My husband used to think he didn’t like strawberry ice cream, and come to find out it’s because he’d never had “real” strawberry ice cream before…only the bright pink stuff out of a box. But once I made him the real deal his mind was forever changed, and I promise you’ll be “won over” by this recipe as well. It’s honestly hard to beat the taste and consistency of fresh homemade ice cream no matter what flavor you make it. And with the high tech ice cream makers these days it’s fairly easy to make it at home yourself, and it doesn’t take long either … no cranks, ice or salt necessary. :) We have a Cuisinart ice cream maker and love it.
What do you plan to make with your fresh strawberries this season? Please feel free to share strawberry recipes/links in the comments below.
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
My husband used to think he didn’t like strawberry ice cream, and come to find out it’s because he’d never had “real” strawberry ice cream before…only the bright pink stuff out of a box. But once I made him the real deal his mind was forever changed, and I promise you’ll be “won over” by this recipe as well.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, organic recommended
- 3/4 cup milk, organic recommended
- 2 - 2 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup, depending on how sweet you like it...start with 2 and only add more if necessary
- 14 strawberries, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the cream, milk and maple syrup in a large glass measuring cup (with a pour spout).
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Remove the stems/leaves from the strawberries and crush them. I used our mini-chopper to mash them up and it worked great. A simple potato masher might do the trick as well.
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If you have a Cuisinart ice cream maker like us just turn on the machine and pour in both the cream/syrup mixture and the crushed strawberries. After about 15 - 20 minutes the ice cream will look really "thick" and ready when it's done. If you are using a different machine be sure to follow manufacturer directions for making your ice cream.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Do you know if this can be made in a Blendtec?
We’ve not tried that. This might help: http://www.blendtec.com/blog/9-ice-cream-recipes-make-in-blendtec/.
I made this using the cuisinart and put it in the freezer when it was done. It is hard as a rock! You can’t even get a spoon into it. Is this normal?
I had the same exact experience. It’s not about it being too frozen and needing to thaw, it’s that it’s now practically just ice. So even when it does thaw, it’s still crunchy like ice. I followed the recipe exactly. Bummed. :(
I usually have to let it soften a bit though rarely have enough left over to freeze. :)
Most ice cream recipes call for a 2 to 1 ratio of cream to milk, and that might be why you’re not finding this recipe to be “creamy”. Try tweaking the ratio & see if that helps. I make homemade ice cream almost daily in the summer, and I use more milk for lower fat options & more cream for a treat.
Adding xanthan gum [not much, maybe 1/2 tsp] makes it creamy [good for low fat soups, too] and no need for heavy cream…
I plowed ahead of the directions and just tossed it all into the blender. It came out like our smoothies do so its sitting in the freezer. 30min should give us a normal texture. I also made ours with a homemade heavy crea, bc I had none.
I apologize if this was asked before, as I didn’t read all 9 pages of comments. This was not creamy after freezing, instead hard and difficult to scoop. Any advice?
Add a tbsp of arrowroot powder when u make it and it with help it not be icy.
was wondering in I can make this in my vita mix any help will be appreciated. TY
Hi. Sorry, we’ve not tried this one in a blender. I know Vitamix offer specific guidance on their website, though.
Just ordered the ice cream maker! Can’t wait to try this recipe and the maple pecan! Has anyone tried to use frozen strawberries? Thaw them out first?
Hi Kim. You will need to thaw them. :)
I made this recipe with fresh strawberries last night and my husband loved it. My son didn’t but he doesn’t like strawberries. I’m going to try to add mango instead of strawberries next time. This is the 5th recipe of yours that I’ve tried and they have all been winners so far.
I bought an ice cream maker after seeing this recipe. Made it tonight. Amazing! My 6 year old son told me that he feels like he’s never had ice cream before it was so good. Thanks!
I made this yesterday in my Cuisinart, It seemed nice and creamy when it was made but I needed it for late that night at a party so I put it in an airtight bowl and the freezer. When it was time to eat it it was very icy not creamy at all. I’ve seen other people post the same problem. Is this something that has to be eaten right away or can it be frozen and eaten later?
Hi! You can definitely freeze it for later. :)
Thanks Amy,
Do you have any suggestions on how to keep it creamy or what I may have done wrong? I followed the recipe exactly. I would like to attempt it again since it was very easy but would like to be able to freeze it and enjoy later too!! :) Thanks for your help with this amazing site!!
I have found putting on 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder really helps keep the creamy texture. Try it. It really works!
Hi, wondering if you could swap out blueberries, and if anyone has about how many! Thanks!
Hi Betsie. We’ve not tried it but please let us know how it turns out if you do. :)
I tried this recipe with full fat milk and heavey whipping cream in cuisinart ice cream mmaker.I had to substitute honey instead of maple syrup. And after like 25 mins of churning , the ice cream didnt get thick. So i had to transfer it to air tight bowl and freeze it. It is not creamy , but just icy. :( What did i do wrong? (yes i did freeze the bowl overnight)
Hi there. I’ve had it turn out icy once, too. I began chilling all my ingredients, including the fruit, before adding it to the bowl and it seemed to do the trick. ~Amy
I have a cuisinart ice cream maker also. I’ve noticed that I always have to put the ice cream mixture in the freezer for at least 4 hours (overnight is best) THEN put the mixture into the frozen ice cream bowl. Then the ice cream will be thick and creamy.
If you put the mixture imediately into the cuisinart w/o this first step, your ice cream will not harden.
I can’t wait to try this recipes by the way. :)
Tried this recipe twice with fresh strawberries and low fat milk. Both times the taste was great and it was very creamy once the ice cream was done. But after freezing it, it turned out very icy. I use the kitchen aid ice cream maker. Bowl was in the freezer, and all ingredients were cold. Any ideas why is turning out icy? Thanks !
Hi Monica. Try a full fat milk. :)
I just got the ice cream machine for Mother’s Day and used this recipe exactly and it did not turn out at all….icy at best. The bowl was completely frozen. Anyone else have this happen? So disappointing because I was so excited.
I have seen people make smaller amounts of ice cream without a machine. I wonder if anyone’s tried this. You would put the mixture in a ziplock bag (I would recommend freezer or storage since the plastic is thicker). Then place that bag over into a larger ziplock bag. Put the ice cream salt in the larger bag with ice. Zip & shake till frozen. So I guess it would depend on how much the mixture ends up amounting to. It seems like it would fit. My family just doesn’t seem to be able to keep a good ice cream machine. Besides, some of them would require you to maybe double or tripple the recipe (depending on size of freezer). I can’t wait to try it!
Hello-I was wondering if you could use a Vitamix instead of an ice cream maker? Thanks!
Hi. We’ve not tried this recipe in a Vitamix. Let us know if you do. :)
This may be a silly question, but could I make this with almond milk? Dairy milk is no longer a staple in our home.
Hi Lisa. We have not tried. Let us know how it turns out if you do. :)