Crème Fraîche Blueberry Ice Cream
This summer-sweet Crème Fraîche Blueberry Ice Cream recipe swirls jammy roasted blueberries into a creamy, lightly tangy ice cream base. Its all-natural blue hue makes the prettiest presentation. Enjoy the best of the blueberry season with this super fun and delicious homemade ice cream!
Easy Homemade Blueberry Ice Cream
My favorite way to use crème fraîche is in homemade ice cream. And this Blueberry Ice Cream recipe is downright delightful!
When it comes to summer ice cream recipes, this blueberry ice cream is at the top of the list during blueberry season. It joins my list of crème fraîche ice cream recipes that include crème fraîche ice cream and a divine crème fraîche strawberry ice cream.
In this recipe, crème fraîche and blueberries are combined for the most beautiful frozen treat. Crème fraîche adds richness, body, and a slight tang. And blueberries are roasted to pronounce their natural sweet flavor and pretty, pretty blue color.
Looking for an extra special blueberry dessert recipe? This, my friends, is the real deal.
Why You’ll Love This Ice Cream Recipe
There’s a lot to love about this recipe, from its vibrant blue hue to the sweet-tangy, blueberry-infused flavor. Here’s why I make this blueberry ice cream recipe every summer:
- Blueberries, blueberries, blueberries. I absolutely love blueberries! Whenever possible, we go blueberry-picking in July and stockpile juicy, sweet berries – we always go to Rush River Produce in Maiden Rock, WI. There’s so many ways to use fresh blueberries and they taste truly amazing when incorporated into homemade ice cream (or my favorite blueberry muffins with crumb topping!)
- So pretty! We eat with our eyes first, and my oh my, is this ice cream a looker! And the pretty color is all-natural, big bonus!
- Flavor. The sweet blueberries are a lovely complement and contrast to the lightly tangy crème fraîche ice cream custard. I like that the ice cream itself is not overly sweet so the blueberries really stand out.
- Texture. I love a perfectly creamy ice cream that’s easily scoopable – and this recipe crosses off those boxes.
- Perfect to make ahead. Ice cream is a great dessert to make ahead and keep in the freezer for an upcoming dinner party or to just enjoy when you’re needing a summertime cool-down.
- Versatile. You can serve this gorgeous frozen dessert plain, scooped into bowls or your favorite cones. Or you can dress it up in pretty dessert bowls with whipped cream and a sprinkling of fresh berries.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make blueberry ice cream.
Scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients amounts and the full instructions.
- Blueberries – Fresh blueberries will give the best overall flavor and texture, as they are first roasted in the oven to make them all jammy and extra delicious. While you can use frozen blueberries, I will always, always use fresh berries for this recipe.
- Eggs – This recipe calls for egg yolks only to make the custard ice cream base, so definitely save those egg whites to use in another recipe, like angel food cake.
- Sugar – To make this ice cream just sweet enough.
- Milk – Whole milk provides the perfect richness and flavor to go with the crème fraîche.
- Vanilla Extract – Use only pure vanilla extract for the very best flavor.
- Crème Fraîche – This is such a lovely ingredient. If you can’t find crème fraîche or don’t have time to make it you can substitute full-fat sour cream.
How to Make Crème Fraîche Blueberry Ice Cream
This easy recipe delivers big results! Here’s how to put it together:
- Prep. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Roast the blueberries. Place blueberries on prepared baking sheet and roast for about 12 minutes, shaking the pan every 4 minutes for even cooking. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Puree the blueberries. Then add the roasted blueberries and any accumulated juices to a blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
- Warm the milk. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and vanilla. When mixture is just starting to simmer (do not let it come to a boil), turn the heat down to low.
- Cook the warmed milk and eggs. Slowly ladle the warmed milk mixture into the yolks while whisking continuously. Then pour mixture back into saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the crème fraîche and blueberry puree. Stir for 5 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Then remove saucepan from heat and whisk in crème fraîche until smooth. Stir in roasted blueberry puree.
- Chill. Let mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically. Then transfer it to a bowl with a tight-fitting lid and chill until very cold, preferably overnight if using the refrigerator. I speed up the process by chilling it in the freezer – I just set a timer to stir it well every 10 minutes, until it’s super cold.
- Make the ice cream in the ice cream maker. Transfer the cold mixture to the the ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream will be a soft-serve consistency straight out of the machine. For a firmer ice cream, chill in the freezer for at least a few hours or overnight.
What Does Roasting The Blueberries Do?
Roasting the blueberries does a couple very wonderful things for this recipe.
First, roasting softens the blueberries, which brings out their natural juices and makes them easier to puree.
Second, roasting brings out more sweetness and depth of flavor, and makes them almost jam-like. Which reminds me…have you tried my blueberry jam recipe?!
Tips for Success + Variations
Here are a few tips to to help you make this ice cream:
- Chill the ice cream base thoroughly. The colder you can chill the custard ice cream base, the quicker it will churn into creamy, thickened ice cream. You can even make it the day before you plan to churn it – just chill until ready to put in the ice cream maker.
- Use frozen blueberries. Fresh blueberries will give the most intense, fresh flavor, but you can substitute frozen blueberries. You can roast them from frozen.
