This blackcurrant ice cream is a rich, creamy custard-based frozen treat bursting with the bold and tangy taste of tart blackcurrants. It’s what hot summer days cry out for.
If you’re after something lighter, I also have a fantastic recipe for blackcurrant sorbet.
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Blackcurrant ice cream practically screams of British summertime. Its creamy yet tart and tangy flavour strikes the perfect balance between luxurious and refreshing. It’s a real treat on a hot summer’s day.
Despite blackcurrants being a very popular fruit in Britain during the summer months, this flavour ice cream is rarely found in supermarket freezers. Making this recipe for blackcurrant ice cream is therefore a wonderfully rewarding treat well worth the effort.
Why you’ll love this ice cream
- Make ahead dessert: This blackcurrant ice cream recipe is a brilliant make-ahead treat that generously serves six.
- The Texture: Made with a custard base, it’s incredibly smooth and creamy.
- The Flavour: The taste is unmistakable—intensely fruity with a vibrant, bold colour to match.
- Ice cream maker not essential: You don’t need a dedicated ice cream maker to enjoy this recipe. If you’ve got freezer space, a large bowl, and electric beaters, can still make this blsckcurrant ice cream recipe homemade delight.
If you’re craving more blackcurrant delights, be sure to check out my blackcurrant cheesecake, deep-filled blackcurrant pies, blackcurrant cake and my blackcurrant crumble.
Ingredients notes
Blackcurrants: Also known as black currant or cassis, blackcurrants are the star of this homemade ice cream. Fresh or frozen fruit can be used – both work equally well.
Milk & Cream: For the best texture, use whole (full-fat) milk and double (heavy) cream. Low-fat alternatives will result in a less creamy, lower-quality ice cream.
Step by step instructions
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
There are two ways to make this blackcurrant ice cream recipe – either using a ice cream churner or by hand. I’m giving both sets of instructions. Before the churning stage though, a fruit puree and a custard base need to be made. Here are the details:
Make the blackcurrant purée
- Step 1: Gently heat the blackcurrants, sugar, and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil until the mixture thickens to a sauce – when you drag a wooden spoon through it, the base of the pan should remain visible for 1–2 seconds before the sauce closes in.
- Step 2: Allow the sauce to cool slightly. Place a sieve over a bowl and pour the fruit sauce into it. Using a metal spoon, press and stir the fruit through the sieve, turning and pushing until only a thick pulp remains and most of the liquid has passed through. Discard the pulp, cover the bowl of purée, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
Make the custard base
- Step 3: Put the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract into a large mixing bowl.
- Step 4: Use electric beaters to whisk the ingredients for 2–3 minutes until thick and pale.
- Step 5: Warm the milk in a medium heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Do not let it boil. Gradually pour the warm milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously.
- Step 6: Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl or jug. Cover with cling film, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Leave to cool then chill in the fridge overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
Churn the ice cream
- Step 7: When ready to churn mix the custard, cream and blackcurrant puree together in a bowl or jug.
- Step 8: Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions (or follow the instructions below for churning without a machine). Once fully churned either serve straight away (soft-set) or transfer to a freezer-proof container, cover with parchment and freeze for several hours until firm.
Churning by Hand
- Put the ice cream base into a freezer-proof bowl. Cover and put it in the freezer for 1-1 ½ hours until beginning to freeze around the edges.
- Remove from the freezer and beat with electric beaters until the ice crystals are even in texture. Cover and return to the freezer.
- Repeat this process every hour for 6–8 cycles. The more times it’s repeated, the smoother the final texture.
- Once fully churned transfer to a freezer-proof container, cover with parchment and freeze for several more hours until firm.
Expert tips
- If using an ice cream maker with a freezer bowl, make sure the bowl is fully frozen before use. I recommend freezing it for at least 24 hours.
- Ensure both the fruit purée and custard base are thoroughly chilled – ideally overnight, but a minimum of 4 hours. Adding warm or room temperature mixtures to the ice cream machine will reduce its ability to churn effectively.
- If churning by hand, prepare and chill the purée and custard the night before. Begin the churning process the following morning to allow time for 6–8 mixing intervals. Set a timer between each churn – if left too long, the mixture may freeze too hard and become icy.
- Place the container you’ll be storing the churned ice cream in the freezer before you start churning. Transferring freshly churned ice cream into a chilled container helps prevent melting.
- Cover the surface of the ice cream with parchment before freezing. This helps to minimise ice crystal formation on top.
- When ready to serve, your ice cream may need to sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to soften slightly. Always check the texture by digging in with a spoon and let it stand if needed before scooping.
- For best flavour and texture, enjoy within two weeks. It will still be edible after this, but the taste may begin to fade.
