I Scream. You Scream.
We all scream for homemade ice cream!
On a hot summer day, is there anything more satisfying or delicious than a scoop of your favourite ice cream? Forget about waiting in line at your local shop! Have fun getting creative with your own flavour combinations and fill your freezer with homemade icy treats to enjoy all summer long!
Ice Cream 101
Ice cream, gelato, sherbet, sorbet. Whatever name it goes by, we love these frozen treats! Each one is slightly different and, depending on the ingredients, kitchen tools you have on hand and your mood, there's a right one for you to make at home!
Ice cream – Ice cream is traditionally high in fat and made from eggs, milk, cream and sugar. These ingredients are cooked into a custard, cooled and then poured into an ice cream maker. Ice cream typically has a light, fluffy texture due to a high churning speed while freezing.
Gelato – Gelato is typically lower in fat and more dense than ice cream. While it may still start with a custard base, it usually contains less cream and more milk than ice cream. Additionally, it will be less fluffy and more dense due to a slower churning speed of the ice cream maker. Gelato is often served at a warmer temperature than ice cream.
Sherbet – Sherbet is a fruit-based ice cream, usually lower in fat than traditional ice cream. It will still have a smooth and creamy texture but is not as creamy as ice cream or gelato because the base is a combination of fruit and milk or cream, instead of all cream.
Sorbet – Sorbet is another fruit-based dessert. It contains no milk or dairy and instead has a fruit and sugar base. If it is churned like ice cream, it can have a smooth and scoopable texture. This makes for a low fat, refreshing dessert!
Making Ice Cream at Home
There are many different methods you can try to make ice cream at home. There are no-churn recipes that don’t require an ice cream maker, to homemade churning methods such as “coffee can” ice cream or “ice cream in a bag”. There are also a variety of ice cream makers available from simple manual churn machines that you cool using ice and salt to automatic churning ones that require freezing the bowl ahead of time to high-end ones that can be plugged in and started up with no advanced planning. Depending on the investment you want to make and how often you plan to make ice cream, there is a method that will work for you.
If you are looking for a classic rich and creamy ice cream with perfect texture, you will want to try an ice cream maker. If you’re not ready to take the plunge and buy one, try borrowing one from friends or family to test drive first.
Ideas to Get You Started
-
MediumIce Cream Base
A classic ice cream starts with a rich custard base. Our Ice Cream Base recipe is smooth and creamy and freezes into a great vanilla ice cream. If you are feeling adventurous, you can get creative adding mix ins to create your own custom flavours. From chocolate chips to crushed cookies to fruit or nuts, there are endless possibilities of flavours to be made. This method requires an ice cream maker for best results.
-
EasyIce Cream in a Bag
Looking for a fun activity to do with your kids? This ice cream method comes together quickly and lets you customize individual servings of ice cream so everyone can have a flavour they like!
-
EasySummer Harvest Sherbet
No ice cream maker? No problem! This smooth sherbet is an easy no-churn method that will give you creamy results. You can choose from three different sherbet flavours to perfectly capture the flavours of summer.
More Ice Cream Ideas
What’s better than cake? Ice cream cake! If you already have the ice cream and need some fun new ways to use it, we have recipes for you. From cakes to pie to cookies, these are crowd-pleasing desserts that will hit the spot on a hot day
-
MediumCaramel Ice Cream Cake
-
MediumPina Colada Ice Cream Pie
-
MediumQuinoa Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
-
EasyButterscotch Ice Cream Sandwiches
-
EasyBrownie Mint Pie
-
DifficultMini Black Forest Baked Alaska