This black cherry ice cream is a cool summer treat that combines the creamy goodness of French vanilla ice cream with a luscious cherry swirl made from fresh or frozen sweet cherries. It’s the perfect dessert to enjoy on a warm day or to impress your guests at a summer gathering.

I say impress because my photographer’s husband declared this ice cream to be the best thing she’s ever made.

I’m not the hugest cherry fan, so I prefer other desserts, but if you are – I think you should take it as a sign that you need to make this ice cream. ;)

There’s something incredibly satisfying about making your own ice cream at home, especially when it involves the rich, sweet flavor of cherries.

The cherry swirl in this ice cream is made from frozen sweet cherries, which are readily available and convenient to use. It adds a beautiful touch to the ice cream, making it a stunning dessert to serve to guests.

Pin image of black cherry ice cream with text stating fresh or frozen cherries

The cherries are cooked down with sugar (or honey or maple syrup), lemon juice, and a hint of vanilla and almond extracts to create a vibrant, flavorful swirl that complements the creamy vanilla base beautifully. This swirl adds a burst of fruity goodness in every bite!

If you’d like even more fruity ice cream, I think adding the cherry swirl to this Lime Ice Cream would result in an interesting and super unique ice cream flavor.

For the swirl, I used the homemade Cherry Preserves recipe I posted yesterday, but you can also use 1 1/3 cups (430 grams) of store-bought preserves. Or these Strawberry Preserves!

Photo of a black cherry ice cream scoop on a cone with extra cones, scoops of ice cream and fresh cherries in the background

What are black cherries?

Black cherries refer to a category of cherry varieties known for their deep, dark color and rich flavor. Here’s a closer look.

Color – black cherries are distinguished by their dark, almost black color when fully ripe. The dark color is a result of the high anthocyanin content in the fruit, which gives them their rich hue.
Flavor – black cherries are generally sweet, though their flavor can range from mildly sweet to slightly tart, depending on the variety. They have a complex taste profile that is often richer and more robust compared to lighter-colored cherries.
Texture – the texture of black cherries is typically firm and juicy, making them suitable for both eating fresh and using in cooking and baking.
Common varieties – black cherries include several varieties such as Bing cherries, Lambert cherries, and Chelan cherries. Each variety has its own unique characteristics, but they all share the deep color and rich flavor typical of black cherries.

Can’t find any of those varieties? Any sweet cherry will do in this recipe!

Fresh or frozen.

Image of a white bowl full of creamy black cherry ice cream with cherry preserves swirled through the ice cream with bits of cherries

Ingredients

Here’s an overview of everything you’ll need.

For the ice cream

Egg yolks – essential for the custard base, they create a rich and creamy texture. Whole eggs cannot replace egg yolks, also omitting them is not an option.
Heavy cream – provides the rich, creamy texture of the ice cream. Whipping cream can be used as a substitute, but it will result in a less rich ice cream.
Whole milk – lightens the ice cream compared to using only heavy cream. Combining whole milk with heavy cream offers balanced creaminess without making the ice cream too dense. Using only heavy cream can result in an overly heavy or cloying texture.
Sugar – granulated sugar is necessary. Liquid sweeteners would make the ice cream too runny and icy. I do have this Honey Ice Cream recipe that’s totally honey-sweetened, but it has a strong honey flavor that I think would clash with the cherry swirl.
Salt – a pinch enhances the other flavors without making the ice cream salty.

Top view photo of the 7 ingredients needed to make black cherry ice cream

Cherry swirl

Fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries – provide the primary fruity flavor and natural sweetness for the swirl.
Sweetener – granulated sugar, honey or maple syrup is used to sweeten the cherries and balance their natural tartness.
Lemon juice – adds a touch of acidity, which enhances the cherry flavor and provides a refreshing contrast.
Vanilla extract – adds a warm, sweet aroma that complements the cherries and enhances the overall flavor.
Almond extract – adds a subtle, nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the cherries and vanilla.

Overhead photo of all the ingredients needed to make cherry preserves for the black cherry ice cream

French vanilla base

The base of this black cherry ice cream is a classic French Vanilla Ice Cream but with some small changes. Instead of using a vanilla bean, this recipe relies on vanilla extract to infuse the ice cream with its signature flavor.

Additionally, it uses one fewer egg yolk, which results in a slightly lighter texture while still maintaining the rich creaminess that French vanilla ice cream is known for.

What is French vanilla ice cream, anyway?

