A few weeks ago I promised my littles a movie and homemade ice cream, then promptly dipped my shoulder in red hot lava damaged my rotator cuff while paddle boarding. If you’ve ever broken a promise to three excited kids, you know exactly what happened next.
I made the ice cream.
Okay, “made” is probably a stretch. I dumped a bunch of stuff from the fridge in the ice cream maker, added some maple syrup, and hoped for the best. Surprisingly, it. was. awesome.
Of course, I had to make it again using proper methods and measurements just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke . . . and also because I’d polished off the first batch. The result is this simple, creamy recipe that’s reminiscent of cherry amaretto, only better because it’s made with wholesome ingredients. We’re talking dark cherries folded into sweet cream and churned into get-your-own-bowl-this-is-mine yumminess.
Cherry Ice Cream Recipe
Equipment
- small pan
- measuring cup
- bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cups cream
- 4 egg yolks
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ tbsp almond extract
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 ¼ cups sweet cherries (pitted and chopped into quarters)
- 1 tbsp grass-fed gelatin
- natural red food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Add 2 cups cream egg yolks, maple syrup, almond extract and salt to a blender container.
- Warm the remaining 1 cup cream in a small pan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cream and whisk until thoroughly blended.
- Add the gelatin mixture to the blender and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Place the cream mixture and cherries in a bowl and chill for 2-4 hours, then pour mixture in your ice cream maker and follow the steps recommended by the manufacturer. If desired, add natural red food coloring as it churns until it reaches the depth of color you prefer. Serve immediately as soft-serve ice cream or place in the freezer until firm. If you allow to freeze until firm allow the ice cream to soften for 10 or so minutes before scooping it into bowls.
Nutrition
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Hi! I love your blog! So, tomorrow I really want to make your cherry ice cream recipe! BUT I don’t have an ice cream maker and the chances that I’ll get one tomorrow or even anytime soon, are slim. Could I make this without an ice cream maker? I don’t mind churning the stuff myself – knowing what the end result is!
Hi Anne-Marie, I suppose you could get a big bucket of ice and place a bowl inside, then churn yourself. My guess is there’s probably a Youtube tutorial along those lines out there somewhere. 🙂
So sorry to hear about your rotator cuff and hope it heals quickly. My husband injured his a few yrs. ago and although he rarely complained about anything, I knew it was seriously painful.
This ice cream sounds delicious, but I was reading through quickly, as I’ve been cleaning up a flooded basement from horrendous showers last night after the sump pump quit in the night. One thing that really surprised (shocked) me was when I noticed ”’red food coloring,”’ missing the word Natural at first. I thought I knew you better than that, so when I looked back again, I realized my error. ‘Whew’
At the farmers’ mkt. Sat. nearly all the vendors had strawberries and raspberries, and a couple had the sweet cherries. I like the tart cherries which ripen around July 4th.
Hi this looks delicious. I would really love to make it for my mom.
Can you make it with out gelatin? And any specific cherries? Should be fresh or in a jar?
Thank you
You can make it without the gelatin but the ice cream will melt more quickly once you take it out of the freezer. You can substitute a tablespoon of arrowroot instead to somewhat make up for the omission of the gelatin. The texture will be a little different but still very good. I recommend using sweet, fresh cherries for this recipe.
It’s like you read my mind. I just got an ice cream attachment and have been begging friends and searching Pinterest for good, healthier ice options. Three days and I wasn’t really impressed with my results. I can get on board with this one!! Yum! Thanks for the perfect timing!
1 1/2 tablespoons of almond extract, really? Seems like a lot, and I’m scared to dump that all in…
Yep, really. If you think that might be too strong though you could use less and add incrementally until the flavor reaches the intensity you prefer.
Hi ! Can you make it dairy free?