Wouldn't it be nice to be able to make a homemade strawberry ice cream without the fuss of an ice cream maker? I thought so, too, and that is why I tested and tested various ingredients until I made one that is perfectly creamy and full of strawberry flavor! The mix is made right in the blender and then you freeze it! Easy Peasy!
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Since getting the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender, I've tested ice cream recipe after ice cream recipe and my first attempts were dismal to say the least.
Especially the homemade strawberry ice cream! It was icy no matter what I seemed to do. That might be fine for some, but if I'm going to enjoy a scoop of ice cream, it has to be creamy and full of flavor.
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The flavor part was easy, but the creamy texture wasn't. I started off testing the homemade strawberry ice cream using sweetened condensed milk thinking it would have less water and, therefore, reduce ice crystals. Not so much!
Don't get me wrong, it was good, but not good enough. So, I started reading everything I could about making homemade ice cream. Even though I had no intent on using an ice cream maker, I did read about various ways to mix up an ice cream "batter" for use in an ice cream maker. I learned a lot and that has changed the way I approach my ice cream recipes now.
I have completed 5 flavors so far and they each get better and better if I do say so myself. The first flavor is a rich Chocolate Ice Cream and the recipe and video is posted for that.
You can find the recipe right here ----> Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
The other flavors are; French Vanilla Bean, Coffee with Homemade Toffee pieces, and Pistachio. I will link to them when they are released!
Can I make this Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream in any Blender?
While I've only tested it in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender, I don't see why you couldn't make it in any blender.
The ice cream mix is not heated, so you don't need a blender that cooks. Some of my other recipes do use heat, so you would need to either cook them on the stove and then use a blender or you can always purchase the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender!
If you want to use a different blender, you can refer to the guide below to find out what the blend cycle on the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot blender does and mimic it on your blender!
The Complete Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender Guide with review
It's no secret that I love this blender and there are so many wonderful recipes you can make in it. So, definitely check it out!
Can I make this recipe if I don't have the Ice Cream Function on my Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender?
Yep, you sure can! I realize that there are various models of the Cold & Hot Blender and some don't have the ice cream function.
No worries, just refer to the guide above and use your manual functions to mimic the ice cream function.
I also think the smoothie function would work just fine for this recipe, but I have not tested it that way.
Tips for Making Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Use fresh strawberries. Frozen strawberries will release more juice and the more water/juice in your ice cream mix, the more chance you have of developing ice crystals.
Don't skip the Xanthan Gum. I made this ice cream without it and the xanthan gum is a game changer for the texture. It acts as a stabilizer and prevents ice crystals from getting bigger. This is what keeps the ice cream nice and creamy.
Use Metal Containers. I have found that using metal containers and freezing them before you put the ice cream in speeds up the freezing process a little and the faster your ice cream freezes, the less ice crystals that form. The ones I use the most are from Pampered Chef. They are pricey, but if you plan on making a lot of ice cream, they are worth every penny. You can find them here ----> (affiliate link)Freezer Containers from PC
You also want your containers to be shallow. So, you can use any container, but don't fill it more than 2" deep.
Add some Vodka. I didn't do that in this recipe, but I did end up adding it to a few other ice cream flavors and it really helps with scoop-ability right out of the freezer. The vodka doesn't freeze, so when it is dispersed in the mix, it doesn't freeze as solid. Don't worry, you can't taste it! Of course, don't do this if you are making it for kids.
Use a cooling rack. Sometimes you have to let the ice cream sit out for a few minutes before scooping. Don't set it on your counter, especially if it is granite or any kind of stone or aluminum. What happens is the bottom thaws much faster than the top and the ice cream pushes around instead of being easily scooped. The cooling rack allows air to cross over the bottom and the top and you will find it much easier to scoop.
How to Make Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream in the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender
Wash and cut the stems off of the strawberries.
Mix the xantham gum with the sugar. This is really important because if you add the xanthan gum directly to the liquid ingredients, it will clump and become gummy.
Add the heavy cream and the milk to the blender. Add in half of the strawberries if you want to have chunks of strawberries in your ice cream. If you want a smooth strawberry ice cream, put all of the strawberries in the blender now.
Add the sugar with the xanthan gum. Put the lid on the blender and select the ice cream function. If you don't have the ice cream function on your blender, here is the link for the guide that I refered to earlier in this post and you can use the manual buttons to mimic the ice cream function.
When there is about 30 seconds left on the ice cream function, remove the lid to stop the cycle.
Add in the remaining strawberries and pulse a few times to chop them up to your desired size.
Pour the ice cream into shallow (preferably metal) freezer containers, cover with parchment and a lid if you have one. Freeze for 6-8 hours.
Serve & Enjoy!
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ninja Foodi Cold and Hot Blender
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh strawberries divided in recipe
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoon (affiliate link)xanthan gum
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Instructions
- MIx the xanthan gum with the sugar until it is well mixed.
- Add the heavy cream, whole milk, and about ½ of the strawberries (stems removed) to the blender.
- Add the sugar/xanthan gum to the blender and select the ice cream function. Stop the function by removing the lid when there is about 30 seconds left on the function.
- Put the remaining strawberries into the blender and pulse a few times until the strawberries are broken up into bite size pieces.
- Pour into shallow containers, cover with parchment and a lid if your container has one. Freeze for 6-8 hours.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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Frances
Louise, have you seen this website? Plagiarism at its best!
https://familycuisine.net/how-to-make-ice-cream-with-ninja-blender/
Louise
Thanks! I filed a report with Google to take it down. People are unreal.
Katja
Your recipes If homemade ice creams are great! I see you use Xanthan gum as a stabilizer. In all recipes the amount of Xanthan gum is always different. How to determine the right amount of gum to be added?
Louise
It depends on the ingredients and amount of cream as well as trial and error. Too little and it's icy and not a smooth texture and too much and it's gummy. Strawberries give off more liquid, so there is probably more in that recipe than in others.
Linda Davies
Just made my second batch of your lovely ice cream Louise it’s so easy and so delicious mmmm 😋
Louise
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Sandi Holmes
I have probably watched the majority of your videos and have tried many of of your recipes. Every one of them has been delicious! So far, your Lasagna and your Mexican Rice have been my favorites. I really appreciate your calm and down-to-earth style as well as your honesty. Your videos and documentation regarding each recipe is clear and includes great detail about the recipe. You and Ina Garten are my very favorite celebrity chefs. I am a big fan! I just received my Ninja hot/cold blender today and the strawberry icecream will be my first recipe to try. One my absolute favorite ice creams for fall is maple nut. Any chance you will createa recipe for that? Whatever you do, keep up your amazing work! Thank you for being an inspiration for all of us who love to cook and to try new recipes.
Louise
Thank you so much for the nice comment and compliments! I hope you love the strawberry ice cream. A few people have said it became icy for them, so try to use a metal, shallow container if you have one.
Teri Gesling
Can you make this Keto? How much vodka would you use for one batch?
Louise
I would use 2 Tbsp of Vodka for a batch. As far as making it keto goes, you can try to replace the sugar with an artificial sweetener, but I haven't tested making ice cream without sugar. That is next on my list of things to do.
Steve
A keto version would be great!!!
Teri Gesling
Alright! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer. Will try it and see how Keto version works.