Strawberry Ice Cream

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This homemade strawberry ice cream recipe is rich and creamy. It’s made with only 7 ingredients including fresh strawberries. It’s the most delicious strawberry ice cream ever – even better than your favorite ice cream shop!

a bowl of Strawberry Ice Cream with fresh strawberries and a spoon


I am incredibly passionate about ice cream, and always prefer my homemade ice cream recipes to any store-bought or ice cream parlor varieties because the quality of ingredients, flavor and texture is far superior to anything you can buy. This strawberry ice cream recipe is no exception.

This homemade strawberry ice cream is made with 7 ingredients, is rich and creamy and is bursting with strawberry flavor that comes from real strawberries only (no artificial colors, flavors, etc.).

I promise you, it’s the best strawberry ice cream you will ever try!

Strawberry Ice Cream with fresh strawberries

Strawberry Ice Cream: Ingredients & Substitutions

overhead photo of the ingredients in this Strawberry Ice Cream recipe
  • Half and half/heavy cream. This recipe calls for 3 cups of liquid. You can change the ratios of half and half to cream if desired, as long as the total amount equals 3 cups. You can also substitute up to 1 cup of the liquid with whole milk. 
  • Granulated sugar. I suggest white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
  • Vanilla Extract. the seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste are good substitutes for extract.
  • Egg Yolks. There is no substitution for egg yolks in this recipe. 
  • Strawberries. I suggest fresh strawberries for the best results. If using frozen berries, thaw them in a colander to strain off excess water.
Strawberry Ice Cream in a bowl with fresh strawberries

How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream

Let’s walk through this strawberry ice cream recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by washing and trimming 1 pint of strawberries.

a bowl of trimmed strawberries

Then, puree the strawberries in a high-powered blender (of course, I recommend a Vitamix). until smooth, set aside.

two photos showing How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream - blending the strawberries

Next heat the half and half, salt and sugar over medium heat until it is warm – whisking often to help dissolve the sugar.

How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream - warming half and half and sugar in a pan

Then, whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl.

two photos showing How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream - whisking egg yolks in a bowl

Once the half and half is warm (but not boiling), add ½ cup of the warm mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to combine.

two photos showing How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream - adding warm half and half to egg yolks

Then add the egg mixture to the half and half on the stovetop.

two photos showing How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream - putting egg mixture back into the saucepan

Next, cook the mixture over medium-low heat stirring constantly until it thickens, just barely coating the back of a spatula.

overhead view of the custard cooked

Then, place the heavy cream into a bowl and put a fine mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

Strain the custard into the heavy cream and discard the residue on the strainer.

two photos showing How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream - pouring the custard through a metal strainer

Then, stir the vanilla extract and strawberry puree into the mixture until combined.

two photos showing How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream - combining ingredients

Next, transfer the strawberry ice cream mixture to an airtight container and cool completely in the fridge (preferably overnight).

strawberry ice cream mixture in a glass container

Once the mixture is completely chilled, churn it until it’s thick and frozen in an ice cream maker.

If desired, coarsely chop half a cup of strawberries and add it towards the end of the churning process. This is for those who like chunks of fresh strawberries in their ice cream.

strawberry ice cream churned in an ice cream maker

Then, transfer the churned strawberry ice cream to a glass container with a lid and freeze for at least 4 hours.

two photos showing How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream - putting the churned strawberry ice cream in a glass contianer to freeze

Serve

When you’re ready to serve, you may need to remove the container from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for a couple minutes to be soft enough to scoop.

Serve it in bowls topped with homemade whipped cream, sprinkles, etc.

scoops of strawberry ice cream in a glass container with fresh strawberries

Store

Store this strawberry ice cream in a glass container with a lid for up to 2 months in the freezer.

 There are also great containers that are made for storing ice cream, like these 1-quart storage tubs and this jumbo 2.5 quart container (for larger batches). 

scoops of strawberry ice cream with fresh strawberries

Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe FAQs

Why is my strawberry ice cream icy?

If you did not make sure your strawberries were completely dry, you could have introduced extra water into the recipe which would make it icy.

How do you make homemade ice cream smooth and creamy?

This recipe is the creamiest ice cream because it’s made with half and half and heavy cream.

What ice cream maker do you use?

I love this ice cream maker the best. It’s affordable and works really well. I actually bought a fancier one and prefer this model anyway!

Why is strawberry ice cream pink?

This strawberry ice cream gets its pink color from the pureed strawberries mixing with the white cream/custard.

a bowl of strawberry ice cream with fresh strawberries and a spoon

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Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Laura
This homemade strawberry ice cream recipe is rich and creamy. It's made with only 7 ingredients including fresh strawberries. It's the most delicious strawberry ice cream ever – even better than your favorite ice cream shop!
5 from 2 votes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 327
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Chilling12 hours
Total Time12 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Wash and trim 1 pint of strawberries. Puree them in a high-powered blender until smooth, set aside.
  • Heat half and half, salt and sugar over medium heat until it is warm, whisking often to help the sugar dissolve.
  • Beat egg yolks in a small mixing bowl, add ½ cup of the warm half and half mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Then add the egg mixture to the half and half on the stovetop.
  • Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, just barely coating the back of a spatula.
  • Place the heavy cream into a bowl, and put a fine mesh strainer over the top of the bowl.
  • Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Discard the remnants left on the strainer.
  • Add vanilla extract and strawberry puree to the mixture and stir to combine.
  • Transfer to an airtight container and cool completely in the fridge (preferably overnight).
  • Once chilled, churn until thick and frozen.
  • If desired, stir in extra chopped strawberries during the end of the churning time.
  • Transfer the strawberry ice cream to a glass container with a lid and freeze for at least 4 hours.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Optional strawberry chunks. If you’d like to have chunks of strawberry in your ice cream, add additional chopped or sliced berries to the mixture while it’s churning.
Ingredient Substitutions
  • Half and half/heavy cream. This recipe calls for 3 cups of liquid. You can change the ratios of half and half to cream if desired, as long as the total amount equals 3 cups. You can also substitute up to 1 cup of the liquid with whole milk. 
  • Granulated sugar. I suggest white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
  • Vanilla Extract. the seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste are good substitutes for extract.
  • Egg Yolks. There is no substitution for egg yolks in this recipe. 
  • Strawberries. I suggest fresh strawberries for the best results. If using frozen berries, thaw them in a colander to strain off excess water.
Store
Store this strawberry ice cream in a glass container with a lid for up to 2 months in the freezer.
 There are also great containers that are made for storing ice cream, like these 1-quart storage tubs and this jumbo 2.5 quart container (for larger batches).  

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 788IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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2 Comments

  1. I haven’t made this yet. Why do you use heavy cream for this recipe and heavy whipping cream for the coffee ice cream recipe?