This homemade strawberry ice cream recipe is sweet, creamy, and fruity! Fresh strawberries give a wonderful pink color to this pretty spring or summer dessert.
Make sure your ice cream bowl has been frozen for at least 24 hours before starting.
Make Custard Ice Cream Base:
In a medium sauce pot, combine whole milk, heaving whipping cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Heat on medium heat until the milk mixture starts to steam. Then remove from heat.
While the milk is heating, combine egg yolks and cane sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until the egg yolks look pale yellow. About 3 - 5 minutes.
Once the milk is hot, pour two cups of it into a measuring cup, then slowly pour a couple of tablespoons of the milk into the egg/sugar mixture. Whisk until combined. Then slowly add a bit more, while whisking. Continue adding the milk to the egg mixture a little at a time, until you have poured it all in. Pour the mixture back into the sauce pot.
Reduce the heat to low, Cook the custard ice cream base for 20 minutes, whisking every few minutes. You are looking for the temperature to be between 170 - 175 degrees Fahrenheit and the mixture to have thickened slightly.
Make Strawberry sauces:
While you are cooking the custard base, make the smooth and chunky strawberry sauces.
For the smooth sauce: add 1 cup of strawberries, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 ½ tablespoons of cane sugar to a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
For the chunky sauce: In a small mixing bowl add, 1 cup of strawberries, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 ½ tablespoons of cane sugar. Mash until there aren’t too many large chunks. We want little chunks. Set aside.
Once the ice cream is finished cooking, strain it using a fine mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl to remove any egg chunks. Then whisk in the smooth strawberry sauce until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 2 hours on the counter to cool. Then refrigerate for another 2 hours or until completely cold.
Pour your strawberry ice cream into the ice cream machine and churn according to your machine’s settings, usually for 20 minutes. In the last 1- 2 minutes of churning, pour in the chunky strawberry sauce. Allow it to mix for 1 - 2 minutes, then turn off the machine.
Transfer ice cream to freezer-safe storage containers. Freeze for at least 4 hours. Then serve and enjoy in an ice cream cone or with fresh chopped strawberries. Enjoy!
Notes
All nutrition information is a rough estimate and this recipe card may contain affiliate links. *If using frozen strawberries allow them to completely thaw and then drain them before using. Make sure the mixture gets up to temperature and has thickened slightly before cooling for best results.