Summer Berry Ice Cream

By Melissa Clark

Updated June 5, 2016

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes, plus churning and chilling
Rating
5(466)
Comments
Read comments

Egg-free ice cream, often called Philadelphia-style or American-style, is a traditional method that can yield phenomenal results if superior ingredients are used and if the ice cream is not pumped full of air (as many cheap store-bought brands are). From the perspective of a home cook, egg-free ice creams are simpler than custard-based ones, and more foolproof. You don’t have to worry about tempering the yolks, or fear curdling. To soften the texture of egg-free ice creams, which otherwise freeze rock solid, David Lebovitz, author of “The Perfect Scoop,” advised adding a few spoonfuls of alcohol or a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup. Adding more sugar also helps the texture, said Nick Morgenstern of Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream, but so does simply leaving the ice cream at room temperature — or better, in the refrigerator — until soft enough to scoop.

Featured in: Egg-Free Ice Cream Lets Flavors Bloom

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:About a quart

  • 1 ¼ cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries combined)

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • ⅓ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, as needed

  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons vodka

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

17 grams carbs; 67 milligrams cholesterol; 268 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 1 gram fiber; 46 milligrams sodium; 2 grams protein; 15 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a bowl, mash berries with a fork or potato masher until just slightly chunky.

  2. Step 2

    In a saucepan over medium-low heat, bring cream to a simmer with ⅓ cup sugar and the salt. Taste berries and if they are very tart, add 2 tablespoons sugar to saucepan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a bowl, stir in vodka and place in refrigerator or in an ice bath to chill.

  3. Step 3

    When cold, pour mixture into ice cream machine. Add berries and churn according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a container and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, or in refrigerator for 15 to 30.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
466 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Nelson

Added zest of half a lemon to balance the richness of the cream and sweetness of the berries. Delish!

scooter

We thought this all-cream version was a little heavy. I cut the cream to 1 cup and replaced 1/2 cup of the cream with milk. I replaced the other 1/2 cup of cream with buttermilk added just prior to churning. The buttermilk gave a delicious tartness to the ice cream.

VickieDell

I've made this many times. It tastes so summer fresh with all the berries. I do give them a whirl in the food processor as I prefer smaller chunks.

Liesl

@nyscotsman He said it in the preamble- vodka makes the ice cream texture more scoopable after freezing. Otherwise, homemade ice cream can freeze hard as a rock

Chelsea

Worked in my Ninja Creami.

nyscotsman

Why does it need vodka? What could be used as a non-alcoholic substitute?

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.