THE TAKE-IT-EASY ICE CREAM
With blueberries, milk, heavy cream, and sugar.
This Blueberry Ice Cream is a wonder on its own: made with just blueberries, milk, cream and sugar -and with minimal preparation- it is loud in blueberry flavour, popping-purple in colour and a pleasure in the mouth.
Blueberries naturally contain pectin, which thickens the ice cream mixture. So, while in terms of ingredients and preparation, this ice cream is Philadelphia-style (the simplest of all ice creams), in terms of texture, the ice cream mixture is naturally thickened, elevating the ice cream’s mouthfeel to another level.
So even if you are an ice cream expert who loves to thicken your ice cream mixture, look no further for a blueberry ice cream recipe, for this is the only Blueberry Ice Cream recipe you will ever need.
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
This is a quick overview of the recipe. If you are new to ice cream making, do read the recipe before proceeding.
Put the blueberries and sugar in a medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat to boil out 100 g (3.5 oz) of water.
Chill the blueberries until completely cold.
With an immersion/regular blender, blend the cold blueberries until smooth.
Blend, adding the cream, followed by the milk.
Churn in your ice cream maker until fluffed up and creamy.
Put it in the freezer for a few hours to set.
As soon as it sets, you can either serve it from the ice cream maker bowl or transfer to a container and store it in the freezer.
When making ice cream prefer to weigh all the ingredients by weight. We also recommend weighing the liquids directly into the bowl/pan as you proceed with the recipe instead of transferring them from one bowl to another because this transfer causes a small -but unwanted- loss of quantity.
If you do not have a kitchen scale, follow these guidelines:
• 1 cup (US) = 237 ml | 1 Tbs. = 15 ml
• blueberries: measuring the blueberries in a cup is not recommended, because the results vary depending on the size of the blueberries. If you do not have a scale, you can have them weighted at the grocery’s store, or estimate how many you need from the net weight, as given on the packaging
• sugar: measuring sugar in tablespoons is more accurate than measuring it in cups. Use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon; this is 13 g of sugar. To measure correctly, each time you scoop the sugar, level it with the flat side of a knife.
• milk and cream: thoroughly scrape with a rubber spatula any residues left on the sides and bottom of the cup every time you measure something and empty it.
This recipe makes a 1.2 litre/quart ice cream mixture (before churning), perfect for ice cream makers with a capacity of 1.5 and up to 2 litres/quarts (like Cuisinart ice cream makers).
If you need to scale the ice cream mixture up or down, use this ratio of the ingredients (in weight only):
blueberries 34.4% / heavy cream 30.1% / milk 22.5% / sugar 13% in desired total weight of ice cream mixture.
Note on step 1: the water you need to cook out of the blueberries is 22% of the blueberries’ weight.
You can combine double cream with whole milk to make heavy cream for this recipe.
To make the 395 g (13.9 oz; 395 ml) heavy cream, you need:
To make the heavy cream, put the double cream in a medium bowl, then pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring smoothly with a rubber spatula. Avoid whisking, as it may turn into whipped cream.
The resulting heavy cream has 36% fat, perfect for this ice cream. Proceed with the recipe as if you had the 395 g (13.9 oz; 395 ml) heavy cream needed.
*This 120 g (4.2 oz; 120 ml) milk is extra to the 295 g milk (10.4 oz; 295 ml) asked in the recipe. So, if you use double cream, you need in total 415 g of milk (14.6 oz; 415 ml), from which:
This blueberry ice cream is perfect as it is. Yet, we have some tricks to take the blueberry flavour to another level, and we would love to share them with you:
You do not need to head to the store and buy these ingredients only to use them in this ice cream. If you have them handy, go on and use them. If not, skip them; this ice cream will be fantastic anyway.
A flexible rubber spatula is good for:
-wiping the bottom of the saucepan when you cook dairy on the stovetop.
-scraping residues from bowls, saucepans etc.
If you do not have one, we strongly encourage you to buy one, preferably a flexible one.
Cook the blueberries (step 1) ahead of time; they need to be completely cold before you make the ice cream mixture.
