Cool down this summer with a creamy homemade blackberry ice cream recipe made with one of the season’s greatest berries. The custard-style base is gently cooked with egg yolks, sugar, and milk, then mixed with a homemade blackberry purée for punchy berry flavor in every bite.
Rich Ice Cream With Lots of Fresh Berry Flavor
Blackberry season is among us! These dark, tart, and sweet berries peak in July and August, so I couldn’t resist turning a bushel of these juicy berries into the best ice cream I’ve ever had. (not actually a bushel!)
You may recognize the homemade vanilla ice cream base from my peach ice cream recipe. It’s rich, velvety, and has been passed down through my family for generations. It’s absolutely incredible on its own, but it becomes a true masterpiece once you add seasonal fruits, chocolate, nuts, and anything else your heart desires.
To get all the best of the blackberries, you can’t just add them to the ice cream, you’ll want to concentrate them. First cook the berries down with a little sugar, strain all the juice out, and then add the fruity syrup to a fabulous custard.
Wondering what the difference between ice cream and custard is? It’s a fine line, and they’re so similar that it can be hard to pinpoint the difference. Ice cream and custard have all the same base ingredients of milk, cream, and sweetener, but custard uses egg yolks to make it even more rich and creamy. Custard also starts on the stove, believe it or not!
You’ll start by simmering the milk and cream together, then slowly add the combination to the egg yolks before simmering again. Once it’s thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, you’ll push it through a wire sieve, add the blackberry syrup, and refrigerate until it’s time to break out the ice cream machine.
You can serve this with fresh blackberries, in a cup, bowl, or a waffle cone if you’re feeling really nostalgic! Try adding a shortbread cookie on the side or go all out and serve it on top of a skillet black berry cobbler!
Let me know which of my ice cream recipes is your favorite in the comments below.
Why You Should Make Your Own Ice Cream
- Get Creative – The vanilla base is the perfect starting point for a decadent treat.
- Simple Ingredients – Made with pantry staples and fresh berries, this ice cream has no secret additives or preservatives.
- Summer Refresh – No more last minute grocery store trips. Once you learn how to make ice cream at home, you can have it on hand any time of the year. You can even use frozen blackberries.
- Southern – Nothing says the South more than sitting outside with a bowl of homemade ice cream. 🥰
Ingredients For the Creamiest Custard Ice Cream
BLACKBERRY MIXTURE – Fresh or frozen blackberries. If frozen, they will need to thaw first. Then just a little sugar and lemon juice.
ICE CREAM – You’ll need both whole milk and heavy cream for the creamiest ice-cram. Then just pantry staples: sugar, salt, egg yolks and vanilla.
How To Make Creamy Blackberry Ice Cream
Step One: Make Blackberry Syrup
Add blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the berries have softened, about 15 minutes. If your berries aren’t sweet, feel free to add a little more sugar.
Mash the berries as they cook to release all their juices. Pour the blackberries through a wire mesh sieve, mashing down with the back of a spoon, reserving all of the liquid. Discard the pulp. Let it cool while you make the custard.
Step Two: Simmer On The Stove
Add milk, cream, sugar, and salt to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
Step Three: Combine Egg Yolks
Whisk the egg yolks together in a large measuring cup or bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking until combined. Continue slowly adding the warm milk until the egg mixture is warm. Then, slowly add the warm egg mixture to the hot milk, whisking constantly until incorporated.
Step Four: Make a custard
Return to the heat and cook for about 5 minutes until it is slightly thick and coats the back of a spoon. (An instant thermometer will read 170º.) Pour it through a wire mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the blackberry syrup and let it come to room temperature for about 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step Five: Turn Into Ice Cream
Process according to the manufacturer’s directions. It should take about 20 minutes to become soft-serve ice cream. Pour it into a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap until firm.
This is the ice cream maker I use, it’s a work horse and is very affordable.
How To Store Homemade Ice Cream
In The Freezer: Cover your ice cream tightly to keep it fresh. Try storing it in an ice cream storage container which will keep it from forming crystals for at least a month.
Don’t Forget!
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Ingredients
Blackberry mixture
- 4 cups blackberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ice Cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Add blackberries, ¼ cup sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, until the berries have softened, about 15 minutes. Mash the berries as they cook to release all their juices.
- Pour the blackberries through a wire mesh sieve mashing down with the back of a spoon, and, reserving all of the liquid. Discard the pulp. Let it cool while you make the custard.
- Add milk, cream, ⅔ cups of sugar and salt to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
- Whisk the egg yolks together in a large measuring cup or bowl. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking until combined. Continue slowly adding the warm milk until the egg mixture is warm. Then slowly add the warm eggs to the hot milk, whisking constantly until incorporated.
- Return to the heat and cook for about 5 minutes until it is slightly thick and coats the back of a spoon. (an instant thermometer will read 170º) Pour it through a wire mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the blackberry syrup and let it come to room temperature, for about 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Process according to the manufacturer’s directions. It should take about 20 minutes to become soft-serve ice cream. Pour it into a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap until firm or place in an ice cream storage container.
Notes
- Make sure you cool this in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight before adding to an ice cream maker.
- If your blackberries are tart, increase the sugar to 1/2 cup.
- You can use frozen blackberries, just let them thaw first using all the liquid.
