With only three ingredients required, this recipe for no-churn blackberry ice cream is super simple to make. It’s creamy, it’s intensely fruity, it’s delicious. It also makes the best of foraged blackberries.
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In the current heat wave we’re experiencing here in the UK, my brain can’t get much further than “I need ice cream”.
No churn ice creams are my favourite ones to make. They’re quick, delectable and have a lovely texture. And most importantly, they don’t require an ice cream maker. Kitchen space is precious and I don’t have room for surplus gadgets.
Blackberry Foraging
I love the blackberry season. Nature always seems so generous with this particular berry and it heralds a time of abundance and cooler weather. No late summer is complete without at least one foraging session.
Having said that, I was picking wild blackberries in July this year. This doesn’t seem right at all. I’d normally expect to start foraging around the middle of August.
Pick only those that are completely black and unblemished. If they’re ripe, they’ll come away from the stem quite easily. However, if they’re mushy, leave well alone.
Why Make Blackberry Ice Cream?
- It tastes amazing – smooth, creamy and full of berry flavour.
- No ice cream maker required.
- Takes twenty minutes or less to prepare.
- A great way to use foraged in season blackberries. Although you can use cultivated or frozen berries instead.
No Churn Blackberry Ice Cream
I’m addicted to foraged blackberries. They’re a delicious and free resource. But I know not everyone has access to them and you can of course use cultivated or even frozen ones for this ice cream instead.
In theory, it’s really satisfying to indulge in blackberry ice cream long after the season is over. However, it’s so addictive that invariably it vanishes almost as soon as it’s made.
As already mentioned, you only need three ingredients to make this ice cream, though I mostly add a fourth. A drop of the right alcohol not only adds flavour, but it helps to stop the ice cream going rock hard. I add a splash of my homemade cassis. You’ll find alternatives to this in one of the top tips further down the post.
So apart from the optional alcohol, all you need is double cream, condensed milk and blackberries. It’s hard to get much simpler than that.
If it wasn’t for having to sieve the blackberry purée to get rid of the very annoying seeds, this blackberry ice cream would be a cinch to make.
Equipment Needed
When it comes to equipment, it’s useful to have an electric whisk* of some kind, a sieve and something to puree the blackberries. A stick blender*, jug blender or food processor are all good.
And don’t forget a bowl and spoon. I use a large metal spoon. Suitable freezer containers with lids are also a must. I use plastic tubs.
Whilst by no means necessary, it’s quite useful to have an ice cream scoop* for serving.
Bramble Ice Cream: Step-by-Step
As with most no-churn ice creams, this blackberry ice cream is fairly easy to make. It’s mostly a question of whipping, mixing and freezing.
Step 1. Blitz Blackberries
Rinse the blackberries in water then place in a sieve or colander and drain well. Transfer the more or less dried blackberries to a blender or food processor and blitz to a purée. This should only take a few seconds.
Step 2. Sieve Purée
You’ll need to pass the blackberry purée through a sieve to remove the seeds. Use the back of a large spoon to press out as much of the flesh as you can get.
You don’t have to do this bit, but I strongly advise it. Seedy ice-cream isn’t a pleasure in my book.
Step 3. Whip Cream
Whip the cream up with electric beaters*, a stand mixer or hand whisk*. As the volume is quite large, it can take a long time and quite a bit of energy to whisk by hand.
Stop as soon as the cream has tripled in volume, is light and airy and is thick enough to just about hold its shape. If you over whip cream, it very quickly turns to butter.
Top Tip
Ensure cream is fridge cold. This makes it much easier to whip.
Step 4. Add Condensed Milk
Add the condensed milk and whip again until peaks form.
Step 5. Stir in Purée
Scrape the blackberry purée into the bowl. Add any alcohol, if using – see tip below. Crème de mûre is ideal, but I use my homemade cassis.
With a large metal spoon, gently fold it into the cream until everything is well mixed and no streaks remain. This is always my favourite bit of the process. I love the patterns I make as I stir.
Top Tip
A little alcohol helps to stop the ice cream from freezing solid and thus makes it easier to scoop. Depending on what you use, it can add flavour too. If you don’t have anything else suitable, a neutral vodka works. However, it’s entirely optional and not advised if the ice cream is destined for young children.
Step 6. Freeze
Spoon the blackberry cream into freezer proof lidded containers. I filled a one litre and a quarter litre tub with the amount given in the recipe card below.
Freeze for at least six hours before using. It will keep well for about three months.
To make sure the ice cream is soft enough to scoop, remove it from the freezer fifteen to twenty minutes before serving.
Top Tip
Use as large a container as you can manage. This makes scooping the ice cream out a lot easier.
Other Blackberry Recipes You Might Like
- Blackberry & apple crumble bars
- Blackberry & coconut barfi
- Blackberry flapjacks
- Chocolate blackberry cake
- Hazelnut meringue with blackberries
- Overnight oats with blackberries
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this blackberry ice cream, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Blackberry Ice Cream. PIN IT.
Blackberry Ice Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 350 g blackberries
- 1 tbsp cassis (optional)
- 600 ml double cream (heavy cream) (heavy cream)
- 200 ml condensed milk 50 ml more if you prefer a sweeter ice cream
Instructions
- Whizz the blackberries quickly in a blender or food processor to turn them into a purée.350 g blackberries
- Press the purée through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. This bit takes a while, but it's worth it so that you don't end up with gritty ice cream.
