Food and Recipes Entertaining Ideas & Tips 22 Homemade Ice Cream Recipes Made For Hot Summer Days There's a flavor for everyone. By Josh Miller Josh Miller Josh Miller is a writer, editor, recipe developer, and food stylist who has been writing about Southern food and working in the publishing industry for the past 20 years. His work has appeared in Southern Living, Food & Wine, Cooking Light, Taste of the South, and Southern Cast Iron magazines. Southern Living's editorial guidelines and Kimberly Holland Kimberly Holland Kimberly Holland is a writer and editor with 15 years of experience in food, lifestyle, health, and nutrition content. She has been published in Southern Living, Real Simple, Allrecipes, EatingWell, Cooking Light, and other publications. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 22, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player 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. 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. From our Strawberry Ice Cream made in a bag to a variety of no-churn recipes, there are plenty of ways to enjoy homemade ice cream. 12 Tasty Desserts That Start With Store-Bought Ice Cream 01 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 02 of 22 Watermelon Ice Cream Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners The Southern-favorite summertime fruit just got even sweeter with watermelon ice cream. This homemade treat only requires four simple ingredients: watermelon, sweetened condensed milk, fresh lime juice, and salt. The hardest part about this recipe is the freeze time! Get the Recipe 03 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 04 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 05 of 22 Putt's Butter Pecan Sundae 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. Get the Recipe 06 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 07 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 08 of 22 Bourbon Ice Cream With Bourbon-Caramel Swirl 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. Get the Recipe 09 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 10 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 11 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 12 of 22 Fresh Mint Chip No-Churn Ice Cream Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen This no-churn mint chocolate chip ice cream is nothing like the pints you'll find in the grocery store. Made with a base of herb-infused whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk, this ice cream has a natural, subtle mint taste that pairs beautifully with chopped chocolate. Get the Recipe 13 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 14 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 15 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 16 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 17 of 22 Cream Cheese Ice Cream Jennifer Davick 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. Get the Recipe 18 of 22 Basil Ice Cream 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. Get the Recipe 19 of 22 Blackberry-Buttermilk Sherbet Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist Audrey Davis Chef Bill Smith of Chapel Hill's classic Crook's Corner saw our strawberry buttermilk sherbet recipe in the May 2008 edition of Southern Living, swapped strawberries for blackberries, and was so delighted by the results that he put it on the menu while the issue was still on stands. Try it for yourself. Get the Recipe 20 of 22 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. Get the Recipe 21 of 22 Peach Sorbet Alison Miksch Smooth and refreshing, this simple peach sorbet is prepared in just 10 minutes thanks to store-bought frozen peaches. Both sweet and tart, this sorbet is perfect on a hot summer day. Get the Recipe 22 of 22 Muscadine Sorbet Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist Christina Dailey For a truly Southerner treat this summer, try this muscadine sorbet. Native to the South, muscadines are grape-like fruits that grow wild in forests and have a sweet, spicy taste. Combined with a little lemon juice and simple syrup, this unique treat will be a hit. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit