Oh my goodness, let me tell you about this Homemade Peach Ice Cream that’s about to become your new summer obsession! There’s something absolutely magical about the combination of sweet, juicy peaches and rich, creamy ice cream that store-bought versions just can’t touch. The first time I made this recipe during peach season, my family practically fought over the last scoop! The secret is using perfectly ripe summer peaches that bring that sunshine-sweet flavor and beautiful peachy color naturally. Trust me, once you’ve made ice cream with fresh peaches, you’ll never go back to the artificial stuff. This recipe has that wonderful nostalgic quality that takes you right back to summer evenings on the porch with juice running down your chin. It’s pure bliss in a bowl!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pure peach flavor – uses real, fresh peaches for that authentic orchard-fresh taste you can’t get from artificial flavors
- Perfectly creamy texture – the ideal balance of creaminess with bits of juicy peach in every bite
- Make-ahead friendly – perfect for summer gatherings since you can prepare it days in advance
- Customizable sweetness – easily adjust to your taste and the natural sweetness of your peaches
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream Base:
- Heavy cream – gives your ice cream that luxurious richness and velvety texture. Full-fat is essential here!
- Whole milk – works with the cream to create the perfect ice cream consistency.
- Granulated sugar – sweetens the base and helps create a smooth texture by preventing ice crystals.
- Egg yolks – these little golden wonders are the secret to that custard-like richness in premium ice cream.
- Vanilla extract – enhances the sweet peach flavor beautifully.
- Salt – just a pinch, but it makes all the difference in highlighting the sweetness of the peaches.
For the Peach Mixture:
- Fresh ripe peaches – the star of the show! Look for fragrant, slightly soft peaches with that gorgeous blush color.
- Light brown sugar – brings a subtle caramel note that complements peaches perfectly.
- Lemon juice – brightens the flavor and prevents browning.
- Cinnamon – optional, but adds a wonderful warmth and complexity.
- Peach preserves – my secret ingredient for intensifying that peach flavor even more!
The full ingredient list with measurements will be available in the recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Peach Ice Cream Recipe
Prepare the Peaches:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil – we’re going to peel these peaches the easy way!
- Cut a small X on the bottom of each peach and drop them into the boiling water for about 45 seconds.
- Transfer peaches immediately to an ice bath – watch how the skins slip right off with barely any effort!
- Halve the peeled peaches, remove pits, and dice into small chunks.
- In a bowl, toss your diced peaches with brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon if using.
- Let this peachy goodness sit for about 30 minutes – this draws out the juices and intensifies the flavor.
- After macerating, gently mash about half the peach mixture, leaving the rest chunky for wonderful texture.
- Stir in the peach preserves – this is our flavor booster!
Make the Ice Cream Base:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and milk until steaming but not boiling.
- Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until pale and slightly thickened.
- Slowly pour about a cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly – this tempers the eggs so they don’t scramble!
- Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl – this ensures silky smooth ice cream!
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.
Churn the Ice Cream:
- Once chilled, stir the peach mixture into your cold custard base.
- Pour into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions – usually about 20-25 minutes.
- In the last few minutes of churning, you can add additional diced peaches if you want extra peachy chunks!
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container, cover the surface with parchment paper, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
- For the best texture and flavor, let the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before scooping.
Pro Tips for Making the Recipe
- Choose fragrant, slightly soft peaches – if they don’t smell peachy in the store, they won’t taste peachy in your ice cream!
- Don’t skip the macerating step – those 30 minutes of letting peaches sit with sugar draws out incredible flavor.
- For a smoother ice cream, peel and puree all the peaches, or for more texture, leave some in small chunks.
- Chill your ice cream base thoroughly – warm or even room temperature base won’t churn properly.
- If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a shallow dish and freeze, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes for about 3 hours to break up ice crystals.
How to Serve
Serve this dreamy peach ice cream in chilled bowls on hot summer days – the contrast makes it taste even better! For a simple but elegant dessert, pair a scoop with a slice of pound cake or butter cookie.
Want to take it over the top? Try serving it with fresh sliced peaches and a drizzle of honey, or for something really special, a splash of bourbon caramel sauce. It also makes an incredible topping for grilled peaches in summer – talk about peach on peach action!
For a fun summer party idea, set up an ice cream sundae bar with your homemade peach ice cream as the star, alongside toppings like toasted pecans, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and crisp wafer cookies. Everyone will be talking about your homemade ice cream for weeks!
