Learn how easy it is to make homemade Strawberry Ice Cream with fresh strawberries. Your family will LOVE this ice cream! Promise!!
I shared with you previously how my husband decided we needed a home ice cream maker. I was skeptical.
I have had ice cream makers in the past and felt like they were a lot of work for the reward. In fact, when I was a little girl we had a hand crank ice cream maker. We all took our turns cranking the ice cream maker, adding salt, and just making a mess.
No thanks!

But, today’s ice cream makers, my friend, are better and easier to use. So much better that I wrote an entire blog post singing the praises of our new Cuisinart ICE-21P1 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, and Sorbet Maker. You can read all about our new ice cream maker here.
Also, a couple of weeks ago now I shared with you my favorite “base” ice cream recipe. This is THE recipe that you can use as a base for all sorts of add-ins.

Strawberry Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberries
Although plain ol’ vanilla ice cream is my favorite, this Strawberry Ice Cream with fresh strawberries is quickly becoming my favorite.
Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about the ingredients, equipment, and supplies you’ll need.
Equipment Needed
- Cuisinart ICE-21P1 Ice Cream Maker
- measuring cup
- liquid measuring cup (I like to use this measuring cup!)
- measuring spoon
- silicone spatula
- mixing bowl
- hand mixer
- whisk
- airtight freezer-safe ice cream storage container (These are awesome and you’ll want multiples!)
- food processor or blender
- knife or strawberry huller
Ingredients Needed
- whole milk
- granulated sugar
- sea salt
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract (You can make your own!)
- fresh strawberries
- parchment paper

Tips for Making Homemade Ice Cream
Use Cold Ingredients
I like to use my 8 cup glass measuring cup as my mixing bowl. Why? Well, because it has a handle and a spout and it makes it really easy to mix, chill, and pour!
Speaking of chill, it’s really important that you use cold ingredients. Don’t skip the step of chilling the liquid ingredients for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
Freeze the Bowl
If you have room in your freezer, it would be ideal to simply store the freezer bowl in the freezer in an upright position until you need it. Otherwise, you’ll want to freeze the bowl for at least 24 hours before using.
AND, leave the bowl in the freezer until you are ready to mix your ice cream.
Mix Well
I have made ice cream using my whisk and my hand mixer. By far, the sugar is incorporated the best when I use the hand mixer – no matter how well I think I’ve hand whisked the sugar into the milk. So, for ice cream that isn’t gritty, be sure to mix the sugar very well with a whisk or hand mixer.
Turn the Maker On First
Before you add your ice cream base to the freezer bowl, you’ll want to actually have the bowl in place and the machine turned on BEFORE you add the mix to the bowl. So, set the bowl on the base, insert the paddle and secure the cover. Then turn on the ice cream maker (the bowl will start to turn) and pour in the base.
Use Parchment Paper
Not that you’ll have ice cream leftover, but if you do, you may want to cover the ice cream with parchment paper before putting on the lid. If you’ll be storing ice cream in your freezer and want to prevent ice from building up on the top, use parchment paper.
Simply tear off a piece of parchment paper and press it down on top of the ice cream. You want the parchment paper agains the ice cream. Then seal the container.
I also use a permanent marker and write the ice cream flavor on the parchment paper.
Store Ice Cream in Airtight Container
When I make ice cream, I immediately transfer it to one of my ice cream storage containers. We bought these oblong containers. They are the perfect size for the amount (1.5 qt) of ice cream our ice cream maker makes. And the shape is just perfect for scooping ice cream!
And, trust me, you’ll want multiple containers.

Strawberry Ice Cream
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is full of fresh strawberries! It's sure to become a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put the strawberries into the bowl of your food processor fitted with the chopping blade or in your blender. Pulse strawberries until rough/finely chopped. Pour processed strawberries into a bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Stir in reserved strawberries with all the juices.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
- Turn on the Cuisinart® ice cream maker; pour the chilled mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.
- Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
You can substitute frozen strawberries for frshsh.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 35mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
More Recipe Ideas
If you enjoyed learning how to make this Vanilla Ice Cream Base Recipe, you might also like these recipes from The Birch Cottage:
- Instant Pot Dulce de Leche Recipe (caramel sauce)
- Easy Homemade Butterscotch Recipe
- The BEST Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
And be sure to pin the below image to your favorite Pinterest board to save this recipe for later or to share with family and friends!

Trish
Thursday 16th of June 2022
I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker! I got it a few years ago and always made the chocolate because it is perfect! I got it out last week and made the chocolate mint ice cream and I swooned! I added bailey's irish cream chips into it that I had rough chopped and let me tell ya, nothing is easier or better than this ice cream maker and the recipes in the book! Now, if I could just find a recipe for creamy, lemon ice cream!
Pamela Baker
Thursday 16th of June 2022
I have the made the chocolate and it was rich and creamy. Chocolate is not my favorite, but it does have a lot of flavor and I think it would be really good with some chocolate covered almonds.
I've also made Peanut Butter ice cream with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Perfect for all the peanut butter lovers. I've been wanting to make coconut pineapple. And I found this recipe from On Sutton Place for Homemade Lemon Ice Cream. Sounds amazing! Let me know if you try it!
Enjoy!
Pam Baker