Treat yourself to a scoop of homemade peach ice cream made with fresh, juicy peaches. This recipe is super simple, and the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer day.
All you need is a few simple ingredients and an ice cream maker, and you are on your way to the best sweet peach ice cream you’ve ever tasted!
When I was in college, one of my roommates had an old fashioned crank ice cream maker. Our friend had a peach tree, and for several weeks during that summer, we were on a quest to find the best homemade peach ice cream recipe.
We would try out a recipe then take turns twisting the crank on the ice cream machine until our arms were sore. After a few tries, we discovered the tastiest peach ice cream any of us had ever tried!
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Ice Cream Maker – I have a 1.5 quart Cuisinart ice cream maker, and I’m in love with it! No rock salt or ice needed, you just keep the freezer bowl in the freezer. So easy! Extra freezer bowls are handy!
- Mixing bowl – You can use any mixing bowl with a lid. I love my pyrex and use at least one of them every single day.
- Freezer safe container – You can just use a bread pan, bowl, or other container, but I love this insulated ice cream container. It keeps the ice cream soft and fresh for weeks!
What makes this peach ice cream the best:
- Fresh peaches! You simply can’t get the same flavor with canned peaches. Peaches frozen at home are a close second, but the ones from the store just aren’t as sweet.
- Sweetened condensed milk not only adds sweetness to the ice cream, it helps it stay creamy.
- Heavy cream ensures that your ice cream will be smooth and rich, not icy.
- A pinch of salt brings out the flavor of the peaches, and balances the sweetness of the ice cream.
- The secret ingredient is almond extract. It does something magical with the peach flavor, and even people who don’t think they like it have always loved this recipe! Trust me on this one.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HOMEMADE PEACH ICE CREAM
- PREP – Peel your peaches. I like to dip them in boiling water for about 20-30 seconds, then place them immediately in a bowl of ice water. The skins will slip right off!
- CHOP – After your peaches are peeled, use a sharp knife to dice them. Or if you don’t want chunks of peach in your ice cream, you can mash or puree them instead.
- COMBINE – In a large bowl, stir together the chopped peaches and sugar until sugar starts to dissolve. Add the sweetened condensed milk, cream, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, almond extract, and salt.
- CHILL – Cover the bowl and let the mixture chill for an hour or two. This will ensure that the sugar is dissolved, and that the mixture is nice and cold so that it will churn up faster.
- CHURN – Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I have a Cuisinart, and I churn mine in two batches. After 25-30 minutes, your ice cream should be soft serve consistency.
- FREEZE – You can eat the ice cream as soft serve, or let it ripen in the freezer. Transfer it to a freezer safe container and let it freeze for about 2 hours. You want it to harden up enough that it is scoopable.
- SERVE – Now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labors! You can scoop the ice cream into bowls, or serve it in waffle cones or sugar cones. Enjoy!
How long will homemade ice cream last?
If you store it properly, it can last for up to 2-3 weeks in the freezer. If you don’t have the insulated ice cream container I mentioned, you can place your container in a ziplock bag to extend the freshness.
But honestly, this stuff is so good that it never lasts more than a day or two at my house!
Frequently asked questions:
No, you don’t have to use fresh peaches, but I highly recommend it. If you use frozen peaches, your ice cream won’t be quite as sweet or packed with peach flavor.
And if you use canned, the flavor will be completely different. For the best fresh peach flavor, you must use fresh peaches.
If you really have an aversion, you can substitute additional vanilla. But you really should give it a try with the almond extract! I use imitation to avoid any issues with nut allergies.
Fresh lemon juice does have the best flavor, but for this recipe you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch.
MORE FROZEN TREATS:
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Milky Way Ice Cream
- Butterfinger Ice Cream
- Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Peppermint Ice Cream
- Blueberry Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
PEACH ICE CREAM RECIPE
Peach Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups chopped peaches or mashed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Peel your peaches. To peel them quickly, dunk them in boiling water for 20-30 seconds, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water. The skins should slide right off!
- Finely chop your peaches and place them in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar until it starts to dissolve.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, cream, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, almond extract, and pinch of salt. Stir till blended.
- Cover and chill for 2-4 hours, or until very cold.
- Pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions.
- After 20-30 minutes, your ice cream should be soft serve consistency. Eat immediately, or transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for 2-3 hours, or until firm enough to scoop.
Notes
- For a smoother ice cream, you can puree or mash your peaches. We like chunks of fresh peach, but you can do whatever you like!
- If you chill the peaches and sweetened condensed milk ahead of time, you will be able to churn the ice cream sooner.
- This made two batches in my 1 1/2 quart Cuisinart.
Nutrition
It doesn’t get much easier than this fresh peach ice cream recipe. No cooking, just combine, stir, churn, and freeze for a fresh bite of summer!
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I’ve been making peach ice cream with this recipe for years. It’s my youngest son’s favorite. Delicious!
So happy to hear that Polly! You can’t beat fresh peach ice cream!
Love this peach ice cream! It was so easy to make and it turned out perfect! I’ll definitely be using this recipe again, thank you!
I hope it will be a favorite at your house for years to come Olivia!
You want something for a hot summer day. Have this very tropical flavored dessert Creamy Peach Ice Cream with Fresh Peaches. Your Kids and everyone will love this for sure!
This is simply the best ice cream! I love the real peach flavor instead of it being artifical. A new family favorite.
Real fruit flavor always beats out the artificial, doesn’t it? Happy to hear it’s a new favorite!
I have a 1 and a half gal freezer. How many qts does this make? I need to know so I can make to adjust to my freezer.
What kind of cream? Most recipes call for heavy whipping cream.
I’ve used both heavy cream (36% or more fat) and whipping cream (30% fat) with good results. For ice cream, it’s a matter of preference.
Is this recipe for an electric ice cream maker?? The old fashion kind?
You can make it in any brand of ice cream maker, just follow the directions in your manual.
Found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a shot this afternoon since I had ripe peaches on hand. AMAZING!!! The flavor was perfect- not overwhelming, not too sweet, just perfect. This is definitely a keeper recipe and rivals our local Peachy Paterno from the Penn State Creamery. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it Erica! I cannot wait till our peaches are ripe!
What if you added some pie crust chucks to it? It sounds SSOOO good and refreshing!
Pie crust would be awesome. Especially graham cracker crust. Great idea!!
That sounds delish! I just bought one of those Cuisinart ice cream makers and I can’t wait to try your recipes in it! Thanks!
Funny you should post this, we are going to be making ice cream with the kids at camp. My sister bought me this “ice cream ball thingy” where you put the ingredients in and throw it back and forth and that mixes the ingredients.
I’ve had it for a couple years and keep forgetting to bring it to Girl Scout camp like I planned, so I’ll bring it to our camp instead. The grandkiddies will like it.
I’ve seen those before, but never tried them. They sure look fun!
And I was just trying to decide what kind of ice cream to make! I imagine that the almond extract makes this especially delicious!
You would add sweetened condensed milk 🙂 I bet it is delish!
Yep, sweetened condensed milk makes just about anything better. Love it!
OK, you MUST share this for tasty tuesdays. I’d love it.
Thanks for the reminder Alicia. I’ve linked up. 🙂