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
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!
Absolutely. Substituting huckleberries or raspberries would be lovely.
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.
Yes. Fresh or frozen blueberries will work fine here.
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Write a review
If you make this blueberry ice cream, or any fruit dessert on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Featured Review
You say blue and I say cran, David! I just made this with cranberries, and I couldn’t resist a small bowl of soft serve before it went into the freezer. It’s perfect! Just slightly sweet with good cranberry zing. I used orange zest and juice, and for the liqueur I had Flor de Azar, a superb triple sec made in Mexico City. Everyone gave me a weird look when I said I was going to make this with cranberries, but you can’t stop a mad scientist!
Lisa
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)
Instructions
- 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.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Did you know only 68% of the recipes we test make it onto the site? This recipe survived our rigorous blind testing process by multiple home cooks. It earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval—and the testers’ reviews below prove it.
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.
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You say blue and I say cran, David! I just made this with cranberries, and I couldn’t resist a small bowl of soft serve before it went into the freezer. It’s perfect! Just slightly sweet with good cranberry zing. I used orange zest and juice, and for the liqueur I had Flor de Azar, a superb triple sec made in Mexico City. Everyone gave me a weird look when I said I was going to make this with cranberries, but you can’t stop a mad scientist!
Lisa, I didn’t know you were a cran kind of girl. And between us, cranberry wouldn’t have been my first pick as a substitution for blueberry ice cream. (And I’m from Massachusetts! I’m sure Bay Staters are hanging their heads in shame.) And leave it to you to add Flor de Azar.
Since, hopefully, the weather’s going turn soon, what might be wonderful for the food pantry is the pear-cranberry crumble or the cranberry buckle. You can make them in huge sheet pans.
Can vodka be replaced for the liquor?
Erin, great question. Vodka is much stronger than something like honey liqueur or framboise, and since it doesn’t have any sugar to balance it out, it can actually make the ice cream too soft or even slushy. I’d skip it altogether—your ice cream will still churn up beautifully, just a bit firmer (which I actually prefer for scooping).