This strawberry ice cream recipe makes a creamy, naturally pink ice cream full of real strawberry flavor. Instead of using raw berries, you roast them briefly first, so their juice thickens and their taste becomes deeper and sweeter.
You can churn it in a machine or simply freeze it with whipped cream. After the recipe, you will also find fixes for icy, pale or hard strawberry ice cream.
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Roasting time: 15 minutes
- Freezing time: 6 hours
- Makes: about 1.2 liters (5 cups)
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled
- 50 g (¼ cup) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 400 g (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
- 500 ml (2 cups) cold heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
How to Make This Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
- Roast the berries. First, heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the strawberries with the sugar and roast them for 15 minutes, until soft and syrupy.
- Blend. Next, blend the roasted berries and their juice with the lemon juice. Then chill the purée completely.
- Mix the base. After that, stir the condensed milk, vanilla and salt into the cold purée.
- Whip the cream. Whip the cold cream to soft peaks.
- Fold. Then fold the cream into the strawberry mixture in two parts, until smooth and pink.
- Freeze. Finally, pour it into a container, press plastic wrap onto the surface, and freeze for at least 6 hours.
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe: Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Why is my strawberry ice cream icy?
Cause: Typically, it is because raw strawberries contain a lot of water, which freezes into crystals.
Fix: Roast the berries first, since roasting cooks off some water. In addition, keep the fruit as a smooth purée instead of large pieces.
Why is the color so pale?
Cause: The strawberries were pale inside, or there was too much cream.
Fix: Use deep red, ripe berries, or add a spoonful of beetroot juice for natural color. Also, frozen berries often have a stronger color than out-of-season fresh ones.
Why are the strawberry pieces hard as ice?
Cause: Fruit pieces freeze harder than the creamy base.
Fix: Chop any pieces small and toss them in a little sugar first; as a result, they stay softer.
Why does it taste flat?
Cause: Cold dulls flavor, so the base needs extra seasoning.
Fix: Add the lemon juice and the pinch of salt, and taste the base before freezing. It should taste slightly too sweet at room temperature.
Tips for Success With This Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
- Chill the purée fully before folding; otherwise, the cream deflates.
- For a churned version, simply mix the liquid cream with the base and churn it.
- Serve it with fresh berries, for example, or with crushed biscuits.
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe Variations
- Strawberry cheesecake ice cream: fold in 120 g (½ cup) cream cheese and crushed biscuits. You may also like our strawberry cheesecake.
- Strawberry ripple: swirl the purée into homemade vanilla ice cream instead of mixing it in.
- Strawberry and banana: replace half the berries with ripe banana for a smoother texture.
Storage Tips
Keep the ice cream in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. After that, it slowly loses its color and flavor.
Where It Comes From
Fruit ices were popular in Europe in the 1600s, and strawberry soon became one of the first cream ice flavors. Later, it joined vanilla and chocolate in the famous Neapolitan block. You can read more about strawberry ice cream on Wikipedia.
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe FAQ
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes. Roast them straight from frozen and add 5 minutes to the time.
Do I need to roast the berries?
It is not essential. However, roasting gives a deeper flavor and a less icy texture.
Can I make it without condensed milk?
Yes. Instead, make a custard base like our vanilla ice cream and stir in the purée once it is cold.
Keep baking with us. If you enjoyed this strawberry ice cream recipe, you will find 31 more Eastern and Western desserts in our digital cookbook, each with exact measurements and clear steps.
