This Peach Ice Cream is super creamy and bursting with the juicy sweetness of fresh summer peaches. With plenty of ripe fruit and no egg yolks required, this machine-churned homemade ice cream serves up pure peachy flavor in every spoonful!
Homemade Peach Ice Cream
II still remember churning peach ice cream in an old-fashioned hand-crank ice cream machine, the kind you packed with rock salt. It was a real labor of love, but that first cold, creamy bite, bursting with fresh peach flavor, was the ultimate summer treat.
This isn’t a custard base, but it’s every bit as rich and smooth, especially when you start with quality ingredients. I pulled out our old family recipe and gave it a little upgrade: a splash of bourbon for a warm caramel note that pairs beautifully with peaches and brown sugar, plus it keeps the ice cream soft and scoopable. Don’t want the booze? I’ll show you how to make it just as delicious without. Either way, this peach ice cream is the real deal.
And you might want to check out this post on how to freeze peaches, to capture that fresh-from-the-orchard taste all year long! And if you decide to use frozen peaches in this ice cream, proceed as normal, letting them sit with the sugar for about 60-90 minutes.
Peach Ice Cream Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Peaches: Peel them, remove the pits and slice them! You need ripe, juicy peaches for that extra peachy flavor. Here in Colorado, we get super sweet and juicy, Palisade peaches every August! The best!
- Granulated Sugar: I use all-natural cane sugar, but white sugar works too.
- Brown Sugar: Adds depth and caramel notes to the ice cream; light or dark both work.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens the peach flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Bourbon Vanilla Extract: Because bourbon and peaches just go together, you may also substitute pure vanilla extract.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: For the creamiest, most luxurious texture, hello peaches and cream ice cream!
- Whole Milk: Helps lighten the base just enough while still keeping it rich.
- Pinch of Salt: Enhances and balances the sweetness.
- Bourbon, Whiskey, or Vodka (optional): Adds subtle flavor and helps the ice cream stay soft and scoopable.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below
How to Make Fresh Peach Ice Cream
Step 1 – Macerate the Peaches
Place sliced peaches in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Stir to combine, cover, and let sit for 1 hour at room temperature. Don’t skip this step, it brings out the juices and flavors in the peaches!
Step 2 – Make the Base
Once juicy, transfer peaches to a blender or food processor with vanilla and salt. Blend until just a few small pieces remain, if it’s too chunky, they freeze really hard making them hard to enjoy the ice cream. Whatever you do, don’t toss those peach juices! That’s where all the flavor is!
Pour the blended peach mixture back into the bowl. Add the heavy cream and whole milk. Stir to combine. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours (or overnight for best flavor). This gives the peaches time to marry with the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3 – Churn Ice Cream
Once chilled, give the mixture a good whisk. Pour the ice cream base into your frozen ice cream maker bowl and churn according to manufacturer instructions (typically 20–30 minutes).
Step 4 – Freeze
Scoop churned ice cream into a freezer container. At this point it will be like soft-serve ice cream. Press parchment or plastic wrap onto the surface and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
How to prep peaches for Homemade Peach Ice Cream
Prepping the peaches is key! If your peaches are a little firm or dry, macerating with sugar and lemon juice helps draw out their juices and intensify their flavor. If they’re already juicy, this step only enhances them further. Pulse in a food processor or mash until mostly smooth, with just a few small peachy bits for texture.
Best Peach Ice Cream Recipe Tips
- Split the batch if needed. This homemade peach ice cream recipe makes a full 2 quarts of ice cream. If your ice cream maker is smaller (like 1.5 quarts or less), divide the mixture and churn it in two separate batches to avoid overflow.
- Freeze your ice cream bowl for at least 12 hours. A properly frozen freezer bowl is essential for ice cream to churn and set up correctly. I recommend freezing it for 24 hours for best results, a partially frozen bowl just won’t get the job done.
- Use high-quality ingredients for the creamiest texture. Heavy cream and whole milk will give you the richest, smoothest ice cream. You can use half-and-half or lower-fat options, but the texture won’t be quite as luscious.
What to Serve With Homemade Peach Ice Cream
This peach ice cream is incredible all by itself, but if you want to jazz it up, try:
- Crumbled shortbread cookies
- A drizzle of salted caramel or butterscotch sauce
- A handful of crushed gingersnaps
- Or, simply enjoy it in a waffle cone on the porch!
How to Store Fresh Peach Ice Cream
Store your ice cream in an airtight container, and tuck it in the coldest part of your freezer (usually towards the back). I like using a loaf pan wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or this ice cream container. Press a piece of parchment or wax paper directly on the surface before sealing. This keeps ice crystals from forming on top.
Best enjoyed within 2 weeks for maximum flavor and texture, though it’s safe for longer. If the ice cream gets too firm, let it sit on the counter for about 10–20 minutes before scooping.
Variations for Fresh Peach Ice Cream Recipe
Dairy-Free Version: Swap out the heavy cream and whole milk for full-fat canned coconut milk (2 cups) and unsweetened almond milk (½ cup) or another dairy-free milk you enjoy. You can also use a dairy-free creamer for an extra-rich version. The texture will be slightly different but still creamy and scoopable.
