The Creamiest Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Ever

There’s nothing quite like Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, and once you’ve made it from scratch from your own kitchen, you’ll never look at store-bought ice cream the same way again. It’s so rich, creamy, and filled with sweet strawberry flavor in every bite. The best part? It’s easier to make than you’d think!

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Who doesn’t love ice cream? I sure do, and my kids gobble it up whenever I make it.

I used to buy it regularly, but the good brands are pricy. The cheaper grocery store brands are filled with emulsifiers, colors, and chemicals.

Who needs all that?

So now I make it myself and let me tell y’all, it’s not hard to make at all. 

In fact, I bet you’ll wonder what took you so long to take the plunge and make homemade ice cream.

The best part of this ice cream is that it’s bursting with strawberry flavor. There are chunks of fresh strawberries, and it’s creamy, not too sweet, and delicious from the first spoonful to the last.

Why You’ll Love Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

• Fresh Strawberry Flavor: You can taste the difference when using fresh strawberries. It’s sweet, fruity, and tastes just like summer in a bowl.

• No Weird Ingredients: Just simple ingredients you can actually pronounce. No artificial flavors, or thickeners,
• Customizable: You can toss in extra chunks of berries, or even swirl in some chocolate.
• Fun to Make with Kids: It’s a great kitchen activity for the whole family. Let the little ones help blend the strawberry mixture or press the plastic wrap down before freezing.

• Perfect for a Hot Summer Day: There’s nothing better than cooling off with a scoop of delicious strawberry ice cream on a sunny afternoon.

The Secret To Making The Best Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

There are two secrets to making the most delicious ice cream popping with fresh strawberry flavor.

The first is using good quality ingredients. With so few ingredients, it’s essential to use the best, so this is the time to bust out the pure vanilla extract and make sure your dairy is super fresh.

The second secret is to use a good quality ice cream maker. There are so many to pick from, but investing in a good ice cream machine will save you so much money!

I used to use the machine that you had to freeze the ice cream insert the night before, and it was such a pain.

Now, I use an ice cream machine that uses its own refrigerant, and I’ll never go back. No more waiting for your ice cream to be ready to eat!

Ingredients for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

• Heavy Cream: Heavy whipping cream gives your ice cream a rich, creamy texture, and the high fat content makes it super smooth. 
• Whole Milk: Use the freshest whole milk you can get. 
• Sugar – Plain white sugar sweetens it up and boosts the fruit flavors. 
• Egg Yolks: These yolks will give your ice cream a classic custard base and thickens up the mixture.
• Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla extract if you have it, not artificial extract for your homemade ice cream recipe.
• Fresh strawberries – Use ripe strawberries that are washed and hulled for the best fresh berry flavor.

How To Make Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream 

1. Warm the Cream Mixture: In a medium saucepan, stir together the heavy cream, whole milk, and ½ cup of white sugar. Keep it on low heat until it is hot but not boiling.
2. Whisk the Egg Yolks: In a large bowl, whisk your egg yolks and the other ½ cup of sugar until it’s nice and smooth. It helps the ice cream set up with a perfect creamy texture.
3. Temper the Eggs: Drizzle in ½ a cup of the warm cream mixture to the egg-sugar combination to temper the eggs. Then add another ½ cup of the cream mixture while whisking continuously.
4. Cook the Custard Base: Pour everything back into the pot with the rest of the cream. Cook it over medium heat, stirring gently. When it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it’s ready. 
5. Add the Vanilla: Take the pot off the heat and stir in your vanilla extract. You will now have vanilla ice cream!
6. Chill the Custard: Let the custard cool down a bit, then cover it and pop it in the fridge. Cold custard helps your ice cream machine work better and keeps the dreaded ice crystals away.
7. Prep the Strawberries: Place your clean, hulled ripe strawberries and the remaining sugar in a food processor until it is mostly smooth but with some chunks. You’ll want a mix of fresh strawberry puree and chunks of fresh strawberries
8. Mix the Strawberries In: Add the strawberries to the chilled custard and stir.
9. Churn the Ice Cream: Add the strawberry ice cream base to your ice cream maker and make it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
10. Freeze and Store: Scoop the churned ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Press some plastic wrap right on top of the ice cream before putting the lid on. Store it in the coldest part of your freezer until it’s firm.

Recipe Tips

This easy homemade strawberry ice cream recipe is all about technique, so here are some tips to help you make it perfectly every time.

• Tempering the egg mixture is important. It slowly raises the temperature of the egg yolks so you don’t cook the eggs and end up with soupy scrambled eggs.
• When heating, stir the the custard constantly with a wooden spoon to keep the eggs from cooking and separating.
• Custard can burn on the bottom of your pot. Using a heavy-bottomed pot, keeping the heat low, and stirring constantly will keep it from burning.
• You can speed up the chilling of the custard by pouring it into a zipper-top bag and setting the bag into a bowl of ice. 
• Use fresh, ripe berries for a fresh strawberry flavor. Grab them during peak season or hit up the farmers market if you can.
• Let it sit a minute before scooping. If it’s frozen solid, leave your ice cream out at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before scooping.

Ways to Serve Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Grab a spoon and dig into a bowlful of your homemade Strawberry Ice Cream, or try one of these creative suggestions:

• Make a strawberry milkshake with your scratch-made ice cream.
• Serve a scoop of ice cream along with your favorite cake.
• Add the strawberry ice cream to a banana split.
• Make ice cream sandwich cookies. Sandwich a scoop of ice cream between your favorite cookies, and dig in!
• I love strawberry ice cream on top of dessert crepes.

How To Store Leftovers

Obviously, you have to keep your ice cream in the freezer! How you package it is important to keep ice crystals from forming and to keep the smells of the freezer from invading your ice cream.

I love using ice cream containers. They are specially designed to keep ice cream fresh and delicious. I’ve tried many ways to store it, and these are my top pick!

Frequently Asked Questions