I know we’re in the middle of winter and homemade raspberry ice cream isn’t the most seasonal dessert ever but I really can’t resist ice cream even in January (as long as I’m all warmed up near a radiator). I grew up eating frozen treats all the time in the Caribbean and having to restrain myself from enjoying ice cream only a couple of months a year seems atrocious, even if I now live near the Alps.

Plus after a heavy, hearty winter meal (think boeuf bourguignon or cassoulet), ice cream is the perfect way to end on a sweet and lighter note. I make the recipe with frozen raspberries, this way I can have it all year long! This homemade raspberry ice cream is fruity, creamy, and an absolute delight.

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🍨 Inspiration
⏲ Cooking raspberries
🔪 Step by step
💭 Top tips
📋 Faq

🍨 Inspiration

This homemade raspberry ice cream recipe has been adapted from Cafe Fernando’s roasted strawberry ice cream (p.255 of his great book The Artful Baker). As soon as I read his recipe I wanted to try it with raspberries as I’m not a fan of strawberries in dessert unless they are on a tart. I tweaked the recipe a bit to adjust the sweetness to a different fruit and my taste but the method is all his.
His book is full of gems and foolproof recipes that you will want to make time and time again. I’m always learning something new while reading it and no other cookbook made me laugh or cry quite like this one. I can’t recommend it enough!

scoops of homemade raspberry ice cream on small plates

⏲ Cooking raspberries

I’m not a fan of sorbets as I usually find them icy, sour, and not that comforting. Ice cream is the way to go for me, even with fruity flavors. Don’t worry about the cream and eggs in this homemade raspberry ice cream recipe. The taste of raspberries still shines through and that’s because:

The raspberries are first ‘cooked’ in sugar to evaporate the water in the fruits that would otherwise have diluted the flavor of the ice cream.
A part of the fruits is then roasted to the point of caramelization and then tossed into the ice cream. So you get an intense raspberry flavor and chunks of chewy caramelized fruits throughout your creamy ice cream. The sticky raspberry chunks also bring out a touch of bitterness, a perfect contrast to the berries’ natural tartness.

🔪 Step by step

homemade raspberry ice cream custard in pan

Macerate the raspberries ➝ Combine the raspberries and sugar in a bowl and let macerate for 1h. Drain the content of the bowl for 20 min.

Bake some and mash the rest ➝ Bake 75g (⅓ cup) of the raspberries in a preheated oven for 30 min. Puree the rest of the macerated raspberries.

Make the custard ➝ Add the raspberry juice, cream, and salt to a saucepan, mix, and bring to below a boil. Whisk the egg yolks. Slowly pour the hot mixture over the yolks while mixing. Pour everything into the saucepan and cook the custard until it reaches 80°C (176°F). Pour the custard into a bowl and mix in the pureed raspberries.

Refrigerate and then churn ➝ Refrigerate the custard for 4h. Whisk in the vodka. Scrape the custard into your ice cream maker and churn. Layer the ice cream and the roasted raspberries in a container. Freeze your homemade raspberry ice cream.

💭 Top tips

This is probably going to be the shortest list of ingredients any of my recipes will ever have. But it doesn’t mean it’s my easiest recipe. It’s quite manageable but you should read the instructions carefully beforehand. Check the photos to get a view of what steps you’ll have to follow to make your homemade raspberry ice cream.

As it’s a custard-based ice cream, you should cook it over low heat in a heavy-based saucepan (better heat conductivity). Don’t forget to keep an eye on your thermometer and keep stirring to make sure you don’t overcook the eggs in the custard. You don’t want to end up with sweet scrambled eggs! It might seem daunting but it’s quite easy as long as you stay attentive. It’s worth the effort because ice cream made with custard is creamier.

📋 Faq

What to serve along with it? I like to serve scoops of this homemade raspberry ice cream with either whipped cream or a fruit salad (blueberries, quartered strawberries, diced peaches & mangoes drizzled with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkled with bruised mint leaves) or topped with crushed raw pistachios.

Why is vodka added to ice cream? Vodka works as a stabilizer. As vodka doesn’t freeze, it prevents the formation of ice crystals, making the ice cream smoother and silkier. Adding 1 tbsp of vodka to the custard before churning, will make for a creamier homemade raspberry ice cream, but it won’t taste like vodka, I promise!

Homemade raspberry ice cream

Author: Amélie
Prep Time: 2 hours
chilling and freezing: 8 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 10 hours 40 minutes
Yield: 1 quart 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Ice cream maker
Cuisine: French

Print Recipe

Description

With roasted raspberries, you’ll get an intense raspberry flavor and chunks of chewy caramelized fruits in your creamy homemade raspberry ice cream.

Ingredients

Scale

650g raspberries (5 ½ cups), I used frozen ones thawed overnight in the fridge
130g granulated sugar (⅔ cup)
240g heavy cream (1 cup)
4 egg yolks
pinch of fine sea salt
1 tbsp vodka

Instructions

Keep in mind that the ice cream maker bowl needs to be placed in the freezer for at least 24 hours before using it to churn the ice cream.

Macerate the raspberries. Put the raspberries in a bowl or a deep plate and cover them with the sugar. Gently combine the raspberries and sugar and let macerate for 1h, stirring from time to time. By then the raspberries will have released a lot of juice. Put the content of the bowl into a mesh strainer set over a larger bowl. Drain for 20 min, gently stirring the raspberries from time to time. You’ll need the juice for the rest of the recipe.
Bake some of the macerated raspberries. Preheat the oven to 140°C (285°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put 75g (⅓ cup) of the drained raspberries (or more if you would like a chunkier homemade raspberry ice cream) on the lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake the raspberries for 30 min or until they start to caramelize. For a more bitter taste, you can leave them 5 min longer. Let the roasted raspberries cool completely, then place them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Puree the rest of the macerated raspberries. Mash the rest of the drained raspberries with a hand blender or a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Put the pureed raspberries in a large mixing bowl.
Warm up the juice and the cream. Pour the juice of the drained raspberries, the heavy cream, and the salt into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Set it over medium heat and bring to just below a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
Make the ice cream custard. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl for 3 min, or until they lighten in color. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture over the egg yolks while you keep mixing. When the mixture is smooth, pour it back into the heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook the custard over low heat until it reaches 80°C (176°F), about 5 min, whisking continuously. To make sure it’s ready, coat the back of a spoon with the custard and trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line remains visible, the custard is thick enough. Pour the custard into the mixing bowl with the pureed raspberries and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the raspberry custard, and let stand until it’s at room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Churn the ice cream. Add the vodka to the chilled custard and whisk until smooth. Scrape it into your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Scrape one-third of the ice cream in a 1-liter (1-quart) container with a tight-fitting lid and spread it evenly. Place one-third of the roasted raspberries randomly over the ice cream. Repeat layering until you run out of ice cream and roasted raspberries. Cover the homemade raspberry ice cream with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the ice cream. Close the lid and freeze for at least 4 hours.