It’s a rich and creamy variety of ice cream, characterized by its smooth texture and custard-like flavor. Unlike regular or Philadelphia-style vanilla ice cream, which is typically made with a simple mixture of cream, sugar, and vanilla extract, French vanilla ice cream includes egg yolks in its base.

This addition gives it a deeper, more complex flavor and a yellowish hue.

Photo of several black cherry ice cream cones on a white background with fresh black cherries scattered about.

Can I use all milk/cream/half-and-half?

As mentioned earlier, using all cream isn’t recommended, as most people find the texture of ice cream made with just heavy cream to be unpleasant.

Using all milk wouldn’t work either, as there’s not enough fat to create ice cream.

This recipe calls for 2 cups of heavy cream and 1 cup of whole milk, providing 184 grams of fat. Using 3 cups of half-and-half only gives you 83 grams of fat, which is insufficient for a creamy texture.

If you’re short on heavy cream or milk, substituting some half-and-half is fine, but remember that less fat means less creamy ice cream.

Can I use low-fat or fat-free milk?

Yes, if that’s all you have, but adjust the ratio to include more heavy cream. For example, use 3/4 cup of low-fat or fat-free milk and 2 1/4 cups of cream. The extra cream will make up for the missing fat in the milk.

Photo of a metal pan filled with black cheery ice cream with three round scoops on top

How to make the ice cream base

You’ll want to make the ice cream base first. You’ll have plenty of time to make the cherry swirl and for it to cool while you wait for the custard to chill.

You heat the milk, part of the sugar, and salt until steaming.

While that’s heating up, you whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until.

This mixture is then slowly tempered with hot cream and milk, ensuring the eggs don’t curdle.

Process grid photo steps 1 to 4 on how to make black cherry ice cream

The custard is cooked until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, creating a velvety foundation for the ice cream. This technique requires just a little patience and precision but results in the BEST vanilla ice cream!

I use it in almost all my ice cream recipes, like this Nutella Ice Cream and Raspberry Ice Cream, and it always pays off.

If you’ve got a thermometer, use it! You want to cook the custard until the mixture registers about 170 °F (77 °C) on an instant-read thermometer. This will take about 3-7 minutes.

And be careful not to boil the mixture. The coagulation temperature is about 180 °F (82 °c), so keep an eye on it. My mixture had some tiny eggy bits, but they were removed when straining later on.

Process grid photo steps 5 to 8 on how to make black cherry ice cream

After thickening, strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any egg bits. This results in an ultra-smooth texture.

Process grid photo steps 9 to 12 on how to make black cherry ice cream

Cooling the custard base properly before churning is also vital. You need to refrigerate it for several hours or overnight to enhance the flavor and consistency of the churned ice cream.

Process grid photo steps 13 to 15 on how to make black cherry ice cream

How to make the cherry swirl

I have a whole post on how to make the Cherry Preserves needed for this recipe. But here’s a quick overview.

Process grid photo steps 1 to 4on how to make cherry preserves for black cherry ice cream

If you have any questions, check out the above post. I think I’ve covered everything in that post. :) And if I didn’t, feel free to ask here!

Process grid photo steps 5 to 7 on how to make cherry preserves for black cherry ice cream

How to store

Make sure your container is freezer-safe. Transfer the ice cream into it, and cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap before closing the container.

Preventing Ice Crystals

Homemade ice cream is best enjoyed within about two weeks. Egg yolks act as a natural stabilizer, but homemade ice cream doesn’t contain the gums and additives that allow store-bought ice cream to stay soft for months.

That said, I’ve kept my ice cream smooth for months by following these simple rules.

Pressing plastic wrap directly on the surface helps prevent air exposure. I’ve never needed to do this, but this is a great extra step if your freezer tends to run very cold.
Use a shallow container like a loaf pan rather than a deep container. This allows the ice cream to freeze more evenly.
Avoid repeated thawing and refreezing. Each time the ice cream softens and refreezes, more ice crystals can form.

Source

This ice cream base was lightly adapted from David Lebovitz’s book, The Perfect Scoop.

I bought this book back in 2008 after getting it from the library, and all of the recipes have been incredible. If you enjoy rich ice cream, this is the book for you!

I also adapted my Green Ice Cream recipe from the same book because it’s truly perfect. I can’t imagine a better, creamier ice cream!

I hope you’ll enjoy this black cherry ice cream if you try it out! If you do, I’d love to hear your thoughts. :) Thanks!