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Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream is an old-fashioned favorite that proves simple ingredients can still shine. Strawberries, sugar, cream, and milk add up to a summer treat that I simply cannot get enough of. Everyone loves this one. You will too!
This delicious ice cream puts berries on full display. It’s a light, creamy, and smooth homemade ice cream with tiny bits of strawberries mixed throughout. The strawberry ice cream recipe below is one of the simplest in my freezer rotation, and I’ve been making it a LONG time.
The dairy is flexible. You can use milk, milk and cream, or half and half. We actually enjoy it all three ways, but just like the best (and easiest) homemade ice cream, I think the milk and cream version is the best of both worlds.
Strawberry Ice Cream
I’ve been making this ice cream for almost fifteen years now, and the recipe has stayed exactly the same the whole time. It’s the one I find myself making whenever I have an abundance of strawberries on hand.
This is one flavor of ice cream that I remember fondly from childhood. My grandmother loved strawberries, and so my grandfather planted a tiny patch of them. Somehow, he coaxed those ripe little berries out of the Arizona soil.
Whenever we visited during the summer, he would churn the ice cream by hand, while us grandkids watched him work his magic with nothing more than salt and ice. That sense of knowing that no matter how long it took, it would be worth the wait.
They’re both gone, now. But, strawberry ice cream will always take me back to the tall chairs at the end of my grandmother’s kitchen island. Dark blue bowls filled with creamy strawberry goodness, and small children savoring each spoonful.
OMG , that recipe is to die for !!! Who knew ice cream was that easy to make and taste so darn delicious. Thanks so much. It took 63 years for me to find this out, wow, I have been missing out all these years.
I hate changing a recipe without trying the original first, but I substituted strawberry extract for the vanilla. Other than that, I followed your recipe exactly and it was so easy and quick, and certainly mouthwatering. Thanks again and happy holidays to you and your family and loved ones.
– Randy Robbins
Ingredients and Substitutions
Strawberries – The single most important ingredient. But, you have to taste them first. If they’re sweet and bright, the ice cream will be fantastic.
Sugar – The recipe card has my default amount amount. If you like it a little less sweet, you can use a little less. Just remember that sugar isn’t only sweetening the base. It also helps keep the texture soft enough to scoop.
Salt – I always use kosher salt. Here it serves to bring out the strawberry flavor.
Vanilla – I like to use vanilla extract because I almost always have it on hand. But, sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy, I’ll go with real vanilla beans or paste. The strawberry-vanilla pairing is the reason this one stays in the rotation year after year.
The Dairy – I don’t normally include measurements here, but it’s two cups of dairy, however you want to split it. My default is one cup whole milk plus one cup heavy cream. However, I have tested each of these and they work:
- 1 cup milk + 1 cup heavy cream (creamiest texture, easiest to scoop)
- 2 cups half and half (creamy enough, occasionally a touch hard to scoop)
- 2 cups whole milk (a true “ice milk” result; lighter, still tasty)
- 2 cups full-fat coconut milk (for a dairy-free option)
Notes on Equipment
- An ice cream maker. This is a Cuisinart model that I find very solid for the price. See my full review of ice cream makers for more options.
- Potato masher, fork, or wooden spoon for crushing the berries
- *Blender (if you want it very smooth, you can puree the fruit)
- Mixing bowls
- Freezer-safe storage containers. I fell in love with these inexpensive storage containers for ice cream years ago. Makes it so easy to store them. Just write the flavor on the lid and go.
Thank you for the recipe! This was my first try at homemade ice cream since I just got my new Cuisinart 1.5 qt ice cream maker. It came out great! I was really pleased at how easy it was, since it was my first time making it. It came out really delicious, and was a really creamy texture. I will definitely make this recipe again!
– Ida
How to Make Strawberry Ice Cream
Tasting the Berries: The most important step in this recipe for strawberry ice cream is the one nobody tells you about. I always pop a berry in my mouth first. If it’s sweet and bright, we’re good to go. If it’s pale and watery, the ice cream will suffer.
Crushing the Berries: You’ll need to trim and rinse the strawberries, then drop them in a large bowl. I use a potato masher, a fork, or a wooden spoon to crush them into a chunky pulp. The goal is rough smashed pieces, not puree. (If you prefer a smoother ice cream with no berry chunks, swap the bowl for a blender at this stage and pulse to your preferred texture.)
Adding the Sweet: Stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla. You’ll see the berries release more juice over the next minute or two as the sugar pulls liquid out of them.
Pouring in the Dairy: At this point, I pour in the milk and cream to the bowl. Then, stir gently to combine.
Churning: Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (Times vary by machine, anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes is typical.)
Freezing to Finish: The texture straight out of the churn is usually soft-serve. For a more scoopable ice cream, I transfer mine to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours.
Expert Tip
This recipe is beautiful in its simplicity. It’s just fruit and dairy with sugar and a splash of vanilla. No eggs, no cooking, no fuss required. But, because of that, the ripeness of the berries really matters. Underripe berries make pale, sad ice cream. You will only get intense strawberry flavor out of the machine if you put intense strawberry flavor into the machine. There’s no way around it.
Not So Vanilla – Vanilla extract is fine. But for a splurge, vanilla bean paste is an easy way to elevate the experience. Those little flecks of real vanilla beans make the strawberry-vanilla pairing pop.
Want a Smooth Texture? – Personally, I prefer the rustic crushed-berry version. It’s what I remember from growing up. But, if you want a velvety, no-pieces texture, run everything through the blender before churning instead of mashing in the bowl.
