Homemade peach ice cream is a sweet, creamy, and cool treat that highlights the juicy flavor of fresh peaches. It’s a simple, refreshing dessert perfect for hot days or whenever you want a delicious creamy dessert!
Fresh peaches are the best! They are naturally sweet and juicy with a hint of tartness. Alone, they are amazing, but I love peach recipes! Peaches go so well with cream, so I have spent the last couple of months perfecting The Best Homemade Peach Ice Cream!
I made many variations, but settled on today’s recipe because it highlights the fresh peach flavor and is quick and easy to make.
Getting fresh peaches from local orchards is ideal when possible, but many grocery stores carry high-quality peaches as well.
Ingredients Needed for The Best Homemade Peach Ice Cream:
- Whole Milk- I use less milk in this recipe than most of my ice cream bases due to the peach puree that is added.
- Granulated Sugar- Adds sweetness and stabilization to the ice cream.
- Cornstarch- Helps keep the ice cream soft and creamy.
- Sea Salt- Enhances the flavor of the ice cream.
- Heavy Whipping Cream- A staple ingredient in ice cream. I love the Darigold brand from Costco.
- Vanilla Extract- Gives a nice vanilla flavor to the peach ice cream.
- Fresh Peaches- The star of this ice cream recipe! You use around 3 peaches in the recipe and make a puree out of it and then cut 1 up into very fine pieces to add at the end of churning.
- Lemon Juice- This is added to the peach puree to keep the peaches tasting fresh and at their best.
How to Make Homemade Peach Ice Cream:
Making homemade ice cream is easy and enjoyable!
Start by making the Vanilla Ice Cream Base:
1- Mix the milk and cornstarch- Add them both to the pot and stir before turning the stovetop on.
2- Dissolve the sugar over the stove top– Add the granulated sugar to the milk mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Add the salt.
3- Stir in the rest of the ingredients– Mix in the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract.
4- Chill mixture- Keep the ice cream base mixture in the fridge in an airtight container for at least a few hours.
For the Peach Puree:
1- Dice 2 cups of fresh peaches that have been peeled.
2- Add lemon juice and granulated sugar.
3- Let sit- until it starts to soften and the juices are released, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4- Puree the peaches- just until almost smooth but some texture remains.
To Churn the Peach Ice Cream:
1- Churn the ice cream- Add the vanilla ice cream base to the bowl of the ice cream maker and churn for about 25-30 minutes, but after 10 minutes, once it’s starting to thicken, add the peach puree.
2- Add in the fresh peach- 1-2 minutes before the ice cream is finished churning, add in the finely diced fresh peach.
3- Chill- Keep stored in the freezer until the ice cream hardens to your desired consistency.
4- Enjoy! You are going to love this delicious Fresh Peach Homemade Ice Cream!
Best Tools to have to make Homemade Ice Cream:
Cuisinart 2-quart Ice Cream Maker- I LOVE this ice cream maker!! I’ve had it for almost 10 years, and it still works great! When I recently made this recipe x 6 (see below), I borrowed some neighbors’ ice cream makers, and it was clear this Cuisinart Artisan Ice Cream maker is top-of-the-line when it comes to homemade ice cream. I recently bought another ice cream maker bowl, and it has been so nice! This is another amazing, higher-end option I’ve got my eye on—I’m hoping to grab it soon!
Heavy-Based Saucepan – This is a great one. Here’s another good one, but cheaper.
Glass Container for storing the Ice Cream– I use the larger rectangular container to store the ice cream, and it has been great!
Ice Cream Scoop-This is a great one for getting round scoops, which I love the look of!
Disposable Ice Cream Cups– Perfect for sharing with friends!
The hardest part of homemade ice cream is waiting for it to set. It’s worth the wait!
Tips and Tricks:
-Make sure to put your ice cream bowl from your ice cream maker in the freezer at least 12 hours before churning. 24 is better. I just keep mine in my freezer at all times.
-Chill the ice cream base for at least 4 hours, overnight is even better!
-Freeze the container you will be putting the ice cream in for at least an hour before putting the ice cream in it. Homemade ice cream melts fast so this will help it not get very melty by the time you can get all the ice cream in the freezer.
-Use fresh peaches if possible, it will taste the best.
-The ice cream will be very soft when it’s done churning so be sure to plan ahead to freeze it at least a few hours before serving it. (Although if you prefer soft serve that’s totally fine too!)
-After it’s been in the freezer for about a day it tends to be a little harder than store-bought ice cream so make sure to take it out of the freezer for about 5-10 minutes or so before scooping.
Enjoy!
More Delicious Ice Cream Recipes:
- Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream
- Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
- Vanilla Ice Cream (Philidelphia Style)
- Roasted Strawberry & Buttermilk Ice Cream
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
(I make a small portion from the Amazon links if you purchase directly from them but as always I only share products I love!)
The Best Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Homemade peach ice cream is a sweet, creamy summer treat that highlights the juicy flavor of fresh peaches. It's a simple, refreshing dessert perfect for hot days or whenever you want a delicious creamy dessert!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 fresh peach, finely chopped
For Peach Puree:
- 3-4 fresh peaches (2 cups) chopped
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
For the Vanilla Ice Cream Base:
Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Stir well then turn the heat on to warm. Stir, until the sugar is dissolved. (Do not let
it get to a boil.)
Remove from the heat and add the salt and heavy whipping cream. Stir in the vanilla
extract.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator for about 4-12 hours.
For the PeachPuree:
Meanwhile, peel and dice 3-4 fresh peaches, which should yield approximately 2 cups. Add the granulated sugar and lemon juice and stir. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Blend the mixture until it's nearly smooth, with a few small pieces remaining. Then, put the mixture in a container and chill it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
To Churn the ice cream:
When ready to churn, freeze the vanilla ice cream base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, for about 25-30 minutes. After about 10
minutes or so, once it’s starting to thicken up, add the peach puree. 1-2 minutes before you stop the ice cream maker, add the finely chopped fresh peach. The
ice cream will be like a soft serve consistency. Freeze until the ice cream
reaches the desired consistency.
I loved this fresh peach ice cream because it was super creamy and tasted so good! It was cold, refreshing, and felt like summer in every bite.
Thank you! I love this!