21 Homemade Ice Cream Recipes We Can’t Get Enough Of

By Food & Wine
Updated July 08, 2020
Jen Causey
Whether you’re a fan of plain vanilla or prefer your ice cream loaded with mix-ins, there’s one thing we can probably all agree on—nothing beats homemade ice cream. It’s rich, it’s indulgent, and while it takes some effort, the end result always comes with an undeniable sense of pride. Here, we highlight some of our favorites, including Guinness Ice Cream with Chocolate-Covered Pretzels, Roasted Peaches with Mascarpone Ice Cream, and a next-level salted watermelon ice cream. All you have to do is pick which one to make first.
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Rosewater-and-Saffron Ice Cream (Bastani Irani)


© Con Poulos
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This fragrant ice cream is redolent with flavor. It's traditionally served between two thin wafers to make ice cream sandwiches, but it's equally delicious on its own.

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Vanilla-Almond Ice Cream with Cherries and Pistachios

John Kernick
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F&W's Justin Chapple doesn't use an ice cream maker for this sweet and creamy custard-based ice cream.

3 of 21

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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This exceptionally creamy ice cream relies on two unexpected ingredients: corn starch (to help thicken it) and cream cheese (to make it scoopable).

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Coffee Ice Cream

Abby Hocking
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Creamy, cold and caffeinated, this ice cream is everything your morning iced coffee should be. Decaffeinated coffee beans work well here too.

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Vanilla Ice Cream

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This classic vanilla ice cream makes the perfect topping for warm pie.

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Strawberry, Lemon and Vanilla Ice Cream Parfait

Danielle Tsi
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Fresh strawberry sauce and refreshing lemon sorbet make these giant sundaes a delightful early summer treat.

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7 of 21

Ice Cream Bonbon Pops

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You will need a small, half-ounce ice cream scoop to make these pops, which were inspired by movie-theater snacks.

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Roasted Peaches with Mascarpone Ice Cream

James Merrell
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The mascarpone in the ice cream reveals a strong Italian influence.

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Easy Banana Ice Cream with Milk Chocolate Chunks

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We can’t imagine a better use for ripe bananas than this chocolate-y frozen treat.

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Peach-Maple Ice Cream

Ngoc Minh Ngo
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Bobby Flay serves this ice cream atop Blackberry Corn Cakes.

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Guinness Ice Cream with Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

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This dessert, created by pastry chef Cory Barrett, is an ode to Michael Symon's father, Dennis, who loves beer, pretzels and chocolate. The ice cream has a strong, malty Guinness flavor that goes supremely well with the salty, milk chocolate-covered pretzels. If you don't want to make the chocolate-covered pretzels, they're easy enough to buy.

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Roman's Dairy-Free Chocolate-Coconut Ice Cream

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Rori Trovato creates all kinds of ice creams. Ironically, her son, Roman, has become lactose-intolerant. "Poor guy," Trovato says. "His mom opens an ice cream shop and he can't have any!" That's why she created this dairy-free flavor.

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Ricotta Ice Cream with Honey and Almonds

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For an unusual but exceptionally easy dessert, soften a pint of vanilla ice cream, mix it with ricotta and honey, and then refreeze it. You'll want to use a premium brand of ice cream, since the quality of each ingredient is very apparent in this simple dessert.

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Vanilla Ice Cream with Brown Butter Crumble

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Brown butter, made by warming butter in a skillet until deeply golden, adds a wonderful nutty flavor to this chunky, streusel-like topping. Sprinkle the crumble on vanilla ice cream for outrageously good sundaes.

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Caramel-Apple Ice Cream

© Christina Holmes
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Swirling caramelized apples with dulce de leche into vanilla ice cream makes for a delicious treat.

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Peach-Buttermilk Ice Cream

John Kernick
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Be sure to use the best buttermilk you can get for this recipe: The ice cream is just as much about the rich, tangy buttermilk as it is the fragrant peaches.

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Condensed-Milk Ice Cream with Black Sesame Polvoron


Eva Kolenko
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At LASA in Los Angeles, chef Chad Valencia makes his own version of ice cream by folding condensed milk into whipped cream—no churning required. A gently toasted black sesame crumble adds texture and a welcome nuttiness.

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French-Style Ice Cream

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This traditional ice cream has an egg-rich custard base. Christina Spittler says the egg yolks help make a denser ice cream.

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Olive Oil Ice Cream

Victor Protasio
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One of Portland, Oregon–based ice cream shop Salt & Straw’s classic flavors, this Olive Oil Ice Cream is a perfect beginner batch to whip up. The combination of olive oil and whole milk in this ice cream results in a perfectly creamy and silky texture, no eggs or tempering required. You can even play with different nut oils (like hazelnut or walnut) in place of olive oil—just avoid those that are solid at room temperature, like coconut oil.

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Peach-Blueberry Ice Cream

Jen Causey
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Ripe and fragrant summer peaches are the hero of this simple homemade ice cream. We love it on its own—or on a slice of toasted pound cake for a dinner party dessert. For an easy do-ahead, make the blueberry jam a week in advance, then stir it in when you’re ready to freeze. If you’re inspired, make a double batch of the jam and keep it around for topping toast or stirring into yogurt.

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Salted Watermelon Ice Cream

Jen Causey
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Nothing screams summer like slices of salted ripe watermelon, and this simple ice cream takes it to the next level. Coconut milk infuses the ice cream base with its velvety-smooth sweetness; lime provides a gentle flavor lift that subtly intensifies the juicy watermelon flavor. To salt or not to salt—that is the question, and it’s entirely up to you. If you’re skeptical, try it with crunchy flakes of Maldon sea salt; they’ll make you a believer.

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