This homemade strawberry ice cream features a traditional egg yolk custard base. Make the strawberry custard, refrigerate it overnight, then churn with an electric ice cream maker for a rich, ultra-creamy scoop.
Nothing says summer quite like homemade strawberry ice cream! This recipe is made from scratch with a traditional egg yolk custard base, and it's churned in an ice cream maker. A simple berry purée adds plenty of bright, fresh strawberry flavor.
This custard needs to chill in the refrigerator overnight before you churn it into ice cream, so plan to start this recipe the day before you want to eat it.
If you're new to homemade ice cream, or if some of these techniques are unfamiliar, don't worry: We're here to help! Read this post thoroughly before you start, and take your time with each step. (Our homemade chocolate ice cream is also great for beginners!)
And remember: Like many recipes, the most important ingredient here is practice.
Equipment you'll need
- An ice cream machine! We like the ease of small electric countertop ice cream machines, but any ice cream maker with a minimum 1.5 quart capacity will work. We tested this recipe with the Cuisinart 1.5 quart ICE-20 and 1.5 quart ICE 21-P1.
- Electric hand mixer. To make the custard, you'll first need to whip some egg yolks and sugar together. While you can do this with a whisk and some elbow grease, an electric hand beater makes the process much easier and faster.
- A kitchen thermometer is nice to have, especially if you're new to ice cream making. If you don't have a thermometer handy, don't worry: We'll give you plenty of visual cues to help you along!
Past that, you don't need much specialty equipment (although this recipe will leave you with a few dishes). A medium saucepan, a sturdy spoon or spatula, a ladle, a fine mesh strainer, and a few mixing bowls will cover you.
Check the instructions on your ice cream maker before you start! We used a Cuisinart 1.5 quart ICE-21 ice cream maker in these photos, which requires you to freeze the bowl for at least 24 hours before churning.
Ingredients overview
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.
Before you jump in, we want to highlight a few notes on ingredients:
- Strawberries are the star of the show! Look for fresh, locally-grown berries at the height of their summer season: They'll pack the most flavor.
- Half-and-half is our go-to dairy product for homemade ice cream. We're supplementing it with heavy cream here for a bit of extra fat, which keeps this ice cream creamy despite the high water content of fresh strawberries.
- Egg yolks form the backbone of our custard. (Save extra egg whites for small batch chocolate chip cookies or toss them into a frittata recipe!)
Variations and Substitutions
There isn't a ton of wiggle room in this recipe: We recommend following it as written, especially on your first try. That said, there are a few small adjustments you can make if you like:
- Add mix-ins - like diced strawberries, white chocolate chips, or nuts - during the last few minutes of churning.
- Swap the strawberries for blackberries (see our white chocolate blackberry ice cream for inspo!), raspberries, blueberries, or peaches.
- Flavor boosts. Blend a Tablespoon of lemon juice or orange liqueur (like Cointreau) into the strawberry purée if you like.
Day 1 - Make the custard
Make the strawberry purée
Blend fresh strawberries with sugar until smooth. Set this mixture aside.
Make Ahead Tip: You can blend the strawberries a day or two ahead of time! Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to make the custard.
Whip the egg yolks with sugar
Use a hand mixer to whip egg yolks until they've thickened and just barely lightened in color. The color difference will be subtle, but you'll also notice the texture change a bit: After a minute or two, the yolks will start to thicken and look a little bit puffy!
No hand mixer? You can use a whisk here, but it will take some time and elbow grease - we recommend using the hand mixer for best results.
Slowly add granulated sugar to egg yolks, mixing well between each addition. Beat eggs and sugar together until you have a thick, fluffy mixture with a pale yellow color. Add vanilla and mix well to incorporate.
The eggs should feel kind of like airy cake batter - but not as stiff as whipped cream. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the hot cream mixture in the next step.
Pro Tip: Don't rush this process! Thorough mixing ensures the sugar fully dissolves into our egg yolks, which contributes to a creamy texture in the final ice cream.
Temper the egg mixture
Add heavy cream and half-and-half to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, whisking frequently, until it reaches a low simmer.
