The consensus online seems to be that you can’t get a good strawberry flavored ice cream with a custard base, but I love custard-based ice creams. So after many test batches trying to perfect a strawberry frozen custard recipe over the last three years, I think I’ve finally done it. This is now my favorite homemade strawberry ice cream, blended smooth or left chunky! It has a strong strawberry flavor with a hint of vanilla for the dreamiest combination of strawberries and cream.

I made this recipe with both fresh-picked and store bought strawberries, and it works well with either one. The batch made with fresh picked strawberries was a deeper shade of pink and had a slightly stronger flavor, but both were absolutely delicious and given rave reviews. I based this recipe off of my black cherry ice cream (another summer favorite around here), but made a few tweaks to ensure the texture and flavor comes out just right!

A hand holds a strawberry ice cream cone.
There are few things better than a scoop of homemade strawberry ice cream on a hot summer day.

“It’s so hard to find flavored custard recipes online and this one knocked it outta the park! It was so smooth and a perfect mixture of sweet and creamy.” -the cat

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Ingredients for Strawberry Frozen Custard

This is a fairly simple frozen strawberry custard recipe with just a handful of ingredients. Please note that you will get the absolute best strawberry flavor if you use super ripe strawberries. I hand-picked these from a local farm, and the color and flavor of my ice cream was much deeper compared to a batch made with store bought berries. That said, cooking the strawberries concentrates their flavor a bit, so any ripe strawberries will give you a good strawberry ice cream. I’ve listed what each ingredient does and common substitutions where possible below:

  • Strawberries. Like I mentioned above, freshly picked and super ripe strawberries will give you the best flavor. Frozen strawberries will work, too, but you may want to let them thaw before dicing.
  • Granulated sugar. Strawberries already have some natural sugars, so this sugar is just to help amplify their sweetness and lower the freezing point of the custard.
  • Egg yolks. By slowly cooking the egg yolks in the cream, we end up with a really rich base that I think complements the brightness of the strawberries.
  • Heavy cream. The fat in heavy cream is essential to give us creamy frozen custard with a perfectly scoopable consistency.
  • Whole milk. This is the place for indulgence—whole milk contains enough fat to make ice cream creamy. Using lower fat milk will give you an icier result.
  • Salt. Just a pinch helps to enhance flavors and balance sweetness.
  • Vanilla. I like to use a little vanilla bean paste to enhance the flavor. You can use vanilla extract if you prefer.
  • Freeze-dried strawberries (optional). If you blend your ice cream to a smooth consistency, small pieces of freeze-dried strawberries add a nice texture. They rehydrate in the ice cream beautifully.
Ingredients needed to make strawberry frozen custard.
All you need to make this late spring/early summer frozen custard with strawberries!

My Favorite Equipment for Making Homemade Ice Cream

You will need to use an ice cream maker for velvety smooth frozen custard. I use Cuisinart’s 1.5-quart ice cream maker, but you can also use the KitchenAid ice cream bowl or a fancier compressor model. It is possible to make traditional strawberry ice cream recipes in a Ninja Creami, but I don’t have one myself to test them.

I like to store my ice cream in long, reusable ice cream containers with silicone seals. The seal keeps the ice cream fresh, and the length makes it easy to get picture-perfect scoops of ice cream for cones and bowls. And, as a bonus, these ones come with stickers to label your ice cream!

If you don’t already have an ice cream scoop you like, my husband found this heavy-duty ice cream scoop a few years ago, and it’s been our go-to ever since.

Quick Tips to Make Strawberry Ice Cream

Even if you’ve never made a custard before, you’re in good hands. The following sections will provide an overview of how to make homemade strawberry frozen custard so that you feel like you know what to expect for every step. I recommend at least skimming these instructions and photos so you know what to look for.

Make the Strawberry Jam

We’ll first make a sort of strawberry jam to cook down the strawberries. This reduces some of the water content in the berries and replaces it with sugar, which will make the strawberries less icy when frozen. Some people prefer a fresh strawberry flavor with more nuance, but I like a more concentrated strawberry flavor myself.

I prefer to use fresh, washed strawberries so I can pick the most ripe ones, but frozen will also work! Cut off the tops of the strawberries, then dice them into ¼” (6 mm) pieces. The smaller the pieces, the quicker your strawberries will cook, and the easier it will be to scoop the finished ice cream.

A woman dices strawberries on a wooden cutting board.
Diced strawberries on a wooden cutting board.
Dice your strawberries into ¼” (6 mm) pieces for the best texture when frozen.

