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This fresh, smooth and creamy blueberry ice cream is the perfect way to enjoy those fresh blueberries this season. Not only is it delicious but it is pretty!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
My husband declared this, “the BEST ice cream you have ever made!” This comment was not made once but made multiple times each time he enjoyed his bowl full of fresh homemade blueberry ice cream.
Don’t just take his word for it, try it because this really is the best ice cream I’ve ever made and I’ve made a lot of ice cream. It’s the perfect summer treat.
Ingredients Needed
- Blueberries. I think fresh give you the best flavor but frozen will also work.
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Milk. I use a combination of whole milk, heavy cream and half and half.
What Is Half And Half?
I am often asked what half and half is. It is a combination of whole milk and whipping cream. If you don’t have half and half where you live (I think it may be an American thing) just use more whipping cream and whole milk in place of the half and half – a 1:1 ratio. But if you can buy half and half, I highly recommend doing so.
How to Make Blueberry Ice Cream Recipe
- Puree blueberries in blender.
- Add blueberry mixture and sugar into a medium saucepan and stir over medium low heat, until sugar dissolves.
- Refrigerate mixture until cold.
- Add in vanilla, salt, milk, 1/2 and 1/2 and cream. Blend together.
- Pour into ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Freeze to allow ice cream to set up and ripen.
Tips from Leigh Anne
- This ice cream takes a little planning as the ice cream base needs to be cooled after cooking. I also like to let the ice cream harden up in the freezer after it has been processed to make it more scoop-able.
- You can enjoy it straight out of the ice cream maker but it will have more of the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
- You can add in any type of berry you like using this ice cream base. Try a combination of berries for even more great flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Earlier in the day I had gone to a local blueberry farm and picked a bucket full of fresh blueberries to use but I am sure you could also use frozen but you’ll get a fresher flavor with fresh berries of course!
How long will blueberry ice cream last in the freezer?
Stored in an airtight, insulated ice cream container it will last for a couple of weeks.
What kind of ice cream freezer do you use?
This is my favorite ice cream maker.
Do I have to use an ice cream maker?
This homemade ice cream recipe is designed to be made in an ice cream maker and is not meant to be a no churn ice cream.
Pair this with
Check out more delicious blueberry recipes:
And make sure to check out all of my ice cream recipes.
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Fresh Blueberry Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups whipping cream
Instructions
- Puree blueberries in blender.
- Add pureed blueberries and sugar in sauce pan and stir, warming until sugar dissolves.
- Refrigerate mixture until cold.
- Add in vanilla, salt, milk, 1/2 and 1/2 and cream. Mix.
- Pour into ice cream maker and churn.
- Freeze to allow ice cream to set up and ripen.
Tips & Notes:
- This ice cream takes a little planning as the ice cream base needs to be cooled after cooking. I also like to let the ice cream harden up in the freezer after it has been processed to make it more scoop-able.
- You can enjoy it straight out of the ice cream maker but it will have more of the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
- You can add in any type of berry you like using this ice cream base. Try a combination of berries for even more great flavor.
Kurt Fitzner says
My sweetheart loves blueberries so I thought I would try this. I’m not sure I understand the need for milk, half & half, AND cream. Milk has 3.25% milk fat. Half & Half is typically 10-12% and whipping cream is 30-35%. So, what your recipe is saying is you want a result that is 18-21% milk fat. That result can be obtained without having to buy two types of cream by using a little more heavy cream and more milk and leaving out the half & half.
Also, I find all that the vanilla overpowers the delicate blueberries by a large factor. I wonder if the wild (low bush) blueberries here in Nova Scotia are milder. In my second batch I omitted the vanilla outright, reduced the sugar, and used (unreconstituted) condensed milk in place of the milk and half & half. This still gave the needed milk fat percentage and the increased lactose and whey from the condensing of the milk gave the underlying creamy taste that the vanilla had been providing, but didn’t overpower the blueberries.
Thanks for posting this recipe. It helped me along greatly!
Santana says
I made this and it never turned to ice cream I can’t figure out what I did wrong? All I have is purple milk soup ?
Leigh Anne says
What type of ice cream maker were you using?
Jim Jocifero says
I tried your recipe with some home-grown blueberries from my parents’ garden, and my wife and kids agreed it was the best ice cream flavour ever. Only problem is I didn’t have half-and-half, so I substituted extra whole milk, which I think hurt the texture. It wasn’t as creamy as it should be, and got a little crystallised when frozen. next time hopefully i’ll have more cream or half-and-half on hand. But thanks for posting it!
Alissa says
How long do I let it churn for?
Leigh Anne says
It will depend on your ice cream maker. Some machines shut off automatically when it is done. For me I just watch it until it is thickened up and then turn it off.
Diana Zee says
Hi saw your link on the SITS link up. I don’t have an ice cream maker and I love that this doesn’t call for one. I am making this for sure!
Diana Zee says
LOL Sorry I was so excited that I completely skipped the part about the ice cream maker. Ahhh well it still looks good!