if you want to get addicted to homemade ice cream this summer. 😉
Perfect ice cream for this time of the year! Looks so good! I crave for ice cream all year long too!
Haha! Ice cream lovers unite, Manali! I am totally addicted to homemade ice cream. 🙂
Hi David. Glad to have read your recipe for home made ice cream. Needed a quixk suggestiion from your end . I have problems freezing nin vegetarian stuff , is there sn alternative for using eggs ?
Hey Hetal…that’s a great question! I typically make my ice creams using a custard base with egg yolks. But your comment makes me want to try something different next time. I can’t say I’ve tried these, but I checked a few of my favorite online sources and apparently you can use 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp of water to replace an egg yolk. You’d really want to mix this well before putting it into the ice cream, though…or else it would get lumpy. Another option (maybe?) would be to use fully pasteurized eggs. They’re a bit more expensive, but perhaps could work? I haven’t tried these ideas myself, so I can’t speak to them. But I’ll play around a bit next time I get a batch of ice cream going. If you come up with a good substitution on your end, will you let me know? Thanks for the question, and good luck! 🙂 P.S. Not all ice creams use eggs. Ice cream with cooked egg yolks is a French style of ice cream (very creamy), but other styles exist. Perhaps try a no-churn version instead? (Those usually don’t have eggs…)