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Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

Homemade cherry garcia ice cream in waffle cone

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.

Ingredients

Scale

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

Instructions

  • 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.

Cherry garcia ice cream being churned with chocolate and cherries

  • 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!

Notes

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

 

Nutrition

Keywords: Cherry Garcia Ice Cream, cherries, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, chocolate chips