When Valentine’s Day rolls around, we love to make the most of it! We look for easy desserts to make at home, bonus points if they’re pink!
My easy Recipe for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream with M&Ms is perfect for this time of year. It’s a great way to include candy that my kids love, strawberries which I love and ice cream – I mean, who doesn’t love ice cream!?
I get the kids in the kitchen to help me and not only do we get to spend a little time together, but we get a delightful treat too! Make this for your kids this year! No ice cream maker required!
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Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream with M&Ms
Can you Make Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker?
You may be wondering…is it possible to make Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream without ice cream maker? Why, yes it is!
This recipe is going to show you how to do that. Spending time in the kitchen with my kids is always a special memory for me. But sometimes we forget to ask for their help.
I do have an ice cream maker, which I use for other recipes, but sometimes you’re just too lazy to get it out of the cupboard, you know?
I know Valentine’s Day can be all about the sweets, but I like to try to make time to spend with the kids also. And making ice cream at home is a great way to do that!
What is Strawberry Ice Cream Made Of?
This no-cook, no-churn, creamy strawberry ice cream uses frozen strawberries, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and regular milk.
The sweetened condensed milk helps makes this sweet enough that you won’t need extra sugar. And the strawberries make the flavor perfect for spring and summer!
Making ice cream from your own home is a dream and isn’t as elaborate as you might think!
How to Make Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream with Frozen Strawberries
When it comes to making strawberry ice cream, we love to use frozen strawberries. It’s easy to keep them in the freezer and not worry about fresh ones going bad.
That ripe strawberry flavor is still there!
Ingredients:
- 10 oz frozen strawberries, cut in half or quarters
- 1/2 cup of whole milk
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- Dash of salt
- 8oz of M&M’s® Strawberry (1/4 cup for recipe and remainder for ice cream garnish and snacking)
- red food coloring, optional (helps make it more pink)
Note: Can’t find Strawberry flavored M&Ms? Just swap them out for regular. You could even use the pink and white M&Ms if you want to keep your cute Valentine’s theme going.
Directions:
- Thaw your frozen strawberries, then drain the excess juices and water.
- Mash a few of the strawberries with a fork and keep some larger pieces.
- Combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and salt in a bowl.
- Place ingredients on a tray of ice to keep cold while periodically stirring.
- Using an electric hand mixer, mix all the ingredients.
- Add in the strawberries and mix by hand.
- For extra pink color, add a few drops of red food coloring and gently stir.
- Add in 1/4 cup of M&M’s® Strawberry and mix again.
- Pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. (We used a 9×9 pan).
- Place in the freezer overnight. (Or at least 6 hours).
- Scoop out ice cream and garnish with additional M&M’s®.
*This recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream does melt quicker than traditional store-bought ice cream. But don’t worry, it’s still beyond delicious and can be compared to a must-have milkshake once it begins to melt.
My most popular, super nostalgic dessert recipe also uses frozen strawberries. Check out my Strawberry Angel Food Cake Pink Dessert!
More Tips For Sensational Ice Cream
Making ice cream at home is easy but the texture is different than traditional ice cream. Depending on the ingredients and method used, you may get a different result than I’ve mentioned above.
How Do You Keep The Strawberries From Freezing in the Ice Cream?
Frozen strawberries have that ripe taste but can sometimes cause little ice crystals to form in the ice cream.
And sometimes when adding things to homemade ice cream, the ingredients will freeze and become hard.
To keep your strawberries from doing that, make sure you drain as much liquid out of them as possible before adding them to the base.
The M&Ms will freeze, but crunchy chocolate is never a bad idea in my opinion!
My house loves this recipe because it’s full of strawberry flavor. You simply don’t get better tasting ice cream than making it at home by yourself.
And we all love M&Ms.
This recipe is perfect for families on Valentine’s Day!
Printable Recipe for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream with Condensed Milk
Ingredients
- 10 oz frozen strawberries mashed
- 1/2 cup of whole milk
- 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- Dash of salt
- 1/4 cup M&M’s® optional
- Red food coloring optional (helps make it pinker)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix (a spoon works fine).
- Place a large bowl of ice on the counter and nestle the bowl with the milks on top of it to keep it cold while periodically stirring.
- Thaw your frozen strawberries, then drain the excess juices and water.
- Mash the thawed strawberries with a fork (keeping some larger pieces if you prefer).
- Add the strawberries to the milk mixture and mix.
- For extra pink color, add a few drops of red food coloring and gently stir to combine.
- Add in 1/4 cup of M&M’s® (optional) and mix again.
- Pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. (I used a glass 9x9 pan).
- Cover tightly wiht aluminum foil and place in the freezer (on a falt surface) overnight. (Or at least 6 hours).
- To serve, let the Strawberry Ice Cream sit out for about half an hour so that it becomes scoopable, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure to drain the frozen strawberries as well as you can.
- To make this recipe even quicker, you could add everything to a high-speed blender to mix everything together.
- Not a fan of M&Ms but want a chocolate touch? Use mini chocolate chips instead.
- This recipe for strawberry ice cream melts quicker than traditional store-bought ice cream. It’s still beyond delicious and can be compared to a milkshake once it begins to melt.
- Store your Ice Cream in an air-tight, freezer-proof container. Choose a dish that can expose the most surface area of the ice cream to the cold.
Nutrition
More Ice Cream to Enjoy:
- Ice Cream Float Bar
- Beer Float Ice Cream Cocktail
- Easy Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream Recipe
- Beer, Chocolate and Chile Ice Cream Recipe
More Recipes with Candy:
- Fun Dip Flavored Whipped Cream
- Dump Cake with Leftover Halloween Candy
- Fun Pinata Cake (it has a candy surprise!)
- Cake Mix Cookies with M&Ms
Pin This Easy Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream for Later
There is no doubt that making this recipe for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is the way to go. It’s creamy, delicious, and a family favorite on Valentine’s Day!
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