This blueberry ice cream, made with antioxidant-rich blueberries, cream, milk, and sugar, is a great spring and summer dessert. Lemon juice and zest, plus optional honey liqueur, balance the flavor.
Seeing as blueberries are so darn good for you, one could argue that this rich, creamy frozen dessert ought to be a summer staple strictly for health reasons alone. But c’mon, since when have we ever told you to try something simply because it’s good for you?! One taste of this rich and dreamy blueberry ice cream and you’ll understand our reasons for savoring it by the spoonful have little to do with its effect on our body but rather on our soul.–David Leite
Blueberry Ice Cream FAQs
Can I make this without an ice cream maker?
An ice cream maker will give you the best results, but yes, you can make this ice cream without a machine. It’ll take some effort – so maybe make the kids do it.
After you’ve completed step two below and the mixture has cooled off, place it into an air-tight zip-type bag. Fill another large size plastic zip-top bag with crushed ice. Pour 1/4 cup rock or kosher salt into the bag, closing the bag and shaking well. Place the first bag containing your ice cream mixture inside the gallon-size bag and seal. Shake the bags for about ten minutes. Remove the ice cream bag and give it a quick rinse to remove any salt water, then scoop out your ice cream!
Can I make this ice cream with other fruits?
Absolutely. Substituting huckleberries or raspberries would be lovely.
What are honey liqueur and framboise?
Honey liqueur is a blend of a neutral grain spirit and real honey, flavored with spices and other natural ingredients. It can be enjoyed on the rocks but is excellent when mixed in a cocktail, and can be a welcome addition to sweet desserts.
Framboise is made from raspberries. The word ‘framboise’ is French and is a catch-all term for any beer, wine, or spirit made from raspberries without adding sugar.
Can you substitute frozen blueberries for fresh in this ice cream?
Yes. Fresh or frozen blueberries will work fine here.
In this recipe
Blueberry Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons honey liqueur or framboise (optional)
Directions
- Rinse the berries and pick out any squished or moldy ones. Place the blueberries in a small saucepan with the water and cook over low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and then purée in a blender or food processor.
- In a small bowl, mash the zest with 1 teaspoon sugar to release the essential oils in the zest.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the half-and-half with the remaining sugar, stirring until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Stir in the blueberry purée, cream, sugared zest, juice, and vanilla. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours.
- Freeze the ice cream mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is almost frozen, spoon in the liqueur, if desired, and churn until blended, about 1 minute more.
- Transfer to a container, cover, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Show Nutrition
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
If you’re looking for a basic blueberry ice cream recipe to start with and you love berries, try this one. It’s impossible to mess up, can be made in a matter of minutes, and results in a nice, creamy, rich, and flavorful frozen treat that’s perfect in terms of sweetness. Oh, and the slight citrus taste was fantastic and refreshing.
I’ve already made 4 batches, and a couple of those times I substituted raspberries for blueberries and that worked amazingly well, too. People have been loving this ice cream. It didn’t quite make the 1 quart that the recipe promised, but it was pretty close to it.
Originally published April 27, 2007
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This was very easy to make and very good. I have a cuisinart ice cream maker.
Thanks, Peggy! I”m so glad it was a success.
I realize that all your recipes for ice cream use an ice cream maker for freezing. However, there are still a few of us who don’t own ice cream makers. Is there a 2nd best way to get the same light and creamy consistency making without an ice cream maker.
Many thanks for your excellent recipes and testers’ comments. I always look forward to receiving your weekly newsletters.
Elizabeth, first, many thanks for your kind words. We greatly appreciate you sharing those sentiments and will share them with the entire team here.
And I can commiserate with you on the ice cream front, as I don’t have an ice cream maker, either. And because of that, I personally have tried literally dozens of no-churn ice cream recipes over the years, and we’ve also put many no-churn ice cream recipes into testing, yet we almost always find that the texture simply isn’t the same as true ice cream and we worry that readers will be disappointed because of their expectations for a different consistency. That said, here are a few recipes that don’t require an ice cream maker whose taste we simply adore. And you’ll find a note in the first recipe that you can use with other ice cream recipes that do call for an ice cream maker, such as this blueberry ice cream recipe. Wishing you a summer filled with homemade frozen loveliness, Elizabeth.
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