- Make your own crème fraîche. If you can’t find store-bought crème fraîche, use this easy method to make it at home: Mix 1 tablespoon of buttermilk into 1 cup heavy cream. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, gently heat the mixture until it is slightly warm, and then transfer the warmed mixture into a glass bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean dishcloth and let it stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Stir the crème fraîche and refrigerate until chilled. Double or triple the recipe if needed.
- Swap in sour cream. If you can’t find crème fraîche or don’t have time to make it, you can substitute an equivalent amount of full fat sour cream.
- Stir in chocolate. If you like berries and chocolate together, it’s fun to add some chopped or shaved dark chocolate into the ice cream at the very end of the ice cream churning process.
Ice Cream Topping Ideas
What ice cream isn’t made better by some fun toppings? Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve this blueberry ice cream:
- Top with fresh whipped cream. Our family loves freshly whipped cream, and it’s a fabulous topping for this homemade ice cream with whipped cream. You can make it yourself from scratch with a little powdered sugar folded in or use store-bought whipped cream.
- Add chocolate hot fudge sauce. My recipe for easy hot fudge sauce is delicious paired with blueberry ice cream.
- Sprinkle with chopped nuts. For a little salty crunch, sprinkle bowls of blueberry ice cream with toasted chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, or a combination.
- Make it a sundae! Top bright blue blueberry ice cream with whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, and nuts. Sprinkle with fresh blueberries for extra color and fresh blueberry flavor.
How to Store Homemade Ice Cream
For the best flavor and texture, store homemade blueberry ice cream in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 weeks.
You’ll want to let the container stand on the counter for a few minutes after removing it from the freezer so the ice cream can slightly soften enough to scoop it out easily.
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Crème Fraîche Blueberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 18 ounces fresh blueberries
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces crème fraîche or substitute full-fat sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place blueberries on prepared baking sheet. Roast berries for 12 minutes, shaking the pan every 4 minutes for even cooking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- In a blender, puree blueberries and any accumulated juices until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and vanilla. When mixture is just starting to simmer (do not let it come to a boil), turn the heat down to low.
- Slowly ladle the warm milk mixture into the yolks mixture, whisking continuously.
- Pour mixture back into saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon for 5 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in crème fraîche until smooth. Then stir in the roasted blueberry puree. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl with a tight fitting lid and chill until very cold, preferably overnight, if chilling in the refrigerator. I speed up the process by chilling it in the freezer – I just set a timer to stir it well every 10 minutes, until it’s super cold.
- Prepare ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions. The ice cream will be a soft-serve consistency straight out of the machine. For a firmer ice cream, chill in freezer for at least a few hours or overnight.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
More Blueberry Dessert Recipes to Try
- Blueberry Dump Cake
- Blueberry Cobbler with Orange Biscuit Puffs
- Mom’s Blueberry Tea Cake
- Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Blueberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Where To Pick Blueberries
Have you ever eaten blueberries, picked fresh from the bush? They are AMAZING.
Our favorite place to pick blueberries is Rush River Produce, near Maiden Rock, Wisconsin. The Great River Road is a beautiful drive and Rush River Produce is a delightful family farm set atop of the bluffs of mighty Mississippi River and Lake Pepin.
We’ve picked blueberries at this location almost every year since our girls were very young. We’ve gone as a family, but mostly it’s been girl trips, where our daughters have invited friends. We make a day of it by packing a picnic lunch, doing some shopping, and eating pie at Stockholm Pie.
I highly recommend a blueberry picking day each summer. If you have any questions about our experience, just shoot me a message in the comments!
This recipe is from The Gourmet Kitchen by Jennifer Farley. When Jennifer’s book was first released, she sent me a copy to review and cook from, and ok’d my sharing of her recipe. This post was first published in 2017 and then updated in 2023.
Had a question. My mind played a trick and after the instruction of placing the mixture in refrigerator until very cold, I thought it was no churn. Of course, after reading more thoroughly the next step is putting mixture in ice cream machine. Is no churn possible?
Hi Anne – I have not tried this recipe without churning. If you do, please let me know how it turns out.
Thank you so much for sharing one of my recipes, and for the kind review! This is one of my favorite ice creams in the book. Your photos are beautiful. Looking forward to meeting you soon :)
This looks so gorgeous. Love the color from blueberries.
Thank you so much, Victoria!
OH. EM. GEE. This ice cream is absolutely beautiful!
Thank you so much, Kelly. It’s absolutely luscious. Disappears FAST! :)
We’ve been berry picking at Rush River Produce
for the last 5 years after reading about it on your
blog. What a beautiful spot! Have been meaning
to thank you! It’s become a yearly tradition along
with a stop at Stockholm Pie. I made your mom’s
blueberry tea cake this morning and it’s a winner!
Reading your comment makes me smile big. I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying this little annual tradition of ours…including the stop for PIE!! :) And I love that you made my mom’s tea cake recipe. Enjoy!
Blueberry picking is such a special, summer treat. And what a great way to feature them! Just gorgeous!
There are no blueberries like just-picked blueberries. I wish everyone could know that!! Thanks, Brian.
OBSESSED with the color of this ice cream! I’ve never roasted bloobs before….but now I gotta try!
Roasting blueberries is definitely a game changer. You MUST try it!!
What a beautiful ice cream, nothing beats roasted berries!
Thank you, Matt!
Jen’s book is amazing. She is a total rockstar!! And these photos Brenda are lights out gorgeous!!