Smooth, creamy, and bursting with peach flavor, this recipe is perfect on hot summer days.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Wholesome ingredients – real sugar and cream with fresh peaches. when you make your own ice cream you never have to worry about what’s it in
Loaded with fresh peach flavor – peaches and cream go hand-in-hand and this recipe has plenty of fresh fruit flavor
Seasonal and special – This recipe is the best of summer
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
Use good quality ingredients including ripe peaches. For the best flavor, buy the best fresh peaches locally during peach season.
- milk: whole milk is perfect for this recipe
- heavy whipping cream: to help give your ice cream that nice creamy and thick consistency
- sugar: regular granulated sugar gives this ice cream the perfect sweetness when combined with the peaches
- egg yolks: make the ice cream even creamier and actually prolong the shelf life in the freezer.
- vanilla: gives this recipe a very nice density and helps pairs lovely with the peaches
- salt: just a pinch is all you need, but really makes a difference
- peaches: sliced, peeled, and very ripe
You won’t need a blender or food processor, just your trusty ice cream maker!
🍴Instructions
Step One: prepare the sugared peaches
Read the instructions for your ice cream maker in case you have the kind that has a canister that needs to be pre-frozen.
Make the sugared peaches by combining the peeled, sliced fresh peaches and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the pan to a simmer over medium-low heat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and mash with a potato masher (or a fork) until it looks like chunky applesauce. Set this peach puree aside to cool.
Step Two
Next, warm the milk, heavy cream, and 1/2 a cup of sugar to a large saucepan. Warm the mixture over medium heat until it is very warm (about 175F degrees). This should take about 5 minutes.
Using a hand mixer, beat the eggs and remaining sugar until it turns lighter in color and the sugar has begun to dissolve.
Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add half a cup at a time to the egg mixture, mixing after each addition. This is called tempering and keeps the egg yolks from cooking and curdling. Once half the milk mixture has been added to the eggs, pour all the milk and eggs back into the saucepan. Heat this egg-milk mixture (custard) over medium heat and cook, stirring consistently, until it reaches 185F. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon – but don’t let it boil!
Remove the custard mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Strain the custard base with a strainer or cheesecloth set over a large bowl. Allow the custard to cool at room temperature, then cover it and refrigerate it until it is very cold – about 6 hours or overnight.
Step three: chill and add vanilla
Step Four: churn
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to set up the ice cream maker. Add the custard to the machine and churn it until it is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Then, add the peach mixture.
Step Four: Fresh
Cover and freeze for 2-4 hours until hardened. Scoop it and serve it! This amazing ice cream recipe will keep up to a week in the freezer.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Be sure that you have chilled the custard fully before churning
- Use the best and most ripe peaches you can find. If you cannot find them, you can use frozen peaches and thaw them completely beforehand.
- Do not rush any stage of ice cream making or it will not freeze properly. Be sure to read your manual: some ice cream inserts must be frozen for 24 hours, but some newer machines don’t require freezing.
- Freeze the ice cream for at least 2 hours before serving (overnight is best!)
- If the ice cream seems too hard, just let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes until it is your preferred consistency.
- Try adding a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and dash of bourbon to the peaches.
🥫 Storage instructions
Homemade ice cream will keep well for 1-2 weeks.
🔍 FAQs
Yes! It’s an easy recipe to make – but it does take some time. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to chill the ice cream machine canister (if applicable) and to do the final freeze.
I love it just in a bowl because the fresh peach flavor really comes through. Kids love it in a sugar cone.
📘 Related Recipes
- Peach Mojitos are simple and just require a few minutes of prep!
- Peach Raspberry Tea is perfect for sipping on the porch
- (So is Peach Raspberry Lemonade!)
- And apples and peaches are a surprisingly perfect combo in Apple-Peach pie.
📖 Here’s the recipe
Equipment
- ice cream maker
- strainer
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream Base
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- pinch salt
For the Peaches
- 2 cups sliced peaches peeled and very ripe (3-4 peaches)
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Make the sugared peaches. Combine the sliced peaches and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and mash with a potato masher or fork until it is the consistency of chunky applesauce.
- Warm the milk, cream, and some of the sugar .Add the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of the sugar to a large saucepan. Over medium heat, warm the mixture until it is very warm (175 degrees), about 5 minutes.
- Beat the eggs and remaining sugar. While the mixture is heating, combine the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Beat until it turns lighter yellow in color.
- Temper the eggs with the warm milk. Remove the milk mixture from the heat, and half a cup at a time, add roughly half of it to the egg mixture. Mix after each addition. This keeps it from cooking the eggs. Once you have blended half of the milk into the eggs, pour the entire milk- egg mixture back into the saucepan. Place it all back on the heat and heat over medium and cook. Stir constantly and cook until the mixture is 185 degrees, or has thickened enough the coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil.
- Chill the custard, peaches, and the frozen portion of your ice cream maker. Remove custard from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Strain the mixture using a stainer or cheesecloth set over a large bowl. Allow to cool at room temperature, then cover and place in fridge until very cold- at least 6 hours, up to overnight.
- Churn. Remove custard from fridge and set up ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions. Churn until it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream, then add the peach mixture.
- Freeze to set. Cover and refreeze 2-4 hours until hardened. Scoop and serve. Will last up to a week in the freezer.
Could have added some peach extract to give it more of the peach flavor
I haven’t made it as yet. Can you explain the directions? “combine the egg yolks with the remaining cup of sugar.” Only 3/4 of cup sugar is in ingredient list, with another 1/4 cup for the peaches.
hi mary, yes that should read “combine the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar”
How many times do I need to multiply the ingredients for a 4-quart ice cream freezer? The yield says 1-quart at the bottom, but given the ingredient list i’m not sure I should multiply it by 4.
Hey Taylor, I would just double it! My machine is 1.5 quart and it’s pretty full in mine.
I am trying to print this recipe but the button you provide just takes me back to the entire post, not a printable version. Thank you for all of your encouragement and fun recipes and printables. I enjoy it all!