There is a specific kind of joy that comes from making ice cream completely from scratch and this homemade strawberry ice cream is the recipe that makes that joy feel completely worth every single step. A rich vanilla custard base infused with fresh strawberry puree for that naturally pink color and real berry flavor, swirled with a thick homemade strawberry sauce that ribbons through every scoop in the most beautiful way. This is the summer ice cream that tastes like strawberries at their absolute peak and there is nothing from a carton that comes close to it.

The double strawberry approach is what makes this recipe so much more flavorful than a standard strawberry ice cream. First the custard base gets infused with blended fresh strawberries which gives the whole ice cream that gorgeous pink hue and a subtle tartness woven through every bite. Then separately you cook down more strawberries into a thick jammy sauce and swirl it through right before freezing so you get concentrated ribbons of pure strawberry flavor throughout. One application of strawberry gives you flavor. Two applications gives you something that tastes like a real strawberry in ice cream form. The difference is significant and completely worth doing both steps.

The custard base is the technique that separates a really good homemade ice cream from anything you can buy at a store. Egg yolks tempered carefully into warm cream and milk, cooked until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then strained smooth and chilled overnight before it goes into the ice cream maker. The tempering step is the one people are most nervous about and it is genuinely not as scary as it sounds. Pour the warm cream slowly into the eggs while whisking constantly and the eggs cannot scramble. Go slowly, keep whisking, and you will have a perfectly silky custard every single time.

This recipe works in a traditional ice cream maker or the Ninja Creami, both linked in the recipe card below. It is a time commitment between the custard making, the chilling, and the freezing but every single minute of it is worth it when you sit down with a bowl of the most beautiful scoopable homemade strawberry ice cream you have ever had. Make it this weekend when strawberries are at their very best and it will be the summer recipe you talk about all season long.

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

Homemade Strawberry Custard Ice Cream

A homemade strawberry custard ice cream made with a rich vanilla egg yolk custard base infused with fresh strawberry puree and swirled with a thick homemade strawberry sauce before freezing. Works in a traditional ice cream maker or Ninja Creami. Time intensive but completely rewarding and the most flavorful from scratch strawberry ice cream with real berry flavor in every single scoop.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Chill Time 2 days d

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

For the Vanilla Custard Base:

• 2 cups heavy cream separated in half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For the Strawberry Swirl Sauce:

• 3 cups strawberries chopped
• ½ cup sugar
• juice of 1/2 a lemon

Instructions

 

For the Strawberry Sauce:

• 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 and reduced by about half.
• 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.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the strawberries into a puree (can also be done in a blender)
• 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:

• 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!
• Meanwhile, in another bowl whisk together egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Remove milk and cream from the heat.
• 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!
• 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.
• Remove from heat and strain into a bowl.
• Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and stir to combine.
• Add strawberry puree and stir to combine.
• 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)
• 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:

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

Keyword ice cream

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!!