It’s easy to make THE BEST Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream without an ice cream maker! In this recipe, I combined my Mom’s famous strawberry pie filling, with my basic no churn ice cream recipe, combining heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk.

It only takes 20 minutes of hands-on time to create this incredibly creamy ice cream recipe. And I can guarantee you that there’s no better way to enjoy a warm summer day than with a bowl of this refreshing strawberry ice cream!

Scoops of strawberry ice cream in white bowl

Strawberry ice cream is one of the three classic ice cream flavors, right up there with chocolate and vanilla. It’s always ranked in the top 10 most popular ice cream flavors in the US and it’s one of my personal favorites. This is why I spent hours coming up with the perfect strawberry ice cream recipe with fresh strawberry flavor!

Some strawberry ice cream recipes simply add fresh sliced strawberries to vanilla ice cream. Strawberries are made-up of mostly water, so when you simply mix them into an ice cream base, you end up with frozen strawberry chunks in the middle of vanilla ice cream. Not really strawberry ice cream and not very appealing!

Other recipes are made with artificial strawberry flavoring. I don’t know about you, but I’m not down with that! I want real, fresh strawberries in my ice cream. So I came up with the perfect compromise, my Mom’s famous strawberry pie filling!

Cooking the strawberries releases the water and brings out the flavor of the strawberries. Once the strawberries are cooked down to a slightly chunky puree, they easily mix into the ice cream base, creating a real strawberry ice cream with no chunks of frozen berries in sight! Here you will find strawberry ice cream perfection!

This no churn ice cream has the consistency of soft serve and it doesn’t need to be thawed when it comes out of the freezer. This is one of many reasons why this is the perfect ice cream recipe. You can go straight from freezer, to spoon, to mouth!

ingredients for no churn strawberry ice cream on white wood board

Ingredients

  • Fresh strawberries – if strawberries are not in season, you can also use frozen strawberries and thaw them before preparing this recipe.
  • Cornstarch
  • Granulated sugar
  • Lemon juice – I recommend fresh squeezed for the best flavor!
  • Sweetened condensed milk – this canned milk will be on the baking aisle at most major grocery stores.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Sea salt
  • Heavy cream – this might also be called heavy whipping cream. The two can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
Collage of images showing how to make homemade strawberry ice cream

How to make it

This recipe is super easy to make in three simple steps. Prepare the strawberry puree and the ice cream base, then put them together and after 5 hours in the freezer, you’ll be digging into the best ice cream ever! For the full recipe instructions and a step-by-step video showing how it’s made, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  1. Prepare the strawberry puree.
    • Add sliced strawberries to a large skillet, off the stove, and use a muddler, potato masher or fork to mash the strawberries into a thick, slightly chunky consistency.
    • Add corn starch and sugar to the mashed berries, then move the skillet onto the stove over medium heat.
    • Once the strawberry mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat slightly to medium-low and allow the berries to cook down to a thick consistency for 5-7 minutes.
    • Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in fresh squeezed lemon juice.
    • Transfer the strawberry puree to the refrigerator to cool, while you make the ice cream base.
  2. Prepare the ice cream base.
    • In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt. Set aside.
    • Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream over medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
    • Fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until well combined.
  3. Make the ice cream.
    • Gently fold the strawberry mixture into the ice cream.
    • Pour the ice cream into a 2 quart container.
      • Quick Tip! A metal container will freeze faster, but a glass or plastic container will also work. For this recipe, I used a heart shaped springform pan. Literally any pan that holds two quarts will work just fine!
    • Cover the container with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
Strawberry ice cream being scooped out of metal pan

Frequently asked questions

  • Can you make this recipe without chunks of strawberries? Yes, if you prefer a strawberry ice cream without chunks, simply puree the cooked strawberry mixture in a blender or food processor before folding it into the ice cream.
  • How long will homemade ice cream stay good in the freezer? This ice cream will stay good in the freezer for months. Always seal it in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn.
  • What toppings would you recommend adding to this ice cream? I’m a big fan of this ice cream on it’s own, but I’d be lying if I said adding a drizzle of chocolate syrup on top wouldn’t be delicious. Chocolate and strawberries are a match made in heaven!
  • Can frozen strawberries be substituted for fresh? Yes, since the strawberries in this recipe are cooked down, you can use frozen strawberries. You’ll want to immediately add them to a skillet over medium heat to allow them to defrost, then use a muddler to mash the strawberries. You can then follow the recipe as instructed, adding the sugar and cornstarch, then cooking down the strawberries.
  • Why isn’t the ice cream pink? Most strawberry ice cream that is bright pink in color has added red food coloring. I chose not to add food coloring to this recipe, but if you’d like to, go right ahead! Just add 1-2 drops of red food coloring into the ice cream with the strawberries.

What other ingredients could I add to this ice cream?

  • Chocolate Chips – simply fold one cup of mini chocolate chips into the ice cream with the strawberry mixture.
  • Shortcake – to make strawberry shortcake ice cream, mix in 1 cup of crushed shortbread cookies with the strawberry mixture.
  • Cheesecake – to make strawberry cheesecake ice cream, use your stand mixer or electric hand mixer to combine the condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt with 4 oz softened cream cheese, then follow the recipe as instructed. At the end, mix in 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers with the strawberry mixture.
Scoops of strawberry ice cream in white bowl

More ice cream recipes to try

Stock up your freezer with all of your favorite ice cream flavors! Be sure to check out each of these ice cream recipes, all easy to make without an ice cream maker!

And if you have an ice cream maker at home, be sure to try my families famous Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream!

More strawberry recipes to try

Scoops of strawberry ice cream in white bowl with gold spoon
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Strawberry Ice Cream

It’s easy to make THE BEST Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream without an ice cream maker! In this recipe, I combined my Mom’s famous strawberry pie filling, with my basic no churn ice cream recipe to create this incredibly creamy, flavorful strawberry ice cream!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the hulled and halved strawberries in a large skillet, away from the stove, and mash with a muddler or fork.
  • Mash until a thick, slightly chunky consistency is formed.
  • Add the corn starch and sugar to the mashed berries.
  • Mix together then move the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat.
  • Once the strawberry mixture begins to bubble reduce the heat slightly and allow the berries to cook down to a thick consistency, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat and add the lemon juice.
  • Place the mixture in the refrigerator to cool while preparing the ice cream base.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and sea salt.
  • Whip the heavy cream with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 3 minutes.
  • Fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until combined.
  • Gently fold in the cooked, cooled strawberries.
  • Pour into a 2 quart container.
  • Cover with an airtight lid, or plastic wrap, and place in the freezer.
  • Freeze for at least 5 hours, or overnight.

Video

Notes

  • Place the ice cream as far back in the freezer as you can for a quicker freeze. You never want to store ice cream in the door, as it is the warmest place in the freezer. But I have also found for homemade ice cream, the further back in the freezer you place it, the quicker it will freeze.
  • This recipe makes approximately 1/2 gallon of ice cream, which equals 4 pints, or 12 scoops of ice cream.
  • This ice cream will stay good in the freezer for 6 months. Always seal the ice cream in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn. I like to use these glass containers to store the ice cream. This recipe will perfectly fit into two of these containers.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 277kcal (14%)Carbohydrates 27g (9%)Protein 4g (8%)Fat 18g (28%)Saturated Fat 11g (55%)Cholesterol 66mg (22%)Sodium 106mg (4%)Potassium 189mg (5%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 25g (28%)Vitamin A 671mg (13%)Vitamin C 15mg (18%)Calcium 124mg (12%)Iron 1mg (6%)
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