by Texas Homesteader~
RancherMan’s a huge ice cream fan. He would eat it every day if I’d let him. LOL
But since he enjoys it so much I try to find ways to give him healthier ‘ice cream’ options more often. Tasty ways such as my Homemade Fudgesicles. Their chocolaty deliciousness has a yogurt base. So they’re filled with healthy probiotics.
I also make a sugar free Ice Cream Substitute using frozen fruit. A few frozen bananas for sweetness and maybe a handful of berries. Just blend and enjoy!
But sometimes, ya just want real, honest-to-goodness ice cream!
I had some fresh peaches that needed to be used up before they went bad. So I decided to give ‘er a try.
Many Recipes More Complicated
I went looking for a recipe that didn’t involve me spending copious amounts of time in the kitchen with many steps. If you’re a regular reader you know – I don’t enjoy cooking! Simple & fast in the kitchen is the way I rock.
Most of the recipes that I found required you to make (and cool) a custard base before continuing on with the ice-cream-making procedures. Too many steps for me – no thanks!
Easier Ice Cream Recipe Options
I’m looking for an easier recipe. One where you just chunk everything in & go. I can get on board with a recipe like that! I found this recipe over at My Fearless Kitchen and decided to give it a try. It didn’t require all those steps of first making a custard base.
Easy, Fast AND Delicious?
YES PLEASE!
Soft-serve texture is achieved right out of the machine, a little firmer with an hour or so in the freezer. Even firmer with more freezer time.
So if I find I want to enjoy more ice cream the next day when it may be more solidly frozen, it’s easy to bring it out for a few minutes to soften before serving it up. The convenience of the recipe is worth this occasional extra step for me!
Simple Ice Cream Ingredients
But I love a recipe that includes only fresh peaches, sugar, cream, milk & vanilla. I’m a big fan of simplicity, aren’t you??
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Ice Cream Of My Childhood
When I was a kid, homemade ice cream involved a huge contraption with a small metal insert to hold the ice cream mixture. Crushed ice and rock salt were added between the insert and the outside container.
If you were lucky, you had an electric ice cream maker. You could just plug it in and wait. But the ice cream makers of my childhood were all manual crank.
We’d take turns sitting on the hot porch turning that crank, waiting for what felt like way too long to finally enjoy that homemade ice cream deliciousness! Because it was so tedious, we didn’t make homemade ice cream often. But when we did it was a treat indeed!
Faster, Less Hands-On Ice Cream Option
But (for me at least) times have changed. And I think for the better! There are only 2 of us at the house now. RancherMan & I are empty nesters. So I only need to make about 4 servings of ice cream at a time. Two for us, and two for any guests that may be visiting.
But let’s be honest, there have been many times it’s just all 4 servings for RancherMan and me! LOL
Instead of those old-style ice cream makers of my past, I now have a *Cuisinart 2-Qt Ice Cream Maker. I’m not gonna lie, this surely makes homemade ice cream easy.
The abbreviated instructions for those who like to see the steps before undertaking the recipe:
Peel, chop & mash fruit.
Add sugar, salt & milk, stir.
Add cream & stir.
Pour into frozen Ice Cream Maker Insert,
Push button and walk away for about 15 minutes.
Yep, that’s right. Simple, fast and easy in the kitchen is my wheelhouse, y’all.
Fast 10-Minute Preparation
Although you can use other fruit instead, I’m making peach ice cream today. So I peeled the peaches and then used my *Ninja Chopper to chop them pretty finely.
I reserved a couple of slices of fruit to chop a little more coarsely so I could have small bits of peaches in my ice cream. But for the most part I wanted almost a puree.
Although I enjoy small pieces of peach in my ice cream, chunks will freeze harder than the puree does. I personally prefer a smoother ice cream. But it’s totally your choice!
When all was combined I brought out my *Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. The inner bowl had been placed in the freezer a couple of days ago. So it’s already ready to go.
The beauty of this ice cream maker is that since the bowl is already frozen, homemade ice cream is only 15 easy hands-off minutes away!
Freezing The Ice Cream Mixture
So now I bring the frozen bowl from the deep freeze and place it into the machine. I added the stirring insert and lid. Then I flipped the machine on and the insert began to turn. The ice cream mixture was then poured through the hole in the lid.
As it turns, the stirring attachment scrapes the colder mixture from the sides of the bowl and mixes it back into the less-frozen ice cream in the middle. In about 15 minutes we had soft serve. It’s delicious!
