There’s nothing quite like a scoop of homemade strawberry ice cream on a summer day—especially when it’s made with fresh strawberries at their peak. This recipe takes a classic vanilla custard base and elevates it with a burst of real strawberry flavor, giving you that rich, creamy texture with just the right balance of sweetness and fruitiness. It’s a nostalgic treat that tastes like summer in every bite.

What sets this recipe apart is its layered approach to strawberry flavor. First, we infuse the custard base with fresh blended strawberries for a naturally pink hue and subtle tartness. Then, just before freezing, we swirl in a luscious homemade strawberry sauce to create ribbons of concentrated berry goodness throughout the ice cream. It’s the perfect mix of creamy and fruity, with a swirl in every spoonful.

Whether you’re using a traditional ice cream maker or a Ninja Creami, this recipe, although time consuming, is simple to follow and incredibly rewarding. The custard base provides that scoop shop–style richness, while the strawberries keep it light and refreshing. It’s a great way to use up ripe strawberries or impress guests with a homemade dessert that looks and tastes like it came from a fancy creamery.

Here is a link to the ice cream machine I use: I LOVE IT! https://shorturl.at/g2FKU

Here is a link to my Creami: https://amzn.to/408wzRf

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Custard Base:

• 2 cups heavy cream (separated in half)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For the Strawberry Sauce:

• 3 cups strawberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions:

For the Strawberry Sauce:

1. In a medium sauce pan or pot on medium heat combine strawberries, sugar and lemon juice and stir every so often until a thick sauce forms.
2. Pour half of the mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool (this will be the sauce we will mix into the ice cream) Place in the fridge to use later.
3. Using an immersion blender, blend the strawberries into a puree (can also be done in a blender)
4. If you want to take an extra step, strain your strawberry sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds but this is optional!

For the Vanilla Custard Base:

1. In a medium sauce pan combine 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup milk until it starts to bubble around the edges – do not let it boil!
2. Meanwhile, in another bowl whisk together egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Remove milk and cream from the heat.
4. While whisking, pour 1/2 cup of the cream liquid into the egg yolk/sugar mixture. Repeat with one more 1/2 cup of liquid. Whisk continuously so the eggs don’t cook!
5. Dump that mixture back into the pan with the remaining cream and milk and heat for a few more minutes until you can draw a line on the back of the spoon when coated with the mixture.
6. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl.
7. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and stir to combine.
8. Add strawberry puree and stir to combine.
9. Place bowl inside a larger bowl and fill the sides with ice and let the mixture come to room temperature, stirring every so often (for about 1 hour)
10. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight for best results! (at this point you could also distribute this into creami pints if you’re using that as your ice cream machine!)

Making the Ice Cream

1. Set your ice cream maker to 40 minutes and slowly pour strawberry custard mixture into ice cream machine. Let it process until very thick.
2. Transfer ice cream into an airtight container alternating between custard base and strawberry sauce and swirl together with a spoon.
3. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight before serving if you want hard scooped ice cream.
4. ENJOY!!