Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

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This homemade strawberry ice cream is made with frozen strawberries, whipping cream and powdered sugar. You don’t need an ice cream maker, condensed milk or eggs, and it takes about 10 minutes to prepare in a food processor. Eat it straight away for a soft-serve consistency or freeze it for at least 4 hours for firmer scoops.

This is my mom’s favorite strawberry ice cream and she makes it every summer. She picks strawberries from her garden when they are ripe. After washing them and removing the green parts, she throws them into Ziploc bags and keeps them in the freezer.

Then, when she has some free time, she makes a small batch and eats it right away. Isn’t it great?

I always go for refreshing summer treats, and my raspberry mint ice pops are another one I like when it is hot.

How to make strawberry ice cream without a machine

First, whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, then set it aside.

Process the frozen strawberries until they break into coarse pieces. I like to take out about ⅓ cup at this point and set them aside to stir back in later. That way, you get small bits of strawberry throughout the ice cream.

Add the whipped cream to the remaining strawberries in the food processor and process until smooth. Stir in the reserved strawberry pieces by hand.

Serve the ice cream immediately or transfer it to a freezer-safe container, cover it with a lid and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Soft serve or firm scoops?

Straight from the food processor, the ice cream will have a soft-serve consistency. If your food processor is powerful enough and you work quickly, you may be able to serve it right away.

My kitchen is like a sauna in summer, so I was not that lucky.

For firmer, scoopable ice cream, freeze it for at least 4 hours. Four hours is the minimum, so it may need a little longer depending on your freezer and the container you use.

After freezing it overnight, leave the container at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping.

Tips for making strawberry ice cream

This recipe is made with frozen strawberries. They keep the mixture cold enough to serve straight from the food processor.

Make sure your food processor can handle frozen food. If it struggles, process the strawberries in smaller batches rather than forcing the motor.

A little more cream will make the ice cream milder and creamier, while more strawberries will give it a stronger fruit flavor. Changing the ratio also affects how firmly it freezes, so I recommend making it as written the first time.

Keep the ice cream covered in a freezer-safe container. If it becomes too firm to scoop, let it soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

How to serve strawberry ice cream

Serve it in bowls or in store-bought or homemade ice cream cones.

You can also divide the mixture among popsicle molds, add the sticks and freeze them overnight. The mixture can also be used as the ice cream layer in a strawberry ice cream cake.

Oh, and if you like trying new flavors, I highly recommend my blackcurrant ice cream. My no-churn chocolate cherry ice cream is another easy option when you want something richer.

More frozen treats to try

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