Let It Warm Up – It might sound odd after putting the ice cream into the freezer to firm up, but if you give homemade ice cream a minute to warm up, it goes from rock hard to perfectly scoopable. For those who don’t want to wait, try this ice cream scoop. It goes through even the hardest flavors with no trouble.
Serving Suggestions
I’m all for eating this straight from the bowl with a spoon. But if I’m dressing it up for company, a scoop on top of a warm dessert is hard to beat. These double chocolate brownies come immediately to mind. No reason.
And, you can also top this flavor with berry sauce, homemade strawberry sauce, or simple homemade chocolate sauce for the easiest sundae of the summer. If you like chocolate-covered strawberries, go for the chocolate syrup. You can thank me later.
Make Ahead & Storage
How to Make Ahead: This recipe is a make-ahead by nature. Active prep is about 5 minutes plus your machine’s churn time, and then it firms up in the freezer over 2 to 4 hours. But, you can make it weeks in advance, as long as you’ve got a good container.
How to Store: Keep the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer. It will keep well for 2-3 months.
More Berry Ice Cream Recipes
- Strawberry Crisp Ice Cream
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ice Cream
- Mixed Berry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream
- Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
- Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
- Black Raspberry Ice Cream
Yes. Two cups of half-and-half will replace the milk and cream in this recipe. The texture comes out slightly firmer once frozen, which can make it a touch harder to scoop straight from the freezer.
This recipe is built around an ice cream maker. But, yes, you can absolutely make ice cream without a machine. Just follow the instructions in my guide and you’ll be good to go!
Yes, with one tweak. Thaw the berries first and drain off the extra liquid before crushing them. Frozen berries release a lot of water as they thaw, and adding that liquid to the ice cream base can introduce ice crystals. Thawed and drained will work, just expect slightly different texture than you’d get with fresh in-season fruit.
Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1½ cups fresh strawberries, trimmed about 8 large berries
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk * see below for alternative dairy combinations
- 1 cup heavy cream * see below for alternative dairy combinations
Instructions
- Place the strawberries in a large bowl. Use a potato masher, a fork, or a wooden spoon to crush them. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Add the milk and cream. Stir to combine and then pour into the ice cream maker.
- Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the finished ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 6/18/11 – recipe and notes updated 5/14/26}
Oh that looks so good. I will have to give that one a try. It looks incredibly flavorful as well. I tried homemade ice cream made from milk a few weeks ago and it just seemed to lack flavor.
this is my 1st time here, hop over from Quay Po's blog. You have a lovely blog, follow you. Your ice cream look so fresh and good!
I do love strawberry ice cream. I have to watch my weight, so don't mind more of an ice milk at all.
I am waiting for my strawberries to ripen, then there will be homemade strawberry ice cream galore.
Such a dumb receipt.
How about mentioning the time that you have to freeze your ice cream after all in freezer?
Or for how long you have to mix the cream in ice cream bowl ?
Hi, Nika! As I mentioned in the recipe, the ice cream should be mixed in the mixer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Unfortunately, I can’t provide an all-purpose time for mixing or freezing afterward, since the texture and temperature of the ice cream will also vary depending on the ice cream machine’s process.
This was the recipe we used to inaugurate our new *compressor* ice cream machine. I used 1/2 cup sugar (and might go less if I make it again at full fats as written). The kids were really impressed and I did a “wow!” on my first taste too. Thank you for your recipes. I know I’m going to spend a lot of time here in the coming weeks!
The ice cream recipes are all adaptable to your tastes. That’s one of my favorite things about homemade ice cream!
I have made your chocolate, vanilla, and now strawberry ice cream. All excellent. Thank You.
You are welcome, Patricia. I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the ice cream recipes.
Hi Mary,
OMG , that recipe is to die for !!! Who knew ice cream was that easy to make and taste so darn delicious. Thanks so much. It took 63 years for me to find this out, wow, I have been missing out all these years.
I hate changing a recipe without trying the original first, but I substituted strawberry extract for the vanilla. Other than that, I followed your recipe exactly and it was so easy and quick, and certainly mouthwatering. Thanks again and happy holidays to you and your family and loved ones.
Randy Robbins
I’m happy to hear that you loved the ice cream, Randy. Glad to hear that you were able to adjust the recipe to better fit your tastes; it sounds like the ice cream turned out wonderfully.
Your ice creams are fantastic! I made a few flavors and they are delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Yay! I’m glad you’re enjoying the ice creams.
Thank you for the recipe! This was my first try at homemade ice cream since I just got my new Cuisinart 1.5 qt ice cream maker. It came out great! I was really pleased at how easy it was, since it was my first time making it. It came out really delicious, and was a really creamy texture. I will definitely make this recipe again!
I’m so very happy to hear the ice cream was a hit!
This strawberry ice cream is really good. I use all organic lactose-free half and half due to being lactose intolerant. At the end of stirring/freezing in the machine, I add a tablespoon of Cointreau to help keep it from freezing solid in the freezer. The orange flavor liquor goes great in this recipe.
I’m glad that you’re enjoying it!
I made your recipe for strawberry ice cream. I only had half an half and it made the ice cream hard to scoop after freezing in the freezer. My husband and I both loved the flavor so I will try it again with heavy cream. Hopefully that will make it easier to scoop out.
I’m so glad you liked the ice cream and hope you love it even more next time you make it!
Can you use frozen strawberries?
Yes, that will work fine. I recommend thawing them first and draining any water.