Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream ⋆ 100 Days of Real Food
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 simple recipe as well.
It’s honestly hard to beat the taste and consistency of fresh homemade ice cream no matter what flavor you make. And with the high-tech ice cream makers these days it’s fairly easy to make 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. Here’s how we made strawberry ice cream at home!
Easy Ice Cream Maker Recipe with Fresh Strawberries
Homemade ice cream is one of our favorite real food indulgences when we want to enjoy a sweet treat. You can easily make it at home with just a few ingredients and flavor it with fresh fruit and maple syrup.
This recipe can be enjoyed right away or frozen for later.
Ingredients and Supplies for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
- Strawberries: Fresh work best in this strawberry ice cream recipe. Make sure to mash them before starting.
- Maple syrup: We use pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar; you can also sweeten your homemade ice cream with honey instead.
- Milk and heavy cream: Use full-fat options for the best ice cream.
- Ice cream maker: I love how easy it is to make ice cream at home with ours!
Can I Make this Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe in a Vitamix?
This is the number one question we’re asked in the comments so I thought I’d add some info here! You should be able to make strawberry ice cream in a high-powered blender with the same ingredients and quantities as our ice cream maker recipe.
To Make this Recipe in a Vitamix or Blender:
- Use chilled ingredients. I find pre-freezing the cream in an ice cube tray the night before makes it best if you plan to eat your homemade ice cream right away.
- Place the milk, syrup, and cream into the blender, followed by the strawberries. Layering with liquid first is important so it blends properly.
- Blend on high pushing ingredients down with the tamper, then blend for an additional 30 seconds to churn the cream. Don’t overdo it or your ingredients will melt.
- Serve immediately or transfer to a freezer-safe container and chill.
Why is my Homemade Ice Cream Icy?
This is a common issue that happens when you make homemade ice cream, especially with an ice cream maker. If your homemade strawberry ice cream turned out too icy after freezing, here are a few things to try:
- Make sure you have enough fat. Ice cream gets its creamy texture from milk fat; it’s a must in this recipe! Use whole milk instead of skim, and make sure you’re using heavy (whipping) cream, not half and half or a lower milk fat option.
- Use cold ingredients. Cold ingredients mean less churning and less chance for ice crystals to form. (Also make sure your churning bowl is completely frozen, too!). You can chill all ingredients in the fridge the night before, including fresh strawberries.
- Re-freezing. If you thaw and refreeze your homemade strawberry ice cream multiple times ice crystals will form; try avoiding this by freezing in smaller portions.
How to Soften from the Freezer
Since this ice cream has no additives it may freeze more firmly than you’re used to with store-bought varieties. It will also depend on your freezer temperature; especially if you store your homemade ice cream in a deep freezer!
To thaw, let the strawberry ice cream sit out for a few minutes on the counter until it’s soft enough to scoop. Remember, this is supposed to be “hard” ice cream, not soft serve.
What do you plan to make with your fresh strawberries this season? Please feel free to share strawberry recipes/links in the comments below.