Use a small ladle to slowly add the hot cream to the whipped egg mixture, one spoonful at a time. Whisk constantly, and fully incorporate each spoonful of liquid before adding more.
Pro Tip: The goal here is to slowly raise the temperature of the eggs - a technique called tempering - in order to prevent the eggs from cooking or curdling in response to the heat. Work slowly here, and be patient: This technique can take practice! If your eggs begin to curdle or scramble, check out some tips to recover in the FAQ section below.
Continue adding hot cream to the egg mixture, one ladle-full at a time, until you've whisked in about ⅔ of the liquid.
At this point, the egg mixture should be a very pale yellow color, and the texture should be almost identical to the original cream mixture (Image 12, above). Once you reach this point, your eggs are "cooked" enough to move on to the next step!
What to Watch For: As you add hot cream, the egg mixture will continue to thin out and lighten in color. The egg mixture will also slowly warm up - once you've whisked in about ⅔ of the liquid, the egg mixture bowl should feel warm to the touch.
Thicken the custard
Once the eggs are tempered, it's time for another round of slow whisking!
Slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot cream. Once again, it's important to pour slowly and whisk constantly.
Return the saucepan to the stovetop over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened slightly and reached a temperature of at least 170° Fahrenheit. This custard won't thicken too dramatically, and it may have a thin layer of bubbles across the surface at first. That's okay!
How to tell when the custard is done: Stir the custard with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula, then carefully run a finger across the widest part of the utensil. If the custard stays put and doesn't rush to fill in the line you created, it's ready! (Image 14, above.)
Strain the custard
Set a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour the hot custard through the sieve. Stir the custard as needed to coax it through the strainer.
The strainer will catch any curdled egg pieces, leaving you with a smooth ice cream base. Let this mixture cool completely before you add the strawberry purée.
How to Cool Custard: Let the finished custard sit on the counter for about an hour, stirring frequently to release extra heat, until it's cooled to room temperature. To speed the cooling process, place the custard bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice (or use an ice water bath) and stir until completely cooled. Learn more: How to use an ice water bath.
Add the strawberry purée
Clean your strainer, then place it back over the cooled custard. Strain the strawberry mixture through the sieve, stirring well to help coax the fruit through the mesh. Discard any seeds or pulp left behind (Image 21, above).
Pro Tip: This can take a few minutes of stirring! Press the strawberry purée through the strainer until you have only a small spoonful of seeds left in the sieve.
Stir the strained strawberry purée into the custard until you have a smooth, pale pink mixture.
Cool and refrigerate overnight
Cover the cooled strawberry custard with an airtight lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
Equipment note: The silicone lid in the photos above was recently discontinued; we also like these silicone bowl covers!
Day 2 - Churn the ice cream
Pull your strawberry custard out of the fridge and remove the lid. The custard will look about the same, but will have thickened a bit overnight. It should resemble a loose yogurt.
Pro Tip: This custard will thicken slightly in the fridge overnight, but it won't be as dramatic as other ice cream recipes (like our homemade chocolate ice cream, which has the consistency of a thick pudding when cold).
Churn the ice cream
Prepare your ice cream mixer according to the manufacturer's instructions (in our case, we place the frozen bowl on the base, attach a mixing arm and plastic cover, and turn the machine on before adding the custard).
Carefully pour the custard into the bowl of the ice cream machine and begin to churn. You'll likely need to use a spatula to help coax all of the custard out of the bowl.
Check the instructions on your ice cream machine! Every mixer is a little different. Be sure to consult your equipment's instructions to make sure you're assembling it correctly and adding the ice cream mixture properly.
When it's ready, this ice cream will resemble soft serve (kind of like a Wendy's Frosty!) It will also start to pull away from the sides of the bowl where it meets the mixing arm (see image above). With our ice cream maker, the churning process takes about 20 minutes.
Don't worry if the surface of your ice cream isn't perfectly smooth. It will settle and smooth out quite a bit as you transfer it to the storage container!
Don't over-churn! Once the ice cream reaches a soft serve consistency, transfer it to a container and place it in the freezer (it will continue to harden as it chills). If you continue to churn ice cream after it's "done", it can develop ice crystals that create a gritty texture. This is one reason it's important to consult the instructions for your ice cream maker - one machine may need more or less time to churn than another!
