20 Homemade Ice Cream Recipes Made For Hot Summer Days

There's a flavor for everyone.

No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Cold, creamy ice cream is essential for surviving sweltering days in the South, and you don't have to visit an ice cream parlor to get your fix. Break out the ice cream maker and churn up a batch of our easy homemade ice cream recipes. We have dozens of delicious ice creams to choose from, whether you like chocolate, vanilla, fruity flavors, or all of the above. No ice cream maker on hand? No problem. Get a bit creative with the technique, and you can make an equally stunning batch of ice cream. Our Birthday Cake Ice Cream comes together in a loaf pan in the freezer, and our Strawberry Ice Cream in a Bag miraculously freezes with a bit of salt and shaking. No matter how you enjoy your ice cream, one thing's for sure: This frozen treat is supremely satisfying.

01 of 20

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Greg DuPree; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Make the most of leftover angel food cake and summery fresh strawberries in this frozen riff on one of the South's favorite desserts, strawberry shortcake. The ice cream is a rich, creamy vanilla base with strawberry chunks. Top with even more fresh strawberries for a refreshing summer dish.

02 of 20

Blueberry Ripple No-Churn Ice Cream

Blueberry Ripple No-Churn Ice Cream
Joy Howard

Only five ingredients go into this delicious homemade ice cream flavor. The secret to creating a fluffy ice cream texture is to whip heavy cream into the mixture until it forms stiff peaks and then fold in the remaining ingredients. The additional blueberry swirl and graham cracker crunch complete this frozen treat.

03 of 20

Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae

Putt’s Butter Pecan Sundae Recipe
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Once you taste this praline sundae topping, you'll be sure to keep a batch stocked at all times. The combination of heavy cream, light brown sugar, butter, and toasted pecans create an ultra-decadent dessert. Make extra praline sauce topping to top all your favorite ice cream treats.

04 of 20

Bourbon Ice Cream With Bourbon-Caramel Swirl

bourbon ice cream
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist:Christine Keely Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

A bourbon-caramel swirl is the ideal finishing touch to this sophisticated scoop. Start with a classic crème anglaise base for homemade churned ice cream, paired with brown sugar to complement the bourbon flavoring. This "ice cream for adults" is rich and creamy and makes a deliciously boozy milkshake.

05 of 20

Pineapple Ice Cream

Pineapple Ice Cream
Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Perfectly sweet and oh-so refreshing, this Pineapple Ice Cream recipe is sure to be your new favorite dessert. Fresh seasonal fruit helps bring this tropical treat to life. Enjoy it on its own or served on top of a buttery pound cake for a light, bright, fruity dessert.

06 of 20

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Caitlin Bensel

The trick is in the cookies. A very fine consistency will make sure every bite meets your cookie-filled expectations. Plus, this egg-free dessert only requires five ingredients to make.

07 of 20

Chicory Ice Cream

Chicory Ice Cream
Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Serve this chicory coffee-flavored ice cream with a warm bowl of King Cake Bread Pudding for an authentic taste of New Orleans. Create this coffee-flavored creation with only seven ingredients. Freeze for at least two hours before enjoying.

08 of 20

Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Birthday Cake Ice Cream
Greg DuPree; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

No ice cream maker? No problem. This fun shortcut ice cream—studded with cake crumbles and sprinkles—comes together in a loaf pan in the freezer. The cake crumbles add a strudel texture to this ice cream filled with plenty of sprinkles.

09 of 20

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck

If you can't decide between brownies or ice cream, why not have both in one delicious dish? Make these treats look extra special by rolling the ice cream sandwiches in sprinkles for a crunchy texture and beautiful appearance. Try this recipe with various ice cream flavors, from chocolate and vanilla to specialty flavors.

10 of 20

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

Crumbled cake coating tops strawberry ice cream in this easy recipe to create a decadent summer dessert. The ingredient list for this treat is simple. Combine shortbread cookies, butter, vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and freeze-dried strawberries for a handmade version of this classic treat.

11 of 20

Avocado-Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

Avocado-Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
Hector Sanchez; Stylist: Buffy Hargett

This recipe combines avocado and Key Lime pie flavors to create a rich and creamy treat. Substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste if that's what you have available. Serve this ice cream sandwiched between two White Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Cookies.

12 of 20

Sea Salt Ice Cream

Sea Salt Ice Cream
Greg DuPree Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

You will love this simple yet sophisticated Sea Salt Ice Cream if you savor sweet and salty flavor combos. Brown sugar adds a caramel undertone to this ice cream flavoring that needs constant stirring to create the smooth and creamy custard. Serve with shaved chocolate or crushed pretzels as toppings.

13 of 20

Pistachio Ice Cream

Pistachio Ice Cream
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Add raw pistachios to this fantastic ice cream to achieve that crave-worthy sweet-and-salty flavor and overall green coloring. Save the roasted pistachios as a topping. If you prefer, dress up this dessert with a drizzle of chocolate sauce or a shortbread cookie.

14 of 20

Strawberry Ice Cream in a Bag

Strawberry Ice Cream in a Bag
Southern Living

Are you looking for a fun activity to keep the kids busy? Make ice cream in a bag. Toss all the ingredients—which you probably already have in your pantry—into a Ziploc bag and shake away. Chopped strawberries add fresh flavoring to this unique creation.

15 of 20

Banana Ice Cream

banana ice cream
Greg DuPree; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

With a creamy custard base and a dose of flavor from ripe mashed bananas, this ice cream is the perfect way to finish a summertime meal. Use ripe—almost brown—bananas for maximum flavor. Garnish with your favorite toppings like banana slices, roasted peanuts, crushed vanilla wafers, and caramel sauce.

16 of 20

Cornbread Ice Cream

Cornbread Ice Cream
Southern Living

Meet the Southern ice cream flavor you never knew you needed. This recipe uses whole buttermilk and is infused with skillet cornbread to create this nostalgic dish. Try this ice cream that takes only 20 minutes of hands-on time to prepare.

17 of 20

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Fresh Peach Ice Cream
Southern Living

Turn that summer haul of fresh peaches into a frozen treat year-round. Make this custard-style ice cream a day in advance to ensure ample time to solidify. The custard base needs to cook low and slow for the best results.

18 of 20

Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Red Velvet-Berry Cobbler Recipe with Cream Cheese Ice Cream Recipe
Photo: Jennifer Davick / Food Styling Marian Cooper Cairns

What is the best way to keep your ice cream creamy and dreamy? Add cream cheese. One reader describes this as a summer version of cream cheese frosting. Pair this thick and delicious ice cream with all your favorite desserts.

19 of 20

Basil Ice Cream

Cherry Tomato Cobbler
Southern Living

Pair this homemade Basil Ice Cream with Cherry Tomato Cobbler for the ultimate summer treat. Whole milk, sugar, egg yolks, well-chilled heavy cream, and fresh basil are all that's needed to make this frozen treat. This unusual ice cream flavor will enhance all your favorite summertime meals.

20 of 20

No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

You don't need an ice cream machine to pull off this sophisticated scoop. Add a layer of crackers, tossed in butter and sugar, to the ice cream mixture to mimic the Key Lime pie's graham cracker crust and add a crunchy sweet texture to every scoop. This treat is a light and refreshing lime-flavored treat ideal for summertime.

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