If desired I can transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and place it in the freezer for an hour or two to allow it to freeze a little more solidly. But much after a couple of hours in the freezer & your ice cream may freeze a little too solidly.
So if you’re enjoying your leftover ice cream the next day you might want to bring it out of the freezer and set it on the counter for a few minutes for easier scooping.
Personally we love the texture of the soft-serve homemade ice cream. It’s thick enough to scoop easily & still hold its form. The ice cream was delicious – and homemade! So, so easy.
Heck it’s so easy that I can start the ice cream maker when we sit down for supper and it will be ready for homemade dessert by the time we’re through eating! How’s that for in-your-face easy?
Different Flavor Options
You can also make this ice cream using different fresh fruits. I’ve even heard of people using frozen packaged (and thawed) fruit instead of fresh. As long as you have 2 cups worth, you’re golden.
Strawberry flavor is a delicious way to use up those fresh strawberries of spring. And I’ve made this ice cream with nectarines too when they needed to be used before becoming too ripe. All good.
Soon I may try making this ice cream with blueberries – they’re my favorite berry. I’m anxious to see how it turns out. Of course I’ll share with you when I give it a go.
But here’s the recipe I use for my homemade Peach Ice Cream. It was delicious, sweet and creamy. A wonderful cold dessert on a hot Texas summer day. Feel free to substitute another fruit for the peaches if you wish.
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
- 3 medium peaches pitted and peeled (approx 2 cups)
- 1-1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
-
Peel, remove the pits and roughly chunk up fresh peaches.
-
Place peach chunks into a food chopper & pulse until the desired consistency is reached. (Smaller pieces are easier to eat when frozen than larger pieces.) Set aside.
-
In a medium bowl or using KitchenAid, whisk the sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla until the sugar is dissolved.
-
Add the cream and whisk again.
-
Carefully add the chopped fruit and stir to blend completely.
-
Set up your ice cream maker, and add the ice cream mix according to the manufacturer's directions.
(For my Cuisinart counter top model, I add frozen ice cream insert and stirring attachment and lid. I turn on the ice cream maker to begin it turning, then pour my ice cream mix through the hole in the lid.)
-
Allow mixture to churn until the ice cream freezes and thickens to the desired consistency
(for my Cuisinart it's about 15-20 minutes).
-
Enjoy immediately. Transfer remainder of your homemade ice cream to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer.
Recipe Notes
NOTE: This results in a soft-serve consistency ice cream. But if you desire a more firm consistency the ice cream will freeze harder in 1-2 hours in the freezer.
Overnight freezing may make ice cream freeze even harder. In that case it's helpful to bring it from the freezer and set on the counter for a few minutes for easiest scooping.
~TxH~
Frozen Treats
- Easy Homemade Peach Ice Cream
- Fat-Free Ice Cream Substitute: Frozen Bananas & Pudding Mix
- Sugar-Free Frozen Treat Using Berries
- Healthier Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Using Bananas
- Easiest Cookies-n-Cream Ice-Cream Cake
- Healthy Chocolate Fudgesicles
- Frozen Applesauce Makes Healthy Treat
- Easy Frozen Watermelon Smoothie (or Daiquiri)
Other Easy Desserts
- Depression-Era CRAZY CAKE – No Butter, Eggs or Milk
- No-Cook Chocolate Frosting
- Stir-n-Pour Drizzle Chocolate
- Quick Homemade Whipped Cream
- Easy Instant Pot Cheesecake
- Apple Crumble QUICK With Pie Filling
- Fast Dessert: Spiced Rum Fried Apples
- Pumpkin Bread (with Cake-Mix Shortcut)
- Healthier Banana Bread Recipe
- Rich, Chocolaty Homemade Brownies
- Chocolate Pudding In A FLASH
- Banana Pudding – A Hug From The South
- Cherry-Pie Tortilla Rolls
- Cantaloupe Bread w/Pecan Praline Glaze
- Easy Blueberry Muffins
- Easy Homemade Shortcake
- Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
- Fresh Pear Cake
- Healthier ‘Ice Cream’ Using Bananas & Fruit
- Easy Cookies-n-Cream Ice Cream Cake
- Homemade Honey Graham Crackers
- Cake-Mix Cookies – Only 3 Ingredients!
- 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Double Chocolate Banana Chunk Cookies
- Sugar-Free Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Truffles
- Rich & Creamy Hot Cocoa
- Chocolate-Covered Rice Krispie Treats
- …And MANY MORE!