Pack the ice cream
Turn off your ice cream machine and remove the mixing arm. Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container, working quickly to avoid melting. Place a lid on the container, then transfer it to the freezer for at least an hour before scooping.
The ice cream will continue to harden in the freezer. It may also darken slightly in color as it sets.
Use your favorite ice cream scoop to portion it into bowls, add your favorite toppings (we love pistachios, chocolate syrup, and fresh strawberries!) and enjoy!
Pro Tip: Pair this ice cream with some of our dark chocolate olive oil cookies for a truly phenomenal ice cream sandwich.
What container should I use?
If we're eating it within a few days, we pack ice cream in freezer-safe 1-quart deli containers.
Plastic containers can become brittle in the freezer over time, which makes them more prone to cracking under pressure (for example, if you squeeze the container too tightly while scooping chocolate ice cream). We find this problem is easily avoided by letting ice cream sit on the counter for five minutes before scooping.
Alternatively, you can store ice cream in a metal bread pan covered with plastic wrap, or a glass container with a freezer-safe lid. You can also find many specialty ice cream containers online!
FAQs
We find this homemade strawberry ice cream recipe is best eaten within 2 weeks. Past that - depending on the container you keep it in - it can start to dry out and form small ice crystals in the freezer.
If your custard isn't thickening, it may just need more time to cook! Because stoves and equipment can vary so much, you may need to adjust the exact cooking times in this recipe. Follow the visual cues provided, and use a kitchen thermometer to ensure custard reaches at least 170° Fahrenheit to reduce the risk of food borne illness. Keep in mind that this custard doesn't thicken a TON on the stovetop: It will continue to thicken as it cools on the counter, and again as it chills in the fridge overnight.
If your eggs start to curdle and cook as you temper them, stop adding the hot liquid immediately! Whisk the egg mixture constantly for a minute or two, and try to work out any lumps while the eggs cool off after the shock of the hot liquid. You can also set the bowl in ice or cold water to help cool the eggs, or - if the curdling is minimal - give the mixture a zap with an immersion blender.
If you have just a few chunks of egg after tempering, don't worry - they'll get strained out when you pour the custard through a mesh sieve later on! But if the entire mixture starts to look very curdled - almost like cottage cheese or scrambled eggs - you might just have to start over, and add the liquid more slowly next time.
Don't forget that ice cream takes practice: Don't worry if it's not perfect on your first try! Keep at it. Learn More: How to Temper Eggs
Honestly? Yes. We tested this recipe with 100% half-and-half, and the texture just isn't as good.
Uncooked strawberries bring a bright, fresh flavor to this ice cream. But fresh berries also have a fairly high water content, which can create a slightly icy texture.
Because we aren't cooking the strawberries in this recipe (unlike our roasted strawberry ice cream), we had to make sure we built in enough fat and sugar to counteract the extra water in the strawberry puree. If you use a lower-fat dairy product or reduce the sugar in this recipe, you'll notice an icier texture.
For even richer, creamier ice cream, you can swap the half-and-half in this recipe for additional heavy cream.
We have not tested this recipe with dairy-free substitutes.
This ice cream has a fairly mellow berry taste that highlights the raw, tart nature of fresh summer strawberries. The ice cream flavor here is bright and delicate, with a pale pink color.
If you'd like a deeper, more concentrated fruit flavor with earthier notes, we recommend our roasted strawberry ice cream or white chocolate blackberry ice cream.
If you want a brighter color, you can add a few drops of natural red food coloring to your ice cream just before churning.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Ice Cream
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Inactive Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 9 hours
- Yield: 1 ½ quarts 1x
- Category: Ice Cream
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic strawberry ice cream gets its bright, summery flavor from fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Purée:
- 1 pound (16 ounces) fresh strawberries, hulled
- ½ cup sugar
For the Ice Cream Custard:
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Pinch of kosher salt (about 1/16 teaspoon - seriously, just a pinch!)
Instructions
Prep Work
- Check the instructions on your ice cream machine. You may need to place the mixing bowl in the freezer a day or two ahead of time!
