Black Cherry Ice Cream (6 Ingredients)
With only six ingredients, you can make homemade black cherry ice cream. This silky smooth ice cream recipe has a cream cheese like taste with bursts of sweetness from the cherries.
Servings: 10 servings (1.25 quart or 1.2L)
Calories: 228kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen black sweet cherries pitted
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
Instructions
- Add cherries, ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, and water to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until cherries are softened and a thickened syrup has formed in the bottom of the pan, about 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow cherries to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate for later.
- Fill a large bowl with ice to use later as an ice bath. Place an empty bowl on top of the ice. Set aside.
- Add milk, heavy cream, and vanilla to a heavy bottom pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it begins to steam around 160°F (71°C).
- Meanwhile mix the remaining 1 cup sugar (200 grams), cornstarch, and salt with a fork until no lumps remain and everything is well incorporated.
- Once the cream and milk begin to steam, slowly add in sugar mixture in small batches, whisking continuously. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for an additional 2 - 4 minutes until the mixture has slightly thickened. You can check this by scooping a bit of the liquid up with a spoon and testing the thickness. Make sure the ice cream base does not boil at any point.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over the empty bowl on top of the ice bath. Strain ice cream base. Chill ice cream base until it has stopped steaming. Press a piece of plastic wrap over the mixture to prevent a skin from forming on top. Chill the ice cream base until it reaches around 40 - 42°F (4 - 5°C), or up to overnight.
- Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions, about 25 - 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add cooked cherries and syrup a tablespoon at a time, then allow the machine to continue churning until thickened.
- The ice cream will be on the soft side. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer to "cure" or harden up for 6 - 8 hours. Store in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Video
Notes
Learn more about how to properly store homemade ice cream.
For Fresh Cherries: You may substitute frozen cherries for fresh cherries. Fresh cherries will cook down slightly faster (around 8 - 10 minutes). Just keep an eye on them. You'll know they're done once they've cooked down, are slightly softened, and a thickened syrup has formed in the bottom of the saucepan.
Be sure the ice cream base reaches 40 - 42°F (4 - 5°C) before churning in the ice cream maker.
Make sure your ice cream machine has a capacity of at least 1.6 quarts so it can churn the entire ice cream base (including the added cherries) in one batch.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 693IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 0.1mg
