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15 Best Homemade Ice Cream Recipes to Try This Summer

Ice cream made the real way: custard-based and churned. Follow the technique and basic recipe but customize the ingredients to your liking.

Looking for a delicious and easy-to-follow ice cream recipe? These recipes are sure to please everyone.

With just a few simple ingredients (milk, cream, eggs, sugar), you’ll be able to make your own delicious batch of ice cream at home. Simply follow the base recipe and add one of your favorite flavors from the list. Easy!

grid of homemade ice cream recipes

1. Simply the Best Vanilla Ice Cream

pan of homemade vanilla ice cream

There are a lot of vanilla ice cream recipes out there, but this is the only one you will ever need. It’s the base of most of our ice cream recipes around here, but for extra vanilla flavor, try to get real vanilla beans and scrape out the inside.

2. Classic Chocolate Ice Cream

There’s nothing quite like a classic chocolate ice cream on a hot summer day. This recipe is simple, and the results are delicious!

Add five ounces of chopped chocolate to step one and melt it. Easy!

3. Candied Pecan and Caramel Ice Cream

cone of ice cram with caramel swirl

This recipe is creamy and light, perfect for a summer night. It’s made with an ice cream maker, so it’s silky smooth. The caramelized sugar balances out the sweetness of the butter pecan flavor in this recipe. The pecans are toasted and coated in butter and sugar before being added to the ice-cream base.

You’ll add candied pecans and prepared caramel to your vanilla custard and gently swirl it with a butter knife before you freeze.

4. Mint Chip Ice Cream

bowl of green ice cream

Mint chip ice cream is a type of ice cream that has become increasingly popular in recent years. Add mint extract and a few drops of green food coloring to the base custard before you chill it, then add chocolate chunks or chips at the final step.

5. Classic Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

close up of ice cream

There’s nothing quite like a classic chocolate chip ice cream recipe, and this one is sure to please. This recipe uses a classic vanilla ice cream base, and is then studded with chocolate chips. The chocolate chips can be either milk chocolate or semi-sweet, depending on your preference.

If you want a really decadent treat, try making a Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. It’s made with a chocolate ice cream base, and is then loaded with both milk chocolate and dark chocolate.

6. Fresh Peach Ice Cream

peach ice cream

What could be better than a bowl of homemade ice cream on a hot day? This recipe for Fresh Peach Ice Cream is made with delicious, juicy peaches.

The peaches are pureed and added to the ice cream base, resulting in a smooth and creamy finished product.

This recipe is best made with fresh peaches, but you can also use frozen peaches if they are not in season.

7. Caramel Fudge Swirl Ice Cream

This recipe is easy to follow and produces delicious results. Give it a try this summer! It uses store-bought or homemade fudge and caramel… your choice.

8. Candy Cane Ice Cream

candy cane ice cream

This recipe for candy cane ice cream is perfect for the holidays! The peppermint flavor gives it a refreshing taste and makes it the perfect dessert to enjoy during Christmas time.

Simply add crushed candy canes to the machine after it’s finished churning.

9. Creamy Coffee Ice Cream

To make coffee ice cream, 2 tablespoons of instant coffee granules. This will give your ice cream a delicious, rich flavor. Look for decaf unless you want a little jolt with your dessert!

For an extra special treat, try adding some chocolate chips or espresso beans to the mix!

10. Sweet Strawberry Ice Cream

ice cream scoop with scoop of strawberry

This recipe for strawberry ice cream is a real crowd-pleaser. It’s easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. The result is a delicious, creamy, and refreshing ice cream that’s perfect for summer.

This recipe uses fresh strawberries, so be sure to use them when they’re in season for the best flavor. If you can’t find fresh strawberries, you can also use frozen ones.

11. Cinnamon Spice Ice Cream

For cinnamon spice ice cream, you’ll want to add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to step one of the base recipe. You can also substitute up to 1/4 teaspoon of cloves or ginger.

This recipe is perfect for fall, especially with apple desserts.

12. Tropical Coconut Ice Cream

Made with rich and creamy coconut milk, this ice cream is a real treat for any coconut lover. You’ll change the ingredients to the following:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 (14 ounce) can cream of coconut. (do not substitute coconut cream or coconut milk)

You don’t need to heat or strain anything, just mix and process in your ice cream maker.

For an extra special treat, try toasting shredded coconut and sprinkling on top. This will give it a nice, nutty flavor.

13. Cookies and Cream ice cream

loaf pan of oreo ice cream

Cookies and cream ice cream is a classic flavor that everyone loves. It’s easy to make at home, and only requires a few ingredients. Just use the base recipe listed and add crushed Oreo cookies at the very end.

BASE RECIPE

Use this as a base to customize. Add candy pieces, swirls of flavor, or just about anything you’d like.

grid of 3 types of homemade ice cream
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15 Ice Cream Recipes (Master Recipe + Customization Tips)

Print Recipe
Ice cream made the real way: custard-based and churned. Follow the technique and basic recipe but customize the ingredients to your liking.
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
cooling:12 hours
Total Time:12 hours 45 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  • Heat the milk and cream. Heat the milk, cream and 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, until warm and steaming, or about 170 degrees.
  • Beat the eggs and remaining sugar. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until light yellow in color and well combined. They will noticeably change color when mixed enough. (A hand mixer on low will work well.)
    process shot showing color change of egg yolks and sugar
  • Temper the eggs by adding half of the warm milk mixture, a half cup at a time. Then add the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and cream.
  • Heat the custard. Heat the saucepan, which now contains all of the milk, cream, sugar, and eggs, over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 185 degrees. The custard is ready when it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Once off the heat, add a pinch of salt, and the vanilla extract, if using.
    pouring custard into saucepan
  • Strain the custard. Hold cheesecloth or a strainer over a bowl to strain the custard. Immediately place the custard into in the refrigerator to chill. Chill for 4-24 hours, until very cold.
    straining custard over glass bowl
  • Freeze ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions. When it has reached the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, add any mix-ins place into loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm. Will keep well, covered in the freezer for a week.
    ice cream maker churning custard

Notes

Be sure to check your ice cream machine’s instructions before beginning: many have a freezer insert that needs to be frozen at least 24 hours before churning.
No ice cream maker? You actually can still make home-churned ice cream. Place the custard in the freezer and stir for 30 seconds once per hour. It will take a while to set up, but the results will be very similar.
Swirls will do best if you add them to the loaf pan and gently swirl them in by hand.  The machine will mix them up too much and flavor the whole batch

Nutrition

Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 106mg | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: ice cream recipes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Author: Katie Shaw
Did you make this recipe?If you loved it, please leave a review!

Homemade ice cream is a delicious and easy-to-follow treat that everyone will love. These recipes are perfect for any occasion and only require a few simple ingredients. Be sure to try one of these recipes this summer!

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