Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream – Super Simple Recipe!
With only five ingredients, this homemade strawberry ice cream recipe is super simple and so delicious! Bursting with real strawberry flavor without any artificial ingredients found in the store-bought version – your family will love this special treat!
We’ve had a bit of a false spring lately. The sun is out, the weather is warm and beautiful…almost hot compared to the chilly winter days we’ve been so accustomed to. It’s not quite berry season yet, but all this sunny weather has me craving two of my favorite treats…fresh strawberries and ice cream!
Why Make Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream?
I haven’t bought ice cream at the grocery store in a very long time. The ingredients list on most grocery store ice cream is frightening – thickeners, artificial flavors and sweeteners…yikes! Have you ever noticed that store-bought ice cream can get really soft without melting? It almost defies the laws of physics!
So, I started making my own ice cream. And let me tell you, it’s WAY better! However, I usually just stick to the basics – vanilla and chocolate. So making strawberry ice cream from scratch was a bit of an experiment for me!
I wanted to make sure there was plenty of strawberry flavor, and some chunks and bits of strawberry as well. I have to say, I think this recipe hits the mark!
What I Love About This Recipe
As I mentioned above, it’s not quite strawberry season yet, so I had to get creative with sourcing strawberries for this recipe. I ended up using organic frozen strawberries, which I’m so glad I did because that means this ice cream can be made year-round!
I don’t know about you, but I feel so much better about having a sweet treat when I know exactly what’s in it. All the ingredients in this recipe are ones that you’re (most likely) totally familiar with. No artificial anything, no words you can’t pronounce, no thickeners or gums.
Another great thing about this recipe is how easy it is! The prep work takes maybe ten minutes – most of the work is done by your ice cream maker and freezer.
In fact, I’ve found that most from-scratch recipes are really quite simple! From sourdough to dinner ideas, find all of my from-scratch recipes here.
Tips for Making Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Every ice cream maker operates a little differently, so make sure you’re familiar with the manufacturer’s directions for your ice cream maker before starting this recipe.
Keep all ingredients cold – don’t let anything sit out too long. Same goes for the cold insert on the ice cream maker; keep it in the freezer until ready to use.
I like to put the bowl I’m going to store the ice cream in in the freezer while I’m making the ice cream. It helps prevent the ice cream from melting too much as you transfer it from the ice cream maker to the bowl.
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Tools for Making Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Mixing bowl and spoon
Rubber spatula
Blender – highly recommend the Ninja blender
Ice Cream Maker – I love my KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment
Ingredients for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Heavy cream – some creams have added thickeners, so if you’re trying to avoid these types of additives, make sure you check the ingredient label on your cream.
Half and Half
Frozen strawberries
Sugar
Vanilla extract
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Strawberry Ice Cream
First, mix the heavy cream, half and half, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl.
Measure the frozen strawberries into the blender and pulse several times until reaching desired consistency. If you prefer a more pureed consistency, you can add a few tablespoons of water to the blender.
Once the strawberries are blended, add them to your cream mixture and stir.
Place mixture in the ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions.
Serve immediately as a soft-serve type ice cream, or freeze in an airtight container.
FAQ
Can I make this recipe with fresh strawberries?
While I have not tried fresh strawberries in this recipe yet, I’m sure you can! I wouldn’t throw all the berries in the blender though. Maybe just a cup of pureed strawberry, and two cups of chopped strawberries. I like a bit of chunky texture in my strawberry ice cream!
Do I have to use a blender?
A blender makes this process super simple! But you can chop and mash strawberries by hand if you don’t have a blender.
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream – Super Simple Recipe!
10-12
servings10
minutes20
minutesWith only five ingredients, this homemade strawberry ice cream recipe is super simple and so delicious! Bursting with real strawberry flavor without any artificial ingredients found in the store-bought version – your family will love this special treat!
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups frozen whole strawberries
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together heavy cream, half and half, vanilla extract and sugar.
- Add frozen strawberries to blender. Pulse several times until reaching desired consistency. For a more pureed consistency, add a few tablespoons of water to the blender before pulsing.
- Mix blended strawberries into cream mixture.
- Add mixture to ice cream maker. Process according to manufacturer’s directions.
- For soft serve ice cream, serve immediately. Or, store in airtight container in the freezer.
Notes
- Keep all ingredients cold – don’t let anything sit out too long. Same goes for the cold insert on the ice cream maker; keep it in the freezer until ready to use.
- Place the bowl or container you are going to store the ice cream in in the freezer while making the ice cream. This will help prevent the ice cream from melting when transferring from the ice cream maker to the container.