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
In a medium saucepan (approx. 21 cm (8″) wide), place the blueberries and sugar and warm over medium heat, stirring often with a rubber spatula, until all the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and as soon as the juices of the blueberries start to bubble up, set a timer and boil for 5 minutes exactly. Immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl and leave to cool.
Prepare your workplace: place a digital scale next to the stovetop. We will be weighing the saucepan during the cooking process, so place a trivet on top of the scale (or a folded kitchen towel) to protect it from scalding.
Calculate the saucepan+blueberries+sugar weight after cooking: in a medium saucepan, put the blueberries (450 g; 15.9 oz) and the sugar (170 g; 6 oz) and weigh the filled saucepan. We want to boil out 100 g (3.5 oz) of water from the blueberries. So, from the “saucepan+blueberries+sugar weight”, subtract 100 g (3.5 oz) and take note of the result; this is the target weight of the saucepan and its contents after cooking.
Warm the blueberries with the sugar: place the saucepan over medium heat, and warm the blueberries, often stirring with a rubber spatula until all the sugar dissolves (this is at 65° C / 149° F if you have an infrared thermometer).
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring often. Boil the blueberries, weighing the saucepan as needed, until it reaches the target weight (this should take about 5 minutes).
Let it to cool down in the saucepan until lukewarm.
Note: we recommend that you chill the blueberries in the same bow4l/jug we will use in step 2 to blend them; this is to minimise the loss of blueberries from transferring from one bowl to another. So, if using an immersion blender to blend the blueberries in step 2, scrape the blueberries into a large bowl. If using a regular blender, chill the blueberries into the blender’s jug.
Chill until completely cold: cover the bowl/jug and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or until completely cold (approx. 8° C / 46° F / when it feels fridge-cold to the touch); and up to 3 days.
The secret to a perfect ice cream lies in the perfect blending of the ingredients. This means that, while blending, you have to stop the blender regularly and scrape the insides of the bowl, if using an immersion blender (or the blender’s jug, if using a regular blender) with a rubber spatula, to remove any bits stuck there and incorporate them into the mixture. Each time you do that and you lift out the spatula to proceed with the blending, be mindful that at the end, you need to scrape back into the mixture all residues stuck on the spatula; this will minimise the loss of blueberries, making for the perfect blueberry ice cream flavour.
Blend the cold blueberries until smooth, scraping the bottom and the sides of the bowl/blender’s jug with a rubber spatula as needed.
Gradually add the cold heavy cream (395 g; 13.9 oz) a little at a time, scraping the insides of the bowl as needed.
Add the cold milk (295 g; 10.4 oz) and blend until it is a uniform purple colour with no streaks; again, do not forget to scrape and finally wipe all residues stuck on the spatula into the ice cream mixture.
Note: aim to proceed with churning the ice cream (step 3) immediately after blending, as the blueberries tend to oxidise the dairy, gradually turning the bright purple colour to a more greyish tone as it sits. If you do not churn it immediately, put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold; other than the change in colour, it will be ok for a few hours.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Blend before churning: briefly blitz the ice cream mixture with an immersion blender, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula. This improves consistency and ensures a smooth, even texture.
Churn: with the machine running, pour the ice cream mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker. Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
This ice cream mixture expands and becomes airy as it churns. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks smooth, creamy, and slightly wavy—similar to soft-serve ice cream. Churning time varies depending on your machine and can take anywhere from 30 to 70 minutes.
To check the texture, lift a spoonful. It should be thick enough to stay on the spoon, but still soft. If it looks too thin or starts melting immediately, it needs more time.
If you’re unsure, let it churn for 10 more minutes. Keep in mind that it won’t look like store-bought ice cream at this point—it will still be soft. It only becomes firm and scoopable after a few hours in the freezer.
Stop the machine once the mixture is thick and creamy. If you continue churning beyond that point, the mixture can start losing the air it has built up and may seize, resulting in a dense, heavy texture.