Make Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead:
This ice cream is perfect for making ahead! The custard base can be made up to 3 days before churning and stored in the refrigerator. The finished ice cream actually develops better flavor after setting in the freezer for at least 4 hours, making it ideal for preparing a day before your gathering.
Storage:
Store your homemade peach ice cream in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper pressed against the surface (this helps prevent ice crystals). It will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, though the texture is best within the first week.
Preventing Freezer Burn:
For the freshest taste and creamiest texture, store your ice cream in the back of the freezer where the temperature is most consistent. Using a shallow, wide container rather than a deep one helps maintain that perfect consistency throughout.
FAQs
Can I use frozen peaches if fresh ones aren’t in season?
Absolutely! When those perfect summer peaches aren’t available, frozen peaches can be a wonderful substitute. Thaw them completely and drain off excess liquid before using (though save some of that peachy juice to add back into your mixture for flavor). You might need to adjust the sugar slightly, as frozen peaches are often picked at peak ripeness and can be sweeter than off-season fresh ones. One advantage of frozen peaches is they’re already peeled – a nice time-saver! Just remember that the flavor of your ice cream is directly tied to the quality of your peaches, so even with frozen, look for ones without added sugar or preservatives for the most natural taste.
My ice cream turned out too icy. What went wrong?
Don’t worry – this is a common issue with homemade ice cream! Several factors could be at play here. First, homemade ice cream naturally has fewer stabilizers than commercial versions, so some iciness is normal. To minimize this, make sure you’re using enough fat (full-fat cream and milk are essential), and that your sugar content is adequate, as sugar helps prevent large ice crystals. Another culprit could be the churning time – under-churned ice cream freezes with larger ice crystals. Also, frequent temperature fluctuations from opening and closing your freezer door can cause ice crystals to form. Try storing your ice cream in the back of the freezer in a shallow container with parchment paper pressed against the surface. For extra insurance against iciness, adding 2 tablespoons of vodka or peach schnapps to the mixture before churning can help – the alcohol won’t freeze and helps maintain creaminess!
Can I make this recipe without an ice cream maker?
You certainly can, though the texture won’t be quite as creamy! Here’s how: After making your chilled custard base with the peach mixture, pour it into a shallow, freezer-safe container. Place in the freezer and set a timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, take it out and vigorously stir the partially frozen edges into the center, breaking up any ice crystals. Return to the freezer and repeat this process every 30 minutes for about 3-4 hours until your ice cream is firm but scoopable. For the creamiest possible no-machine result, you can also whip the cream before adding it to your custard mixture, or use a hand mixer for the stirring steps to incorporate more air. Another option is to pour the mixture into ice cube trays until frozen solid, then process the frozen cubes in a food processor until smooth and creamy before serving immediately or returning to the freezer for a short time to firm up slightly.
How ripe should my peaches be for the best flavor?
This is such an important question because peach ripeness can make or break your ice cream! You want peaches that yield slightly to gentle pressure – not so firm that they feel hard, but not so soft that they’re mushy. The perfect peach for ice cream should smell noticeably fragrant (take a sniff at the stem end) and have a slight give when gently squeezed. If your peaches aren’t quite ripe when you buy them, let them sit at room temperature for 1-2 days in a paper bag, which traps ethylene gas and speeds ripening. If you’re dealing with peaches that are a bit underripe, you can help them along by increasing the macerating time with sugar to about an hour instead of 30 minutes, and adding an extra tablespoon of peach preserves to boost the flavor. Remember that the flavor of your ice cream can only be as good as the peaches you start with, so this is one time when being picky about your fruit really pays off!
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Ice Cream Maker
- Peeler or Boiling Pot for Peaches
- Freezer-safe Container
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream Base
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Peach Mixture
- 4 ripe peaches peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon optional
- 2 tablespoons peach preserves for enhanced flavor
Instructions
- Boil peaches for 45 seconds, transfer to ice bath, then peel, pit, and dice.
- Toss diced peaches with brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Mash half of the peaches; stir in peach preserves and set mixture aside.
- In a saucepan, heat cream and milk until steaming. Do not boil.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt until thick and pale.
- Slowly add 1 cup hot cream to egg mixture while whisking to temper.
- Return tempered eggs to pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and strain through fine mesh sieve into bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap directly on surface and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Stir peach mixture into chilled custard. Pour into ice cream maker and churn per manufacturer’s directions (about 20–25 minutes).
- Transfer to freezer container, cover surface with parchment paper, and freeze for at least 4 hours.
- Let sit at room temperature 5 minutes before scooping for best texture.