Churn up this Homemade Peach Ice Cream in minutes, with sweet, ripe peach chunks in every scoop. Grab a cone or bowl and enjoy creamy, dreamy homemade ice cream.
If you love your peaches, try this peach ice cream on to of our Southern Peach Cobbler or use it to make a frozen peach smoothie.
Why You'll Love This Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Homemade peach ice cream just screams lazy summer days and playing in the sprinkler outside. Made in a Cuisinart ice cream maker, the custard-style base has a rich and creamy texture. Serve it any time, but it's going to be the star on family backyard barbecues and gatherings.
- Fresh Summer Flavor: It perfectly captures the sweet, sun-ripened taste of fresh peaches in every creamy scoop.
- Rich and Smooth Texture: The custard base ensures an incredibly rich and velvety ice cream that melts beautifully.
- Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Sized: Your Cuisinart ice cream maker handles the churning, making it simple to create this delightful dessert at home.
Ingredients Overview
Fresh ripe peaches make the best tasting homemade peach ice cream, but if you are craving it when peaches are out of season, frozen peaches will work also. You'll also need some heavy cream, half and half, sugar, vanilla, and eggs for this custard-style ice cream recipe.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Follow our step-by-step instructions below for creating the perfect peach ice cream at home. Make the custard base, chill it, and then churn it in your Cuisinart ice cream maker.
Pro Tip
If using a Cuisinart or other electronic ice cream maker, set the freezer bowl in your freezer overnight.
Step 1: Prepare the peaches by washing, pitting, and cutting into chunks. If you don't want skin, you can peel it also. Add the sugar, half and half, vanilla extract, and salt and prepared peaches to a blender or food process and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
Step 2: Pour the blender liquid into a large saucepan and heat on medium. When the mixture reaches 175℉, remove from heat.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk the two eggs. Slowly trickle about ½ cup the hot mixture into the bowl with the beaten eggs, mixing constantly to combine. Slowly add the tempered egg mixture to the sauce pan of hot half & half mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.
Step 4: Return the heat back to medium, stirring constantly with a whisk, until temperature just reaches 160°F. Stir in the heavy cream, blending with the egg tempered half & half mixture.
Step 5: Cover with plastic wrap so that the film touches the custard, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
Step 6: Transfer the chilled custard ice cream base to the electric ice cream maker freezer bowl, or churning container. If adding chunky bits of peaches, stir them in now. Turn your Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker on and program to the 'ice cream' setting, about 25 minutes.
Step 7: When the peach ice cream has reached the soft serve stage, spoon into an airtight freezer container and freeze for 2 hours or overnight to harden.
Serving Suggestions
Some great things to accompany homemade peach ice cream are salted caramel sauce, vanilla bundt cake, or slices of fresh peaches along side the ice cream.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this recipe.
- Roasted Peaches: For a deeper, more caramelized peach flavor, try roasting the peaches slightly before pureeing them for the ice cream base. This concentrates their sweetness and adds a rich dimension.
- Peach Melba Swirl: Just before the ice cream is fully churned, or when it reaches a soft-serve consistency, gently swirl in some raspberry puree or raspberry sauce for a delicious Peach Melba variation.
- Extract Alternatives: Instead of vanilla extract, use a touch of almond extract to complement the peaches, or try a combination of both for a unique flavor.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this recipe:
- Freeze the Bowl: For Cuisinart models with a freezer bowl, make sure it's frozen solid. This typically takes at least 12-24 hours. A fully frozen bowl is essential for proper churning and consistency.
- Choose Ripe Peaches: The flavor of your ice cream heavily depends on the peaches. Use peaches that are ripe, fragrant, and slightly soft to the touch for the best natural sweetness and flavor.
- Temper Eggs Properly: When adding eggs to the warm custard base, slowly whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs first. This gradually raises their temperature. Then, slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the main pot, whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and reaches no higher than 160∘F (71∘C), which pasteurizes them without curdling.
- Chill Your Base Thoroughly: This is crucial for custard-based ice cream. Ensure your cooked custard base is completely chilled in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours, or preferably overnight, before churning. A well-chilled base freezes faster and results in a smoother texture.
