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Nothing beats creamy and rich homemade ice cream, especially when it’s made with fresh strawberries. This Strawberry & Creme Fraiche Ice Cream is full of fresh strawberry flavor with a luscious creamy texture, it’ll become your favorite recipe for summer!
Once you make homemade ice cream, it’s hard to go back to store-bought. Don’t get me wrong, there are some outstanding ice cream brands out there, but nothing beats the rich creaminess of homemade ice cream. And this Strawberry & Creme Fraiche Ice Cream recipe is hands-down my favorite ice cream recipe and will not disappoint!
Made with crème fraiche and sweetened condensed milk (did I mention this was a rich, creamy ice cream?!), this Strawberry and Crème Fraiche Ice Cream will pleasantly surprise you with its flavor and velvety texture. The slight tang from the crème fraiche makes for a phenomenal flavor, and its higher-fat content makes this ice cream so luxuriously rich. This is a plan-ahead recipe, so be prepared to make it ahead of time, but I promise it’s worth it!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love this Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
- Perfect Balance of Flavors: The tangy richness of crème fraîche perfectly complements the sweet and slightly tart strawberries.
- Simple Ingredients, Gourmet Outcome: With just a few high-quality ingredients, you can create a dessert that tastes like it's straight from a luxury ice cream parlor.
- Versatile and Customizable: Easily adapt the recipe to include your favorite mix-ins or toppings.
- Impressive Yet Easy: Whether for a cozy family dinner or a fancy dinner party, this ice cream will steal the show without stealing your time.
Ingredients
- Strawberries
- granulated sugar
- lemon juice
- kosher salt
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- crème fraîche
- sweetened condensed milk
- vanilla extract
How to make Strawberry Ice Cream?
This is a plan-ahead recipe for two reasons. First, you need to put your ice cream maker bowl in the freezer for at least 12 hours, or according to your ice cream maker instructions.Second, you will need to cook down the strawberries with some sugar and cool completely before adding it into your ice cream mixture.
Aside from freezing the ice cream maker bowl, the first step is to cook down or reduce the strawberries and sugar in a medium saucepan on your stovetop – making a compote. Cooking releases water and concentrates the strawberry flavor. You end up making more of a strawberry jam, which intensifies the strawberry flavor throughout the ice cream. Next, you add lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt for freshness. Mashing this mixture with a fork or potato masher helps release the juices and preserves some strawberry chunks for extra bursts of flavor.
After allowing the strawberry compote to cool completely, refrigerate while making the ice cream base. In a medium bowl (I like to use a batter bowl for easy pouring), whisk to combine milk and remaining sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Wisk in the heavy cream, crème fraiche, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. I find that chilling this ice cream base recipe for at least 2 hours helps make creamy, thick ice cream.
After allowing each mixture to cool appropriately, it’s time to make your ice cream! Follow the manufacturer's instructions on your ice cream maker. For those with this Cuisinart ice-cream maker, turn on the ice cream maker, pour the milk/heavy cream mixture into the frozen freezer bowl, and mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. Add in chilled strawberry compote and let mix for 5 additional minutes.
Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for about 2 hours, or overnight and enjoy!
Ingredient Swaps
- No crème fraîche? Use full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt for a similar tangy richness.
How Long Will the Ice Cream Keep?
Usually, homemade ice cream doesn’t last long in my house. Still, from my experience, it’s best to eat homemade ice cream within 2-4 weeks of making it. Because this recipe has a higher fat content, I’ve had it taste great at week 4.
Tips for Keeping Homemade Ice Cream in Your Freezer
- Use airtight containers. I like to use these deli containers.
- After serving ice cream out of your airtight container, place a piece of plastic wrap firmly against the entire surface of the ice cream (this helps prevent ice crystals).
- Store your ice cream at 0°F or below. We store our ice cream in our stand-up freezer that gets temperatures down to -10°F
- Store ice cream in the back of the freezer and not the freezer door.
- Use cold ingredients: Chilled milk and cream will help the ice cream churn faster and create a smoother texture.
- Don't over-churn: Once the ice cream thickens and reaches a soft-serve consistency, stop churning! Over-churning can make it icy.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. Happy Summer friends!
p.s. Check out my other delicious strawberry recipes here.
If you give this recipe a try, please leave a comment below, rate the recipe, and don’t forget to tag me @homesweetfarmhome on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with and share with our community. Cheers!
Recipe Card
Strawberry and Crème Fraiche Ice Cream
Ingredients
Strawberry Compote:
- 2 cups Strawberries roughly chopped
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
Ice Cream Base:
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup crème fraiche
- 1 can 14oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Remove stem and roughly chop up strawberries. Combine with ¼ cup granulated sugar.
- Heat strawberry and sugar mixture in a small pot on medium heat. Cook down for about 15 minutes, string frequently until the mixture begins to thicken and the strawberries release their juices.
- Mash the berries with a fork. Consistency should be thick and jammy and reduced down to about 1 cup. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and salt. Cool completely and refrigerate.
- In a medium bowl (I like to use a batter bowl for easy pouring), whisk to combine milk and ¾ cup sugar, until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the heavy cream, crème fraiche, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
- Turn on ice cream maker and pour the milk/heavy cream mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. Add in chilled strawberry compote and let mix for 5 additional minutes.
- Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours, or overnight and enjoy!
Nutrition
* The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Recommended Products
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Machine, Batter Bowl, Food Storage Containers
Annie says
All my guests LOVE this ice cream - soooo delicious!