Blackberry Pie Ice Cream

Fresh blackberries are so beautiful this time of year, plump and sweet, and perfect for baking and cooking. And the lovely natural color they add to dishes is the prettiest shade of lavender-pink. Today’s blackberry ice cream is a rich and creamy custard based recipe, flavored with real vanilla bean and fresh blackberry puree. Bits of buttery pie crust throughout add texture and the most delicious blackberry pie flavor. I mixed the blackberry puree right into the custard, but for a gorgeous blackberry swirl ice cream, just swirl the puree in after churning your ice cream. Get your ice cream maker ready, you’ll need it for this recipe!

You might also love this no bake blackberry cheesecake and blackberry crumb bars.

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Ingredients

• Blackberries. You can use fresh blackberries when they’re in season, but frozen are fine, too.
• Granulated Sugar. Sweetens the ice cream, but also promotes a smooth texture.
• Whole Milk + Heavy Whipping Cream. Makes the ice cream rich and creamy. You cannot make a good homemade ice cream with low fat options.
• Egg Yolks. Gives the ice cream a rich texture.
• Vanilla. Use a fresh vanilla bean, or vanilla bean paste, to get beautiful vanilla specks in your ice cream.
• Vodka. Lowers the freezing point to keep the ice cream smooth, rather than icy.
• Pie Crust. Since this is a blackberry pie ice cream, bits of crumbled, baked pie crust add the most delicious flavor and texture.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Instructions

Make the blackberry puree.

• In a saucepan, combine the blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium/medium-low heat, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes. The berries will break down, and the liquid will become thicker and syrupy. Once you’ve reduced the mixture to about 1 cup, it’s ready.
• Puree the hot blackberry mixture in a small food processor. Pour through a fine mesh strainer, and press as much of the fruit puree through the strainer as you can. Discard the seeds. You should have about 2/3 cup blackberry puree after straining out the seeds. Refrigerate the puree until needed.

Make and chill the custard.

• In the same saucepan, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the milk, 1 cup of cream, the egg yolks and vanilla.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard starts to steam and bubble around the edges, but don’t let it come to a full boil.
• Remove the custard from the heat, and pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits of cooked egg.
• Whisk the strained blackberry puree into the custard.
• Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

TIP: To make a blackberry swirl ice cream, reserve the blackberry puree to swirl into the ice cream after churning it.

Churn and freeze the ice cream.

• When you’re ready to churn your ice cream, use an electric mixer to whip the remaining 1 cup heavy whipping cream until thick, soft peaks form. Whisk the whipped cream into the chilled custard.
• Pour the custard into your ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last minute of churning, add the vodka.
• Fold the pie crust pieces into the churned ice cream, and transfer the ice cream to lidded ice cream containers.
• Freeze until firm, at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use fresh or frozen blackberries?

You can use either! I prefer to use fresh blackberries when they’re in season and less expensive. You could even use blackberry jam, instead of making the blackberry puree.

Can I use another type of berry or fruit?

This recipe would be great with strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, as well as stone fruit like peaches or cherries.

Does the custard for this ice cream need to be cooked?

Yes, the ice cream base contains egg yolks and needs to be cooked first.

Do I need an ice cream maker for this recipe?

Yes, this is a traditional, custard-based ice cream recipe that needs to be churned in an ice cream maker. I love my Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Bowl attachment.

Is there something else I can substitute for the pie crust pieces?

If you have leftover pie dough scraps after making a pie, just bake the dough on a baking sheet at 375 F, until golden brown and crisp. You can also use crumbled cookies like shortbread cookies, or even graham crackers.

How can I make this into a blackberry swirl ice cream?

Instead of mixing the blackberry puree into the ice cream base before churning, reserve the puree until after you churn the ice cream, then swirl the puree in for a beautiful contrast in colors.

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