Frequently asked questions
Blackcurrants are notoriously tart and require ample sugar to turn them into an edible delight. For this reason, substituting an alternative fruit is not recommended – few fruits need quite so much sugar as blackcurrants do to make them enjoyable. You’d be better off hunting out a recipe designed specifically for the fruit you want to use.
Again, since blackcurrants are much tastier once their tartness has been tempered with sugar I do not recommend stirring uncooked fruit through this ice cream.
Several issues might be causing the problem. The churner bowl may not have been fully frozen when the ingredients were added, or the custard and purée might not have been chilled enough. I suggest placing the mixture back in the fridge to chill and refreezing the churner bowl. Then, try churning again after 24 hours.
Large ice crystals cause an icy texture. In this recipe, the most likely culprit is that the fruit purée wasn’t cooked enough. Make sure to cook the blackcurrants until the purée is thick and jammy, allowing much of the liquid to evaporate.
I’m afraid not. This will result in a rock-solid lump of ice cream with a very unpleasant texture. This is not a no-churn ice cream recipe.
More ice cream recipes
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Blackcurrant Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the Blackcurrant Puree
- 400 g Blackcurrants fresh or frozen
- 100 g White sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
For the Custard Base
- 5 Egg yolks large, free range
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 100 g Caster sugar
- 350 ml Whole milk (full-fat)
- 250 ml Double cream (heavy cream)
Instructions
Make the Blackcurrant Puree
- Put the blackcurrants, sugar and lemon juice into a medium-sized saucepan. Cook everything over a gentle heat to dissolve the sugar
- Once the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and let boil for 5-10 minutes until the fruit forms a thick sauce (when a wooden spoon is dragged through the sauce the bottom of the pan should be visible for 1-2 seconds before falling back in on itself
- Allow to cool, then pass through a sieve suspended over a bowl. Use a metal spoon to crush and push the fruit through the sieve. Keep on turning and pushing until a thick residue of pulp remains in the sieve but very little liquid. Discard the pulp
- Use the spoon to wipe the purée clinging to the back of the sieve into the bowl. Give the contents of the bowl a good stir – it will look like a thick syrup. Cover and refrigerate
Make the Custard Base
- Put the milk into a medium-sized pan (heavy based) over a medium heat and warm through
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugars and vanilla extract in a medium bowl for 2-3 minutes until thick and pale
- Pour the warm milk onto the yolks, whisking continuously
- Pour the custard mix back into the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon
- Take off the heat. Pour the custard into a bowl or jug, cover with clingfilm (to stop a skin forming) and cool.
- Once cold, transfer to the fridge to chill overnight (or for at least 4 hours)
Churning Using An Ice Cream Maker
- When ready to churn remove the clingfilm from the custard, pour in the cream and blackcurrant purée and stir until thoroughly combined
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions
- Once fully churned either serve straight away (soft-set) or transfer to a freezer-proof container, cover with parchment and freeze for several hours until firm
Making the Ice Cream by Hand
- Remove the clingfilm from the custard, pour in the cream and blackcurrant purée and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour this mixture into a large freezer-proof bowl, cover and put it in the freezer for 1-1 ½ hours. Aft this time the sides should be beginning to freeze, but the centre will be soft and slushy
- Remove from the freezer and, working quickly, use electric beaters to beat the ice cream until the ice crystals are uniform. Cover and place back in the freezer
- Repeat this process 6-8 more times at 1-hour intervals – the better the texture will be the more the process is repeated
- Once fully churned either serve straight away or transfer to a freezer-proof container, cover with parchment and freeze for several hours until firm
Notes
- If using an ice cream maker that requires the bowl to be frozen prior to churning ensure it is fully frozen. I leave mine in the freezer for at least 24 hours
- Also, ensure the fruit puree and custard base are both sufficiently chilled (minimum 4 hours but preferably overnight) – adding warm/ room temperature mixtures to the churner will reduce the machine’s ability to freeze the mixture
- If churning by hand it’s best to make the puree and custard, let them chill overnight then start the churning process the next morning. This leaves plenty of time to fit in 6-8 churns with electric beaters. Set a timer between each churn to ensure it is not left too long (it will set too hard if it is)
- Put the container that you intend to store this blackcurrant ice cream in into the freezer before churning begins. It helps to keep the freshly churned ice cream in top condition
- Cover the top with parchment before transferring to the freezer to help stop ice crystals from forming in the top
- Ice cream sometimes needs to stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before it can be scooped. Always check how firm the set is when you take your ice cream out of the freezer (dig a spoon in) and use your own judgment as to whether it needs to sit for a few minutes to soften before serving
- Eat within 2 weeks to enjoy this iced treat at its prime. It’s still edible after this time but the flavour may begin to deteriorate
Ren
How many grams of each ingredient do I need?
Jane Coupland
All ingredients measurements are listed in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Norah
Delicious ice cream recipe! Thank you 🙂
Jane Saunders
Thankyou Norah – perfectly timed for the warm weather again 🙂