Old-Fashioned Strawberry Ice Cream
This is hands down the best old-fashioned strawberry ice cream recipe. It’s made with wholesome, simple ingredients, and the egg yolks make it extra rich and creamy. Plus, it’s easy to make—and even easier to indulge.
Servings: 12 scoops
Calories: 217kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Strawberries
- 3/4 pound strawberries hulled and halved
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
Ice Cream Base
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Prep the Ice Cream Maker
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for prepping your ice cream maker. I use a Kumio ice cream maker, which doesn’t require any pre-freezing or prep, but any ice cream machine that churns will work just fine.
Prep the Strawberries
- In a large bowl, combine the strawberries and one tablespoon of sugar. Stir to combine. Set aside.3/4 pound strawberries, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Make the Ice Cream Base
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thoroughly combined, making sure no dry sugar remains on the bottom or sides of the bowl. Using a hand whisk, this usually takes me about 2 minutes. Set aside.4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepot, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and salt.1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup sugar
- Attach a candy thermometer to the pot, and heat the milk mixture over medium-low heat until it reaches 170° F or until it is steaming but not bubbling. Turn off the burner once it comes to temp.
- Right away, while whisking the egg mixture, slowly ladle in about ½ cup of the warm milk. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Repeat this process two more times, whisking well after each addition.
- Using a fine mesh strainer to catch any cooked bits of egg, pour the tempered egg back into the saucepot.
- Warm the custard base over medium-low heat until the temperature reaches 170°-175° F or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir often to prevent sticking and scorching. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the mixture into a clean, shallow container. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until cool enough to use your ice cream maker.
Blend the Berries
- While the custard is cooling, add the sweetened strawberries to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate. If you prefer little berry bits, pulse the blender until mostly combined, leaving small pieces intact. Just be sure the chunks aren’t too large. Big pieces make the ice cream hard to scoop and enjoy.
Churn the Ice Cream
- Once the custard base is cool, pour in the blended strawberries and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine canister and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Once finished, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
- If you prefer a really soft ice cream, you can skip freezing it after churning. But letting it freeze for a few hours will make it scoopable.
- I recommend using full-fat dairy. Whole milk and heavy cream give the ice cream that rich, creamy texture you want in an old-fashioned scoop.
Nutrition
Serving: 1scoop | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 577IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 0.3mg
