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If you've got a mulberry tree, you know by June you'll have more mulberries than you know what to do with! This Homemade Mulberry Ice Cream is made simple with real cream, milk and sugar, and loaded with fresh picked mulberries! It's rich and creamy, a delicious summer treat!
- Mulberries! - While mulberries look and taste a bit like blackberries, they are less sweet and grow on trees, not bushes. Mulberry trees can get big and where there's a mulberry tree, there are tons of saplings trying to grow along side it! One mulberry tree can produce thousands of berries, more than you can pick, and the birds and squirrels will likely be picking their share!
- If you have a mulberry tree like we do, you can pick them daily in June and July. We freeze a lot of them for smoothies, always make Mulberry Freezer Jam and throw some into this Mixed Berry Rhubarb Crisp! Mulberries are healthy and full of antioxidants!
- One their own, mulberries aren't always the sweetest or most delicious berry. But, they are just so abundant, they've gotta be used! This Mulberry Ice Cream is a creamy delicious summer favorite! Find out How to Freeze Summer Berries with the rest of your harvest!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Fresh picked mulberries, real cream and milk, and less sugar than most homemade ice cream recipes, this mulberry ice cream is smooth and creamy while not be overly sweet!
- Mulberries - Pick mulberries when they ripe and dark reddish purple or black. When ripe, they pull off the tree easily, you can hold a strainer under a branch and knock the ripe ones in. As they over ripen, they will fall to the ground, so try to pick them daily! They have a little green stem that is totally edible and does not need to be removed. Mulberries are less sweet than blackberries or raspberries although you could make this ice cream with other berries or a berry mix.
- Milk and Cream - This homemade Mulberry Ice Cream features real dairy! Use real heavy cream and whole milk if you can. The natural fat gives you that creamy texture and great flavor.
- Sugar - I've used regular sugar in this recipe although this ice cream is not overly sweet. Compared to a lot of recipes that came in the recipe book with my ice cream maker, I've used quite a bit less. Mulberries are not overly sweet so I didn't want the ice cream to be overly sweet either.
- Vanilla Extract - Adds a boost of flavor, it's real homemade vanilla ice cream, with a mulberry twist.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
You'll need a blender and an ice cream maker for this recipe, but it's really easy! An ice cream maker is great for making homemade ice cream with better ingredients and without preservatives, plus it's so much fun!
Step 1 - Wash mulberries really well in a strainer under cold water.
Add them to a blender with the vanilla extract.
Step 2 - Blend well, working up to a high speed so they are very smooth.
You want to grind up the seeds until you have a smooth consistency. If you need more liquid to get it moving, just add some of the milk.
Step 3 - When your berries are really smooth, add all other ingredients to the blender and blend on low for a bit until everything is incorporated.
If it doesn't all fit in your blender, just leave out some of the cream and add it later.
Step 4 - Add your mixture to your ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes. Make sure your ice cream maker bowl is fully frozen, I just store mine in a bag in the freezer all the time!
Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least a few hours before serving.
Helpful Tips
- Let the Ice Cream Sit Out Before Serving - If your ice cream is rock hard out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes. It will make it easier to scoop of course, but also will give it a creamier taste and texture.
- Blend the Berries well - If you don't get the seeds in the mulberries blended really smooth, your ice cream will have little gritty bits in it. Blend it well on high speed before adding the sugar and dairy.
- Top with Granola - Almost like a yogurt parfait, I love this Mulberry Ice Cream topped with Homemade Almond Vanilla Granola!
- More About Mulberries - Mulberries aren't really sold in grocery stores because they don't stay fresh very long. I consider them sort of a "filler berry," they aren't the kind of thing you buy in the store. You just use them if you have them. They do spread and it seems neighborhoods with mulberries trees have saplings popping up everywhere.
- Storage - Freeze mulberry ice cream in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Pick mulberries and store them in the fridge, waiting to wash them until just before eating. If you won't eat them fresh within a day or two, wash them well and freeze them. To Freeze Berries, lay them out on a sheet pan and freeze for an hour, then transfer to containers or freezer bags.
Yes, you'll just want to thaw them on the counter a bit until they can be blended.
Yes, you could use 2.5 to 3 cups of any combination of berries.
More Ways to Use Summer Berries!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Mulberry Ice Cream
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Ingredients
- 3 cups mulberries
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ cups milk
- 2½ cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Wash the mulberries well under running cold water.
- Add the berries and the vanilla extract to a blender and blend on a high speed until smooth. If you need more liquid to get it moving, just add some of the milk.
- Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of the ice cream maker (including any cream that didn't fit) and churn for 25 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze a few hours before serving.
- Allow your homemade ice cream to sit on the counter for 15 minutes if it comes out of the freezer rock hard. It will taste better, rich and creamy!
Notes
- Freeze your ice cream maker's freezer bowl overnight before making ice cream, or just store it in a clean bag in you freezer.
- You do not need to remove the stems from mulberries, they are edible. Just wash well and blend.
- Use about 2.5 to 3 cups of mulberries or substitute any combination of other kinds of berries.
- Whole milk is best.
- This ice cream is not overly sweet, you can add a few extra Tablespoons of sugar if you like it sweeter.
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