Once the strawberries are all diced, transfer them to a medium pot and sprinkle granulated sugar on top. Place over medium heat, then cook until the strawberries have softened and the syrup is bright red. This takes anywhere from 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of your pot, your stove, and the size of your berries. I like to check the temperature with a thermometer to verify that the berries are totally cooked. A thermometer should read around 205°F/95°C.

Remove from heat, then transfer to a small container to chill. Scrape out as much of the strawberry residue on the sides and bottom of the pan as you can to prevent it from curdling the milk in the next step. This step is very important, otherwise you may end up with ice cream with the texture of sawdust, as my husband described it. But that’s why I test my recipes multiple times—so you don’t end up with sawdust strawberry ice cream!

A spatula holds up strawberry jam over a pot.
Strawberry jam is transferred from a pot to a glass container.
Cook the strawberries and sugar in a medium pot until the syrup is bright red, then transfer to a small container to chill. Scrape out the pot as best you can to prevent the jam from curdling the milk.

Make the Strawberry Custard Base

Next, whisk together egg yolks and granulated sugar in a large, heat-safe bowl. The mixture will start off as bright yellow, but as you whisk more air into the batter, it will turn pale yellow. After 2-3 minutes of whisking, the mixture should be pale and aerated.

Most recipes don’t call for whisking the yolks to the ribbon stage, but it helps to insulate the eggs a little more from too much heat. And that bit of wiggle room can make all the difference for beginner ice cream makers!

A hand whisks together sugar and egg yolks in a mixing bowl.
Ribboned egg yolks drip off of a whisk and back into a bowl of batter
Whisk together egg yolks and sugar to the ribbon stage, where you can see the batter leave a trail, or ribbon, on top of the batter before disappearing back into it.

Tempering the Egg Yolks

Next, heat the cream and milk together in the same pot over the stove. (I found that if you get most of the jam residue off of the sides and bottom of the pan with a spatula, the milk won’t curdle. There’s no need to fully wash out the pot first unless you want to.) Once the cream mixture is steamy, remove from heat and pour in a little at a time to your ribboned yolks. Whisk constantly to keep mixing the cream into the yolks; that will help prevent the eggs from curdling.

A spatula stirs milk and cream in a medium pot over medium heat.
Warm cream is poured from a pot into a mixing bowl with ribboned egg yolks.
Heat the milk and cream until warm and steamy, then pour 1-2 Tablespoons (15-20 ml) at a time into your ribboned yolks, whisking constantly.

Repeat this process until you’ve added at least half of the cream to the yolk mixture. Then, pour the tempered yolk mixture from the bowl back into the pot with the rest of the cream. Scrape the bowl with a spatula to get it all in the pot, then return the pot to medium heat to finish cooking.

Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened slightly. You can test this by seeing if it coats the back of a spoon or use a thermometer to see if it reads 170°F/75°C.

Immediately remove the custard from heat to prevent it from overcooking and curdling.

A spatula stirs custard in a medium pot over the stove.
A thermometer reads 167°F over a pot of cooked custard.
Cook the custard to 170°F/75°C over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Adding the Strawberry Jam

Add the strawberry jam to the cooked custard, and stir to combine. I’ve churned this ice cream as-is with strawberry chunks, and I’ve also blended it all together with an immersion blender for a smooth consistency. Both are good, but you will get the deepest pink color if you blend it all together.

Then, add vanilla bean paste or extract and stir together. Cover, then chill in the fridge or place in an ice bath. Expect it to take about 4 hours to chill in the fridge or about 1 hour to chill in an ice bath.

A four-part graphic showing to add strawberry jam to custard, blend it with an immersion blender, add vanilla, and then cover before chilling.
Add the strawberry jam to the custard base, then blend with an immersion blender, if desired. Add vanilla before covering and chilling in the fridge until cold to the touch.

How to Churn Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Right before adding the chilled custard to your ice cream maker, place the ice cream container you plan to use in the freezer. Having a chilled container will prevent the ice cream from melting directly on contact when you transfer it later!

Pour the custard into your ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the ice cream forms rounded domes above the sides of the paddle. This ice cream usually takes my ice cream maker about 20 minutes to churn completely.

A Secret for Scoopable Homemade Ice Cream

I don’t churn by time anymore, because every ice cream base and ice cream maker is different. Instead, I churn my ice cream until the custard forms large, rounded domes above the paddle of my ice cream maker. See the image below for an example.

