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Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Homemade strawberry ice cream made with a cooked custard base for a creamy, scoopable texture and real berry pieces throughout. Fresh strawberries are macerated into a chunky puree, then churned in the last minutes for vibrant pink flavor in every bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Strawberry puree base
  • 2 cup fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar reserved for macerating
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice for brightness
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract to be added to cooled custard
  • 0.25 tsp salt a pinch
Custard
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar divided; used for whisking yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract to match recipe total; add after straining custard
  • 1 pinch of salt to match recipe total; add after straining custard

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Macreate and puree the strawberries
  1. Toss the sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice and let macerate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Mash or blend to a chunky puree, then refrigerate until needed.
Whisk the yolks and cook the custard
  1. Whisk egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until pale and thick. Keep whisking until the mixture looks lighter and slightly frothy.
  2. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not boil—look for steam rising from the surface.
  3. Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks to temper them. Pour gradually while whisking to prevent curdling.
  4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon (170-175F). The custard should look glossy and cling to the spoon with a clear line when you draw a finger through it.
Chill the custard
  1. Strain the custard, then stir in vanilla extract and salt. Let it cool completely first, then refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Churn and freeze
  1. Churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the strawberry puree in the last 5 minutes so fruit pieces stay visible.
  2. Transfer the churned ice cream to a container and freeze at least 2 hours until firm. It should scoop cleanly with a dense, creamy texture.

Notes

Pro tip: For the best chunky fruit texture, refrigerate the strawberry puree so it stays thicker when added to the churn. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks for best texture. Freezing yes—let it sit at room temperature 5 minutes before scooping. If you want a lighter version, use part-skim milk for the whole milk while keeping the heavy cream.