- Read through the recipe post above (especially if it's your first time making ice cream!) and gather the equipment you'll need.
Make the Strawberry Purée:
- Add strawberries and sugar to a blender and purée until smooth. Set aside. Note: You can make this purée a day or two ahead of time; store in an airtight container in the fridge.
DAY 1 - Make the Ice Cream Custard:
- Make the egg mixture - Add egg yolks to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to beat the yolks together for one minute (or whisk vigorously by hand for 3-5 minutes) until they are slightly frothy and have lightened in color. Add sugar to egg yolks a little at a time, beating well between each addition, until you have a thick, pale yellow mixture. When all sugar is added, mix in vanilla extract. Set this egg mixture aside.
- Heat the cream mixture - Add heavy cream and half-and-half to a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes until the mixture reaches a low simmer (about 180° F).
- Temper the egg mixture - Use a small ladle to add a few Tablespoons of the hot cream mixture to the prepared egg mixture. Use a hand whisk to whisk constantly as you stream the hot liquid into the eggs. The goal here is to slowly raise the temperature of the egg mixture, so that the eggs cook without scrambling or curdling. Continue adding hot cream to eggs a little at a time, whisking constantly, until you've incorporated about ⅔ of the liquid. When the eggs are properly tempered, the egg mixture should be warm to the touch and have a very pale yellow color.
- Mix it all together - Slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture, still whisking constantly. Whisk in a small pinch of kosher salt.
- Thicken the custard - Return the saucepan to the stove; turn the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 8-15 minutes, until the custard has thickened slightly and reached a temperature of at least 170° F. When the custard is ready, you should be able to run your finger along the widest part of your spoon or spatula and no custard should rush in to fill the path you just made.
- Strain the custard - Set a fine mesh strainer over a clean, large mixing bowl. Carefully pour hot custard through your strainer. Gently stir the custard in the strainer to help coax it through.
- Let custard cool on counter for an hour, until it is completely cooled (stir frequently to release any extra heat and speed the cooling process).
- Strain the Strawberry Purée - Clean your mesh strainer and place it back over the bowl of cooled custard. Pour the strawberry puree through the strainer and use a spoon or spatula to press it through the mesh, leaving any seeds and pulp behind. Discard the seeds, then stir the strained purée into the custard until you have a smooth, pale pink mixture.
- Refrigerate Overnight. Cover the custard with an airtight lid. Refrigerate 8-10 hours, preferably overnight.
DAY 2 - Churn the Ice Cream:
- Remove custard from the fridge and give it a stir. It will have thickened slightly overnight, and should resemble thin yogurt.
- Transfer the custard to your prepared ice cream maker and churn according to your device's instructions. The ice cream will lighten in color and thicken up quite a bit as it churns; when it's ready, it will resemble soft-serve ice cream. With our Cuisinart ice cream maker, the churning process takes about 20 minutes.
- Scoop ice cream into a freezer-safe container with an airtight lid. Attach the lid and transfer the ice cream to the freezer for at least an hour so it can firm up before you scoop it. Ice cream will darken a bit and continue to harden for the first few hours in the freezer.
Notes
Please read the entire post above this recipe - especially if it's your first time making ice cream! - as it's packed with step-by-step photos and notes to help you succeed.
What ice cream maker should I use? We tested this recipe with the Cuisinart ICE-20 and ICE-21 ice cream machines. Make sure your ice cream machine has at least a 1.5-quart capacity, and be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions for churning the ice cream in whatever machine you use.
Additions and Substitutions. Use blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries instead of strawberries if you like. Use frozen berries if fresh aren't available (thaw them before blending the purée). Add your favorite mix-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, etc.) to the ice cream during the last few minutes of churning. For a richer ice cream, use additional heavy cream in place of the half and half.
Great homemade ice cream takes practice. Homemade ice cream is almost entirely about technique. Plan to spend some time and attention on each step of this recipe, and don't be discouraged if things don't go perfectly on your first try! We have provided approximate times for each recipe step, but cook times may vary depending on your kitchen and equipment. Pay attention to visual cues and use the step-by-step photos in the post above to help you along!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 193
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 34.5 mg
- Fat: 11.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.4 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 106.3 mg
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