Strawberry custard is poured into an ice cream maker.
A finger points at rounded domes of strawberry frozen custard in an ice cream maker.
Pour the strawberry custard into the ice cream maker, then churn until it forms rounded domes over the paddle.

Adding Mix-Ins to Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Because this ice cream recipe almost maxes out my ice cream maker, I like to layer in my mix-ins as I scoop the ice cream from the freezer bowl and into my container. When it comes to mix-ins, the smaller, the better! Large mix-ins can make it difficult to scoop the ice cream once frozen.

Once your ice cream is properly churned, take out your now-chilled container from the freezer. Transfer about a third of the strawberry ice cream into the container. Sprinkle small pieces of freeze-dried strawberries (or other mix-in) across the top of the strawberry ice cream.

Repeat, alternating a layer of strawberry ice cream and a layer of mix-ins until you run out of ice cream. The very sides of the freezer bowl may take a little extra effort to scrape off, which is why I use a heavy-duty spatula. I always like to add a few more sprinkles of my mix-in on top of the ice cream so I know what it is, then cover and freeze for at least four hours, or preferably overnight, to ensure that the ice cream has set completely. Then, enjoy!

A four part graphic showing how to layer freeze-dried strawberries into a container with freshly churned strawberry ice cream.
Scoop some of the strawberry ice cream into the container to cover the bottom, then add a layer of mix-ins, like freeze-dried strawberry pieces. Repeat, then cover with the lid and freeze until set before serving.

FAQs about Strawberry Frozen Custard

Not technically, but it will be much easier with an ice cream maker. I got mine for under $75 (though it looks like it has gotten a little more expensive), and it has worked great so far!

You can place the strawberry custard in a freezer-safe bowl and place it in the freezer. Then, whisk it vigorously by hand or with a hand mixer for 30-45 seconds every 30 minutes until the ice cream is too firm to beat any more, then cover and freeze until set.

I know a lot of people don’t think you can get super strong fruit flavors with custard-based ice creams, but there is absolutely no confusion about what flavor ice cream this is. It’s even more incredible if you add pieces of freeze-dried strawberries!

Yep, but I’d recommend keeping the additions to about ¼ cup. The ice cream maker is almost totally full with the blended strawberries in this one.

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

I’m a huge fan of frozen custard—practically every ice cream recipe on my website is custard-based!

This strawberry ice cream and my black cherry ice cream are my favorite fruit-based ice creams for summer.

My favorite fall flavors are brown sugar cinnamon ice cream and cookie butter ice cream. Both have lots of cinnamon for that warm, spiced goodness!

If you want to make a classic Neapolitan sundae, make this strawberry ice cream to serve with my French vanilla ice cream and double chocolate ice cream.

Leftover strawberry ice cream in a container.
This strawberry frozen custard has chunks of strawberry and bright berry flavor in every single bite.

Dish Cleanup: Gonna Take a While

I rate my recipe cleanups on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is only a handful of dishes, and 5 is everything including the kitchen sink.

This fresh strawberry frozen custard recipe has a cleanup rating of a 4. There’s the pot to make the custard, a large bowl, a cutting board, the ice cream maker, and a variety of measuring cups and spoons. I recommend rinsing the pot with the custard immediately after you transfer the custard to your bowl to make washing up a breeze.

Dishes needed to make strawberry ice cream.
This strawberry ice cream recipe has a couple more dishes than your basic vanilla, but the flavor comes through beautifully!

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Thanks so much for stopping by!
If you make this strawberry ice cream and love it, please don’t forget to leave a review to let others know how it turned out.

A scoop of strawberry ice cream in a white container.
5 from 4 votes

Strawberry Ice Cream (Frozen Custard)

Author: Alyssa Adams of The Floral Apron
Made with fresh strawberries, this rich and bright strawberry frozen custard is packed with strawberry flavor. Blend for a smooth, bright pink ice cream, or leave as is for soft chunks of strawberries.
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Prep Time:35 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Chill Time:8 hours
Total Time:9 hours
Course: Ice Creams
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 scoops, about 1.5 quarts

Ingredients
 

For the Strawberry Syrup

  • 2 cups (300 g) diced strawberries about 12 berries, fresh or frozen
  • ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar

For the Ice Cream Base

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (350 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (10 g) freeze-dried strawberries optional

Instructions

Prepping the Strawberries

  1. Wash and dry the strawberries if using fresh, then dice the strawberries into ¼" (6 mm) pieces for the best texture when frozen into the ice cream.
    2 cups (300 g) diced strawberries
  2. Add the diced strawberries and sugar to a medium pot. Cook over medium heat until all the strawberries have softened and the syrup has turned bright red. This takes around 7-10 minutes, with a thermometer reading around 205°F/95°C. Remove from heat.
    ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
  3. Transfer the strawberry jam to a small bowl, scraping out as much residue as you can with a silicone spatula,* and set aside.

