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Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Homemade strawberry ice cream with fresh berry pieces and a churned custard base for a creamy, vibrant pink scoop. You’ll macerate strawberries, cook the custard to 170–175°F, then churn and freeze for a firm, scoopable texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
macerating + chilling + freezing 4 hours 4 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 34 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 412
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Strawberry base
  • 2 cup fresh strawberries Hulled and sliced.
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar Set aside for macerating the strawberries.
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice Used for maceration.
Custard
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar Remaining sugar for the egg yolks.
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 salt Pinch.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Macerate and puree the strawberries
  1. Toss the sliced fresh strawberries with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the lemon juice, then let sit for 30 minutes at cool room temperature until juicy (visual cue: berries look glossy with syrup forming).
  2. Mash or blend the macerated berries to a chunky puree, then refrigerate until cold (visual cue: puree is thick and chilled).
Cook the egg custard base
  1. Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar until pale and thick (visual cue: ribbons form and the mixture looks lighter).
  2. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming, then turn off the heat briefly (visual cue: you see steam rising but no rolling boil).
  3. Slowly whisk the steaming dairy into the egg yolks to temper, keeping the mixture smooth (visual cue: no scrambled egg bits).
  4. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon at 170-175°F (visual cue: a finger line stays on the spoon).
Chill the custard
  1. Strain the custard, then stir in the vanilla extract and salt (visual cue: mixture is smooth and glossy).
  2. Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours (visual cue: custard is cold and spoonable).
Churn and freeze
  1. Churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions, adding the strawberry puree during the last 5 minutes (visual cue: pink color deepens with visible berry pieces).
  2. Transfer to a container and freeze at least 2 hours until firm (visual cue: scoops hold shape with a creamy, dense texture).

Notes

For the smoothest custard, keep the heat at medium-low and stir constantly until 170–175°F—overheating can cause graininess. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 months; for easier scooping, let sit 5 minutes at room temperature. Not a freezer-to-fridge swap: it freezes well but does not keep the same texture if thawed and re-frozen. Dairy-free swap: use a plant-based heavy cream and whole-milk alternative designed for cooking, then temper and churn the custard the same way.