One important note: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop automatically after a fixed time, but that doesn’t always mean the ice cream is ready. If your machine stops and the mixture still looks too soft, simply restart it and continue churning until the texture improves.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· cover the ice cream bowl and place it in the freezer
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The setting time depends on the type of ice cream maker you’re using. Here are the general guidelines:
3–5 hours for machines with removable freezer bowls (these bowls must be pre-frozen before churning)
Under 1 hour for machines with built-in compressors and aluminum bowls
⚠️ Important: Ice cream in aluminum bowls sets quickly. Do not leave it for too long—once fully frozen, it can become extremely hard and difficult to remove without risking scratches to the bowl. Always monitor it closely.
To check if the ice cream is ready, aim for an internal temperature of –11°C (12°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, use this simple test:
Insert a round-tip knife all the way to the bottom of the ice cream:
✔ If it goes in smoothly but meets gentle resistance, it’s ready
✖ If it feels hard on top but soft underneath, it needs more time
✖ If it’s too firm to insert the knife, it’s over-frozen and likely too hard to scoop
If it’s over-frozen, don’t worry—head to the next section for how to bring it back to scoopable.
If the ice cream sits in the freezer in the removable freezer bowl for too long after it has set, it can become too hard to scoop or remove.
To make it scoopable again:
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the ice cream to soften gradually.
Here’s how long that may take:
4–10 hours for removable freezer bowls (pre-freeze models)
1–2 hours for aluminum bowls (from compressor ice cream makers)
Note: These times are approximate and may vary depending on your fridge and the amount of ice cream. Check the texture occasionally as it softens.
Once the ice cream is soft enough to scoop—or its internal temperature reads approximately –11°C (12°F)—you can:
✔ Transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer
✔ Or serve it directly from the bowl
Just be sure to avoid digging into an over-frozen bowl with hard utensils, especially if using a nonstick-coated or aluminum bowl.
Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve consistency and melts almost instantly on contact. At this stage, it’s too soft to serve neatly or transfer easily—it’s simply too messy to handle.
Freezing the ice cream immediately after churning allows it to set properly. This step brings it to the right texture: scoopable, stable, and easy to portion or transfer into a storage container.
It’s the final step that turns churned ice cream into finished ice cream.
Storing: Transfer the finished ice cream to a lidded container and store it in the freezer for up to one month.
Cover it well to protect it from absorbing any unwanted freezer smells.
Scooping: Like all artisanal-style ice creams, this one freezes hard over time.
To make it scoopable again, place the container in the refrigerator for 45–60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about –11°C (12°F).
Once softened, it’ll scoop cleanly and serve beautifully.
7 Responses
We have access to raw cow’s milk. How would that work with this recipe?
I have never used raw cow’s milk, but I assume it needs to be denatured before using it in ice cream recipes. I’ve come across recipes where they boil the ice cream mixture for 20 minutes (and then add back the water that was boiled off) because they claim that the denaturation of proteins creates a better structure. However, store-bought dairy, which I use, comes pasteurized, meaning its proteins are already denatured, so I do not go through this process.
What I don’t know is how much the denaturation impacts the final churned ice cream. Good question, though; if I ever find raw cow’s milk, I will try it and see the difference in the final ice cream. 🙂
what brand of this ice cream maker?
Cuisinart (the ICE 30B I believe)
This recipe is very simmilar to the strawberry recipe with xantham gum.
Why is not used xantham in this recipe?
Thank you for your exquisite recipes
Arthur
Hi Arthur, thank you — I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
This one doesn’t use xanthan because blueberries have more natural structure than strawberries (including some pectin), which already gives the ice cream enough body and density.
If you’d still like to add xanthan, keep it low: ¼ teaspoon, not ½ tablespoon.
Lightly heating the blended berries to about 60 °C helps the sugar dissolve and allows the xanthan to activate properly. After that, add the cream, then the milk, as usual.
Hope that helps — and enjoy experimenting. 🙂
Can I add 1/2 tbs of xantham gum to the mix in the same way that it is added on the strawberry ice cream recipe?
Do I have to heat up to 60 centigrades the blended berries to add the xantham and then add the cream followed by the milk?