There’s nothing quite like homemade ice cream. It’s not difficult to make, and it always impresses and refreshes—it’s the ultimate summer treat. We’ve gathered our favorite ice cream recipes in this collection. They include classic vanilla, made with a custard base, and no-churn vanilla, which uses condensed milk and doesn’t require an ice cream maker. In fact, quite a few of our recipes don’t use an ice cream maker. Others are dairy-free but still creamy. We’ve included our favorite sorbet and sherbet recipes, too. What all have in common is that while they are straightforward to make, these frosty treats do require patience—waiting for the ice cream to set up in the freezer is the hardest part. It’s worth it for the joy of scooping your homemade frozen dessert into a bowl or sundae glass.
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Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream
Credit: Jake Sternquist
A nostalgic treat, this vanilla ice cream is also egg-free and easy to make. It relies on sweetened condensed milk in addition to the usual milk and heavy cream. You don’t need an ice-cream machine to churn this luscious frozen treat, but if you have one, you can use it.
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Martha’s Strawberry Ice Cream
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
Perhaps the prettiest of ice creams, Martha created this recipe to use the strawberries she grows at her farm. It’s a grown-up take on the beloved fruity flavor, with ripe strawberries pureed for the base, then macerated with vodka or tequila and folded into the ice cream after churning.
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Buttermilk Ice Cream
Credit: Yossi Arefi
Martha is a big fan of this buttermilk ice cream. It’s refreshing and smooth, and the streamlined recipe is much easier than making a traditional custard-based ice cream.
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Banana-Caramel Ice Cream
Credit: Jonathan Lovekin
A richly flavored banana ice cream is swirled with a quick homemade caramel. Using very ripe bananas is key.
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Three-Ingredient Mango Sorbet
Credit: Nico Schinco
Truly, it couldn’t be simpler than this delicious sorbet. Blitz mango, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth, then freeze and scoop.
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Vanilla Ice Cream
A truly classic ice cream recipe, this vanilla version uses an egg yolk custard and plenty of heavy cream. The irresistible flavor comes from a vanilla bean.
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Vegan Avocado Ice Cream
Credit: Martyna Szczesna
If you think ice cream must contain dairy, think again! This smooth, creamy frozen treat is made with avocado and coconut milk.
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Peach Sherbet
Credit: Marcus Nilsson
How is sherbet different from ice cream? Sweet, scoopable sherbet is even easier to make—just two ingredients and no ice cream maker necessary, but you will need a blender. Even better, you can make it any time of year, since it uses frozen peaches rather than fresh ones, along with sweetened condensed milk.
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No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Credit: Jason Donnelly
This genius recipe makes it easy to whip up vanilla ice cream at home without any special equipment. It’s a versatile frozen treat that starts with heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and an optional splash of bourbon, which helps prevent ice crystals from forming and adds an extra depth of flavor. Stir in mix-ins like chocolate chips, pureed fruit, nuts, or sprinkles to make it your own.
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Watermelon Sorbet
Credit: Brie Goldman
A two-ingredient wonder, made with watermelon and sugar, this is the most refreshing scoop around. Puree the watermelon, make a sugar syrup, combine them, then let the sorbet freeze.
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Ice Cream in a Bag
This is the most fun way to make ice cream. You don’t need an ice cream maker, but it’s handy to have friends or kids to help you keep shaking the bag for 10 minutes. Consider it a science experiment with delicious results.
Read the original article on Martha Stewart