- If using, stir the cassis into the blackberry purée.1 tbsp cassis
- Whisk the cream with electric beaters until just starting to peak. You could do this with a hand whisk, but it's a lot of cream and it will take a long time.600 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- Add the condensed milk and whisk together with the beaters until soft peaks form.200 ml condensed milk
- Stir in the blackberry puree until well combined.
- Taste for sweetness. If it's not sweet enough, stir in a little more condensed milk. Bear in mind that when it's frozen, it never tastes quite as sweet.
- Spoon into a 1 litre container and freeze for at least 6 hours. There will be a quarter of a litre or so left over, so you'll need an additional small freezer container. Remove from the freezer twenty minutes before serving.
Notes
Top Tip
Add one to two tablespoons of alcohol to the ice cream before freezing. This will stop it freezing solid and make it easier to scoop out when you want it. But don’t add more than this or your ice cream may not freeze at all. Crème de mûre is the ideal one to add, but I use my homemade cassis. A neutral vodka is fine too.You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the step-by-step guide in the post.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing this recipe for no churn blackberry ice cream with The Rare Welsh Bit for #CookBlogShare.
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Katie says
This ice cream is fantastic! Perfect healthy summer treat, and I love that it’s no-churn!
Choclette says
Thank you. No faff, no churn ice creams are just the best.
Lucy says
I never realised just how easy ice cream was to make. This blackberry one sounds absolutely delightful. Reading your post has brought back such lovely memories from when I was younger and I used to go blackberry picking with my grandparents. We never came up with recipes to use them as well as you. This is the perfect treat especially for the summer months when blackberries are in season.
Choclette says
Thank you Lucy, what a lovely thing for you to say. Blackberries seem to be a trigger point for bringing back childhood memories. And yes, ice cream can be incredibly easy to make and this one is particularly delicious.
Angela says
Aah “blackberrying” brings such happy memories of childhood. My mother used to make pies and jams and my dad made wine….we picked a lot and had the scratches and stains to prove it…just stretch a bit further into that bramble patch to get the one ripe plump glistening berry that’s almost out of reach. We also ate a lot of them before we got home too – well who could resist them?
I live in Australia now and have been berrying a few times but I was always worried about snakes lurking in the depths of those bushes : ( So we took the kids on their bikes and the dogs and encouraged them to make a racket and we always wore our wellies – just in case. I don’t know what I would have done if I had come face to face with a snake.
The developers have built on the site now same as the lovely bluebell woods I knew (in UK) way back when. The sign of the times.
I’m from the Midlands and we called them blackberries, my husband is from Yorkshire and he calls them brambles.
Love your recipe but I guess that I’ll have to rely on the supermarket for the berries… such is life.
Choclette says
Hi Angela. I always feel nostalgic when bramble season comes around. My mother also made jams, puddings and wine with them. AND I always came back scratched and purple stained for the very reason you’ve stated. I can imagine living so far away you must feel even more nostalgic. Interesting to hear the regional differences. My husband is from Essex and they are definitely blackberries there not brambles.
Gosh, I think you’re quite brave going foraging at all in Australia. I spent six months there and never saw (and nearly stepped on) so many snakes in my life and I’m terrified of snakes at the best of times.
Hope you manage to find some berries for the ice cream.
Shilpa says
This looks so delicious and such beautiful colour. I love blackberry and this could be the best way to eat them!!
Choclette says
Thanks Shilpa, it’s a most delicious way to eat them certainly.
Rachel says
This is perfect for my blackberries that I need to use up! Can’t wait to try it!
Choclette says
This ice cream is a really good way to use up blackberries as they don’t need to be in perfect shape. Enjoy.
Kacie Morgan says
This sounds delicious. I love blackberries – and I think they taste better when you’ve picked them yourself. Your ice cream sound wonderful.
Choclette says
Thank you Kacie. It’s the perfect ice cream for blackberry season and I’m totally with you on the taste of your own foraged blackberries.
Danielle says
Doesn’t get simpler than this! Creamy and subtle, a delicious treat.
Choclette says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for letting me know.
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I just love the colour of this! I gorged on foraged blackberries when we were in Scotland years ago. We don’t get them wild here so it was a real treat. I am going to try the alcohol idea with my next batch of ice cream 🙂
Choclette says
Yes blackberries are lovers of cool climbs. We have to have some compensations! Alcohol really works a treat.
Janice says
I picked the first of this year’s wild blackberries today, so this is a very timely recipe. I love a no churn ice cream and this looks really delicious.
Choclette says
No churn ice-creams have been keeping me going this summer. They’re so simple, but really effective. Blackberry ice cream is a real winner.
annette says
sounds delicious! do you think it would work with condensed coconut milk instead of regular condensed milk?
Choclette says
Hi Annette. I haven’t tried it with condensed coconut milk, though making a vegan version is on my list. But I think it’s definitely worth a go. I believe it has the same sort of properties as condensed milk as well as being the sweetener.
Sherry M says
yes i always add a bit of alcohol to my no churn ice creams, to keep it softer and less icy. this sounds tasty. i do love blackberries.
Choclette says
Ah yes, I remember you like blackberries. It’s quite a nifty trick adding that bit of alcohol.
angiesrecipes says
They are one of our favourite summer treats 🙂 I have an ice cream maker, but it sits somewhere in my pantry..I prefer the no churn one…so quick, easy and creamy.
Choclette says
Yes exactly Angie. Not that I have an ice cream maker, but I have made traditional ice cream a few times and it’s way more faffy.