- "Cure" for Firmness: After churning, your ice cream will be soft-serve consistency. Transfer it to an airtight container and "cure" it in the freezer for at least 2-4 hours to firm up to a scoopable texture.
Storage Options
Some recommended storage options for this recipe are:
- Freezer: Store freshly churned ice cream in an airtight container in the coldest part of your freezer for up to 2 weeks for the best texture and flavor.
- Freezer: For longer storage, up to 1 month, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream before putting on the lid. This helps prevent ice crystals from forming.
- Prevent Freezer Burn: Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream before putting on the lid of the container. This helps prevent ice crystals and freezer burn.
Related Recipes
- Peach Pie Crumble
- Spiced Peach Jam
- Easy Peach Hand Pies
- Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam (no pectin)
- Strawberry Crunch Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for a custard-based ice cream like this, cooking the base is essential. It thoroughly blends the ingredients, thickens the mixture for a richer texture, and pasteurizes the eggs for safety.
This can happen if the base wasn't fully chilled, the freezer bowl wasn't frozen solid, or the churning time wasn't long enough. Make sure to "cure" the ice cream in the freezer after churning for several hours.
Yes, you can use frozen peaches. Thaw them first and drain any excess liquid before pureeing to avoid watering down your base.
Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Equipment
- Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker ICE30
- Ice Cream Storage Tubs, 1 quart
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cup half & half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 large peaches washed, pitted, and cut into chunks
- 2 eggs
- 2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- If using a Cuisinart or other electronic ice cream maker, set the freezer bowl in your freezer overnight.
- Prepare the peaches by washing, pitting, and cutting into chunks. If you don't want skin, you can peel it also.
- Measure the sugar, half and half, vanilla extract, and salt and add to a blender or food processor.1 cup sugar, 2 cup half & half, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 pinch salt
- Add the prepared peaches to the blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute.5 large peaches
Temper the Eggs
- Pour the blender liquid into a large saucepan and heat on medium. When the mixture reaches 175℉, remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk the two eggs. Slowly trickle about ½ cup the hot mixture into the bowl with the beaten eggs, mixing constantly to combine.2 eggs
- Slowly add the tempered egg mixture to the sauce pan of hot half & half mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.
- Return the heat back to medium, stirring constantly with a whisk, until temperature just reaches 160°F.
- Stir in the heavy cream, blending with the egg tempered half & half mixture.2 cup heavy cream
Chill the Custard Base
- Cover with plastic wrap so that the film touches the custard, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
Churn
- Transfer the chilled custard ice cream base to the electric ice cream maker freezer bowl, or churning container. If adding chunky bits of peaches, stir them in now.
- Turn your Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker on and program to the 'ice cream' setting, about 25 minutes.
- When the peach ice cream has reached the soft serve stage, spoon into an airtight freezer container and freeze for 2 hours or overnight to harden.
Notes
- Freeze the Bowl: For Cuisinart models with a freezer bowl, make sure it's frozen solid. This typically takes at least 12-24 hours. A fully frozen bowl is essential for proper churning and consistency.
- Choose Ripe Peaches: The flavor of your ice cream heavily depends on the peaches. Use peaches that are ripe, fragrant, and slightly soft to the touch for the best natural sweetness and flavor.
- Temper Eggs Properly: When adding eggs to the warm custard base, slowly whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs first. This gradually raises their temperature. Then, slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the main pot, whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and reaches no higher than 160∘F (71∘C), which pasteurizes them without curdling.
- Chill Your Base Thoroughly: This is crucial for custard-based ice cream. Ensure your cooked custard base is completely chilled in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours, or preferably overnight, before churning. A well-chilled base freezes faster and results in a smoother texture.
- "Cure" for Firmness: After churning, your ice cream will be soft-serve consistency. Transfer it to an airtight container and "cure" it in the freezer for at least 2-4 hours to firm up to a scoopable texture.
Patricia Hastings Conci says
Do you cook the eggs??
Kelly Bloom says
While this recipe uses uncooked eggs, you can use pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg substitutes in recipes calling for raw eggs if you're concerned about raw egg issues.