Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/18/22
Tested by
Young Sun Huh
Young Sun Huh
Tested by Young Sun Huh
Young Sun is a freelance recipe developer, tester, and food stylist with over 15 years of experience in the food industry.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Cool/Churn/Freeze: 5 hrs 25 mins
Total: 5 hrs 57 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 quart
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
412 Calories
26g Fat
38g Carbs
7g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 412
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 15g 77%
Cholesterol 210mg 70%
Sodium 82mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 99mg 8%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 162mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This ice cream is the perfect dessert for a Fourth of July cookout! Swirls of vibrant red raspberry jam and chunky blueberry jam are frozen into a basic homemade vanilla ice cream. Enjoy this fabulous frozen dessert any time of the year!

If you have fresh or even frozen raspberries or blueberries on hand, you could make your own raspberry and blueberry sauces to swirl into the ice cream base in place of the jams. (See Recipe Variations below for more information.)

This recipe fits perfectly in a 1-quart ice cream machine, but can easily be scaled up if you'd like to make a larger amount for a crowd. If so, churn in batches or use a larger capacity machine.

“The vanilla ice cream base was easy to make and came out perfectly with a creamy consistency and no eggy flavor. I took the mixture to a little above 170 F, which happens very quickly so have a bowl with a sieve nearby. I added a few pinches of salt to round out the flavor.” —Young Sun Huh

Red White and Blue Ice Cream/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 4 large egg yolks

  • 1 large whole egg

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1/3 cup blueberry jam, or homemade blueberry sauce

  • 1/4 cup raspberry jam, or homemade raspberry sauce

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, and granulated sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture begins to boil, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer.

    whisk together the cream, milk, and granulated sugar in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a medium bowl beat the egg yolks and whole egg until combined. 

    In a medium bowl beat the egg yolks and whole egg

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture very gradually to the egg mixture while whisking continuously.

    add milk to the egg mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Return yolk mixture to the saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.

    custard mixture in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches about 170 F to 180 F, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes.

    custard mixture in a saucepan, thermometer

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Strain the custard mixture into a bowl (preferably glass or stainless steel) through a fine mesh sieve and stir in the vanilla extract.

    Strain the custard mixture into a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Stir the custard mixture frequently to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 3 to 4 hours.

    custard in a bowl covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Churn the custard mixture in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's directions until soft-frozen. 

    custard in an ice cream maker

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Working quickly, spoon a layer of the soft-frozen mixture into a small pan or 1-quart container. Spoon small amounts of the blueberry jam and the raspberry jam over the ice cream.

    ice cream in a container with jam

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Repeat the layers until all of the ice cream and jam have been used. Cut through the layers with a small spatula or the handle of a wooden spoon to swirl slightly. 

    custard in a container

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Smooth the top of the ice cream. Cover and freeze until firm and scoopable, about 2 hours.

    Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • You need to plan at least a day in advance of when you want to enjoy your ice cream. Most home ice cream makers have a bowl that needs to be kept in the coldest part of your freezer (usually the far back) for at least 24 before churning a batch of ice cream.
  • You can enjoy the ice cream straight from the churning process, but it will usually have the consistency of soft serve. If you want a more scoopable ice cream, it needs to be frozen at least 2 hours before serving.

Recipe Variations

Replace the store-bought jams with these quick and easy homemade raspberry and blueberry sauces:


Fresh Raspberry Sauce: In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups of fresh raspberries (about 8 ounces) with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir and mash the raspberries. Continue cooking, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until reduced and thickened. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or chinois to remove the seeds. Refrigerate to chill thoroughly before adding to the ice cream.


Fresh Blueberry Sauce: Try this fresh blueberry sauce recipe following the thicker sauce variation.