Creamy, dreamy, and packed with real cherries and chocolate chunks—this homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream is a rich, nostalgic treat you can easily make at home with or without an ice cream maker.
1 1/2 lbs cherries
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks
pinch salt
Freeze Bowl: Chill the ice cream maker bowl in the freezer.
Prep Cherries: Pit cherries. Set aside ½ lb. Macerate 1 lb with ¼ cup sugar for 30 mins.
Chop Cherries: Roughly chop the reserved ½ lb of cherries.
Start Custard: Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-low.
Egg Mixture: Whip yolks and sugar until fully blended.
Temper Eggs: Slowly add hot milk into egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Cook Custard: Return mixture to pan; cook and whisk until thickened.
Chill Custard: Strain into a bowl over an ice bath. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
Make Cherry Sauce: Add lemon juice to macerated cherries. Simmer for 30 mins until syrupy.
Strain Sauce: Separate syrup and cooked cherries using a sieve.
Mix Base: Add cream, cherry syrup, vanilla, and salt to chilled custard. Whisk until smooth.

First Churn: Pour into ice cream maker and churn for 20 mins.
Add Mix-ins: Add chopped cherries, cooked cherries, and chocolate. Churn 15 mins more.
Freeze Firm: Transfer to container, cover, and freeze 3–4 hours.
Serve: Scoop and enjoy!
No-Churn Method:
Whip cold cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold in sweetened condensed milk, cherry syrup, and vanilla.
Stir in chopped and cooked cherries with chocolate pieces.
Transfer to a loaf pan, cover, and freeze for 5+ hours.
DIY Churn Without a Machine:
Use half the recipe.
Prepare custard and cherry mixture as usual.
Place the ice cream base in a bowl set over an ice bath.
Blend using a hand mixer until thick like soft serve.
Mix in cherries and chocolate, then freeze overnight.
Flavor Swaps:
Customize with other fruits, chocolates, or extracts for your own twist.
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on ingredients used, portion sizes, and preparation methods
Keywords: Cherry Garcia Ice Cream, cherries, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, chocolate chips
Find it online: https://www.joyliciousrecipes.com/cherry-garcia-ice-cream/