Few treats can match the indulgent joy of ice cream. And this Cherry Ice Cream recipe is a celebration of summer’s bounty by taking plump, juicy cherries, adding them to sweetened vanilla-flavored cream, and turning it into a frozen delight with a wonderfully rich and smooth texture and a deliciously vibrant flavor. This homemade cherry ice cream is classy and elegant and every bite is a burst of summer goodness. Super easy to make – no eggs, no cooking, no fuss!
For more homemade ice cream recipes try my Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, Honey Lavender Ice Cream, Pumpkin Ice Cream, and White Chocolate Cranberry (or Cherry) Pistachio Ice Cream!
How to Make Cherry Ice Cream
This homemade Cherry Ice Cream can be made with either fresh or frozen cherries. Whichever you choose, the key to a great cherry ice cream is hitting the right balance between sweet and tart. Too much sweetness can overwhelm the cherry’s natural flavor, while too little can make the ice cream taste flat. The sweetness level of frozen cherries is typically pretty consistent but if you’re using fresh cherries you may need to adjust the sugar level a little depending on how ripe and sweet the cherries are. Meaning, if they tend toward the tarter side you may need to add a little more sugar. Another way to curb the sour is to add just a touch of almond extract which will bring out the fruit’s subtle nuances. Or if you like it a little tart, you can also add a splash of lemon juice can enhance the cherry’s natural tartness. You also have the option of a chunky or a smooth texture: dice the cherries and add them to the cream for a chunky version, or puree the cherries for a smooth version. Or you can also go for “in between” and add a combination of chunks and puree. I personally like some chunks because it’s not only a nice textural contrast but it also just makes it seem more “real” as opposed to an artificially flavored soft serve out of a dispenser.
Cherry Ice Cream Variations
Feel free to change things up. Here are a few popular variations:
Cherry Almond Ice Cream: Add some almond extract and toasted almonds for a nutty twist. Cherry Garcia Ice Cream: Add some chocolate chunks. Black Forest Ice Cream: Add some chocolate chunks and/or a swirl of chocolate sauce along with a splash of Kirsch. Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream: Add a few maraschino cherries to the mix for an added candied-boozy-almond flavor. Cherry Lime Ice Cream: Add some lime juice and zest to the cherry base for a refreshing, citrusy kick.
Dairy-Free Ice Cream
If you’re lactose intolerant you can use any milk alternative of your choice such as almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk. Coconut milk will give you creamier results than the other options but will also contribute a coconut flavor. But that’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, you can even add some toasted shredded coconut to your cherry ice cream for a nice flavor twist!
Cherry Ice Cream Recipe
To make cherry ice cream follow these simple steps:
Combine the cream, milk, sugar, extracts, and salt in a bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cherries. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm before serving.
Note: If you’d like a deeper and uniform red color you can puree some of the cherries in a blender before adding them to the cream and milk.
Enjoy!
For more delicious cherry recipes try our:
Cherry Clafoutis Cherry Marzipan Streusel Cake Risalamande Cherry Sauce Cherry Barbecue Sauce
Read more about me…
title: “Cherry Ice Cream” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-29” author: “Isabelle Stachura”
No custard base, no eggs, no cooking time, just a quick whirl in the blender with sweet cream, sugar, and cherries.
Cherry Ice Cream
Fresh, sweet cherries are one of my favorite fruits, but the hassle of removing the pits, combined with their limited availability makes their frozen counterparts perfect for this quick and easy ice cream recipe.
Homemade Ice Cream is the perfect dessert for any occasion and as any of my friends will attest, I’ll use any possible excuse to make a fresh batch. The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!
Cherry Ice Cream Recipe
frozen sweet cherries heavy cream milk sugar kosher salt vanilla extract
I make this ice cream both with and without the chocolate swirl. The chocolate is optional, but I highly recommend it. Isn’t everything better with a chocolate swirl? My favorite homemade ice creams are the ones that require very little effort on my part. At least half of the reason I love making my own ice cream is because it is often easier than a trip to the grocery store. Stir together the cream and sugar along with whatever flavors you are craving and just pour it into the machine. Nothing beats a batch of homemade ice cream straight out of the machine. Here are a few more of my favorite easy ice cream recipes: Oreo Ice Cream is not your everyday cookies and cream ice cream. (Although don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a batch of Cookies and Cream Ice Cream too!) The base of this ice cream tastes just like Oreo cookies, not like vanilla ice cream with chunks of Oreos. Fluffy, creamy Berry Banana Ice Cream is filled with strawberries and bananas. It is the perfect way to cool off this summer. Chocolate Chip Toffee Bits Ice Cream is exactly that – a homemade vanilla ice cream fully loaded with miniature chocolate chips and toffee bits. This is the best ever chocolate chip ice cream. You’re going to love it. With over 70 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start. These are my favorite inexpensive containers for storing ice cream. They’re perfect for gifting (who doesn’t love homemade ice cream?) storage, re-using, etc. I write the flavors on the lids with a sharpie and it washes off with dish soap. I have more ice cream scoops than I can keep track of at this point and I definitely play favorites. This ice cream scoop does the best job ever of cutting through firm ice cream and still delivers a pretty scoop. It gets bonus points for being one of the least expensive scoops I own as well. Don’t miss our Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs. Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me! {originally published 5/31/15 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/6/22}