Making the Strawberry Custard Base

  1. In a large heat-safe bowl, whisk together four yolks and granulated sugar, until the mixture becomes pale yellow and thick. This is known as the ribbon stage, where the mixture falls off the whisk in ribbons that are clearly visible for a few seconds before disappearing back into the mixture.
    4 large egg yolks, ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
  2. In the medium pot you cooked the strawberries in, add the heavy cream, whole milk, and salt. Stir occasionally, until the cream mixture is warm and steamy and just about simmering, about 6-8 minutes.
    1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, 1 ½ cups (350 ml) heavy cream, 1 pinch salt
  3. Remove the warm cream mixture from heat and carefully pour about 1-2 Tablespoons (15-30 ml) into the yolk mixture at a time, whisking vigorously until incorporated. Repeat 1-2 Tablespoons (15-30 ml) at a time until you've added about half of the cream mixture.
  4. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream mixture and return to medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon or is about 170°F/75°C, about 5-10 minutes. Do not let the custard boil.**
  5. Pour the custard into a large heat-safe bowl. (I always use the same one the egg yolk mixture was in, but you're welcome to use a clean bowl.) Add the strawberry syrup and vanilla.
    1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  6. If you want a brighter pink and smooth strawberry ice cream, use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Otherwise, leave the strawberry jam as is for a slightly paler pink hue and soft chunks of strawberry when frozen.
  7. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least three hours or up to one day, until the mixture is cold to the touch.

Churning the Strawberry Custard

  1. Place the container in which you'll store the ice cream in the freezer to chill, along with any room temperature mix-ins you plan to add.
  2. Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. This usually takes around 20 minutes. I allow the ice cream to churn until it forms rounded domes above the paddle for soft and scoopable ice cream even straight out of the freezer. (Reference images above in blog post.)
  3. You can either add the freeze-dried strawberry pieces (if using) directly into the ice cream maker in the last five minutes of churning, or layer them into the container as you scoop the ice cream. I prefer the second method, but both work well.
    ½ cup (10 g) freeze-dried strawberries
  4. For strawberry soft serve, enjoy right away. For traditional strawberry ice cream, cover and freeze for at least four hours to allow the ice cream to firm up before serving.

Video

Notes

*In my testing, I found that the milk and cream will split if added to all of the strawberry syrup. To prevent that from happening, you must transfer the strawberry syrup to a separate container and scrape out most of the strawberry syrup with a spatula to leave only a little bit behind. Washing the pot is not necessary.
**If the custard gets too hot and splits, I recommend straining the mixture through a fine mesh sieve before adding it to the bowl to reduce the potential for graininess. The ice cream may not be quite as thick, but it will still taste delicious!
You’ll get the strongest flavor and pink color using very ripe strawberries. I’ve made this recipe with store bought and fresh picked strawberries, and the freshly picked strawberries resulted in a much brighter color. If your ice cream is more of a pale pink and you’d like it to be more vibrant, add a single drop of red gel food coloring while churning.
You can also layer a strawberry jam into this ice cream once churned for even stronger strawberry flavor. (See how to do so in my black cherry ice cream recipe.)
Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1scoop | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g

I’d love to see how your strawberry frozen custard turns out: Take a photo and tag me on Instagram @floralapronblog to share with me, or use the hashtag #floralapronbakes.

5 from 4 votes

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Recipe Rating




7 Comments

  3. 5 stars
    I made this for the 4th of July after seeing a post on reddit! It’s so hard to find flavored custard recipes online and this one knocked it outta the park! It was so smooth and a perfect mixture of sweet and creamy. No eggy taste and clear easy to follow instructions. Thank you for doing the hard work on this one. Fabulous.
    love from,
    the cat

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    So good! We loved this recipe! Do you think blueberries would work in place of the strawberries? Got a ton of blueberries from picking recently and would love to make a blueberry ice cream!

    Reply

    1. I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Chelsea! I have not tried this recipe with blueberries, but I did adapt it from my black cherry ice cream recipe. It might need a few tweaks to get it perfect, but I think subbing bluebs in a 1:1 swap would make a pretty good ice cream 🙂

      Reply