Sugar-Free Version: Use monk fruit sweetener or a similar 1:1 sugar replacement for both the granulated and brown sugar.
Flavor Twists:
- Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract along with vanilla for a fruity-nutty vibe.
- Stir in ½ cup crushed gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, or shortbread cookies at the end of churning.
- Fold in ½ cup white chocolate chips, swirl raspberry preserves or add fresh raspberries to the peach mixture before freezing.
- Use vanilla bean paste instead of extract for rich vanilla flecks throughout.
FAQs for Peach Ice Cream
You don’t have to peel peaches for ice cream, but I recommend it. Peach skins can sometimes be a bit tough, especially if the fruit isn’t at peak ripeness, and peeling ensures a smoother, creamier texture.
Yes! You can use frozen peaches, just thaw them completely before macerating, and keep any juice that collects. Canned peaches can work in a pinch, but choose those packed in juice, not syrup, and drain them well. For the best flavor, fresh ripe peaches are always my first choice.
Ice Cream Equipment
I have two ice cream makers, yes, two! Because sometimes you need options, like maybe you want this peach ice cream but you also crave Old-Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream. I love my KitchenAid ice cream attachment as well as my Cuisinart ice cream maker.
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Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh peaches peeled and sliced (about 4-5 peaches)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar I use all-natural cane sugar, white sugar may be used
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed (light or dark, I used light)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed, about one medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract or regular vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream aka heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- Pinch Salt
- 1 tablespoon Bourbon Or rum, whiskey, or vodka for added flavor + to help keep the ice cream soft and scoopable
Instructions
- Before beginning, make sure your ice cream churning bowl has been frozen for at least 12 hours; 24 hours is even best.
- Place sliced peaches in an 8-cup batter bowl, add sugars, and lemon juice. Stir to combine, cover and allow to sit for 1 hour at room temperature; this process is called macerating.3 cups fresh peaches, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Once the peaches are nice and juicy, place the peach mixture in a blender or food processor along with the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the peaches are in small pieces, not pureed; some small chunks are okay. You don’t want too large of pieces as they are too hard when frozen. Alternatively, you may use a fork or a potato masher and mash them.1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract, Pinch Salt
- In the same bowl where you had the peaches, add pulsed peaches, heavy cream, and milk. If adding, add bourbon or other now. Stir to combine, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours (or overnight if you have time). This allows the peaches to infuse the cream. Rushing this process will yield an ice cream that is not as peachy. *Adding an additional tablespoon of bourbon or other, will help keep it more scoopable2 cups heavy cream, ½ cup whole milk, 1 tablespoon Bourbon
- Once the ice cream mixture is chilled, give it one last whisk or stir before pouring into your (frozen) ice cream bowl. Pour batter into the ice cream bowl, place the dasher, and churn. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on your ice cream maker, typically 20-30 minutes
- Scoop churned ice cream into an airtight container, lay a piece of parchment or plastic wrap on top (this helps prevent ice crystals from forming), and freeze for at least 2 hours for scoopable ice cream. Though if you serve it and it’s soft, I'm pretty sure you won’t have anyone complaining. See tips below for the best ice cream.
Notes
- Cut the recipe by 25% (use about 2¼ cups peaches, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1½ cups heavy cream, and ⅓ cup milk).
- Keep a close eye on the churn time, smaller machines can freeze the base faster, usually in 15–25 minutes.
- Don’t overfill the bowl! Leave at least ½ inch from the top to prevent overflow.
- Store your peach ice cream in an airtight container. I like using a loaf pan wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or a container with a snap-on lid.
- Press a piece of parchment or wax paper directly on the surface before sealing. This keeps ice crystals from forming on top.
- Best enjoyed within 2 weeks for maximum flavor and texture, though it’s safe for longer. It’s not like the ice cream police will come and get you.
- Use the ripest, juiciest peaches you can find; this is a great time for a farmer’s market. I used Palisade peaches, a Colorado summer favorite!
- Make sure that your base is well chilled and you give it a good stir before adding to your ice cream maker.
- I like to put my ice cream bowl in the freezer several days before making ice cream so that it’s good and solid. Make sure you freeze it at least 12 hours.
- Ice cream straight from the churn will be soft serve, nothing wrong with that. Grab a spoonful and taste the heavenly flavors, but if you want scoopable ice cream, then be sure to freeze at least 2 hours or overnight for firm ice cream.
- I’ve added a little extra bourbon vanilla to this ice cream as alcohol in ice cream helps it to not freeze quite as hard. But if your ice cream becomes too hard to scoop, simply allow it to sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Try using vanilla bean paste in place of the vanilla extract or bourbon vanilla.
- Add up to ¼ teaspoon of almond extract for a unique and subtle almond flavor.
- You can use frozen peaches if desired. Thaw them completely before macerating (adding lemon juice and sugar), and retain any collected juice.
- Canned peaches, hmmm, well, they are not the same, unless you can find “jarred” peaches without any added sugars or ingredients.
Nutrition
Heidi
So fresh and delicious!
Thank you so much Heidi!!