How to Make Delicious Homemade Ice Cream: A Complete Guide

Making ice cream at home can be rewarding, but challenges like hard texture, ice crystals, or lack of creaminess often arise. This comprehensive guide provides step-by-step instructions to resolve these issues and create delicious, creamy ice cream without needing a dedicated ice cream maker.

Common Problems with Homemade Ice Cream and Their Solutions

• Too hard: Use the correct balance of ingredients to soften the texture.
• Presence of ice crystals: Add stabilizers like GMS and CMC powders to prevent crystallization.
• Not creamy enough: Incorporate whipping cream for fluffiness and creaminess.

This recipe ensures professional-grade ice cream texture using easily available ingredients and tools at home.

Ice Cream Recipes for Popular Flavors

Flavors Covered

1. Vanilla
2. Chocolate
3. Butterscotch
4. Strawberry
5. Orange
6. Tutti Frutti
7. Kesar Pista
8. Black Currant
9. Pineapple

Ice Cream Base Recipe (For All Flavors Except Chocolate)

Ingredients (4–6 servings):

1. 1/2 liter full cream milk
• Check fat content; it should be above 4%. (Amul Gold is a good option.)
2. 2 tablespoons corn flour
• Avoid excess to prevent stickiness.
3. 2 tablespoons GMS powder (Glycerol Monostearate)
• Prevents ice crystals and ensures a creamy texture.
4. A pinch of CMC powder (Carboxymethyl Cellulose)
• Stabilizes the ice cream without requiring a churner.
5. 8 tablespoons sugar
6. 1/2 teaspoon liquid glucose (optional)
• Reduces sugar crystallization and adds shine.

Steps to Make the Ice Cream Base:

1. Mix all ingredients into the milk, ensuring no lumps.
2. Heat on medium flame, stirring continuously.
3. Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat and stir for 2–3 minutes.
4. Let it cool to room temperature.
5. Pour into a metal container (preferably aluminum) and freeze until solid.

Note: The base will be hard and needs whipping to soften for flavors.

Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whipping cream or fresh cream
• A few drops of vanilla essence

Instructions:

1. Scrape the frozen base into a chilled bowl.
2. Add cream and vanilla essence.
3. Place the bowl in a larger container filled with ice to keep it chilled.
4. Whip the mixture with an electric or manual beater until soft and fluffy.
5. Transfer to a metal container, close the lid, and freeze for 6–8 hours.

Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 teaspoon strawberry essence
• 3 drops red food color
• 1 cup strawberry pulp

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients with the base.
2. Whip until soft and fluffy.
3. Freeze for 6–8 hours.
4. Optional: Add chopped strawberries after whipping.

Other Ice Cream Flavors

Orange Ice Cream

• Add orange pulp, orange essence, orange food color, and cream to the base.

Pineapple Ice Cream

• Add pineapple pieces, yellow food color, pineapple essence, and cream to the base.

Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

• Add tutti frutti pieces, essence, and your preferred food color.

Kesar Pista Ice Cream

• Add saffron (soaked in milk), chopped pistachios, kesar essence, and lemon-yellow food color.

Black Currant Ice Cream

• Add black currant pulp, black currant essence, and a mix of red and blue food colors.

Butterscotch Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• Cream
• 3 drops butterscotch essence
• 4 drops lemon-yellow food color

For Crunchies:

1. Caramelize sugar in a pan.
2. Mix in chopped walnuts to coat evenly.
3. Cool and break into small pieces.

Instructions:

1. Mix cream, essence, and food color with the base.
2. Add crunchies after whipping.
3. Freeze for 6–8 hours.

Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Chocolate requires a unique base with slightly different ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 liter milk
• 1 tablespoon GMS powder
• A pinch of CMC powder
• 8 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon custard powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon drinking chocolate
• 1 tablespoon corn flour
• 1 tablespoon liquid glucose

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients and heat until boiling. Stir for 2–3 minutes.
2. Cool to room temperature, then freeze in a metal container.
3. Scrape and whip with cream until fluffy.
4. Add choco chips as a variation.

Tips for Perfect Homemade Ice Cream

1. Use whipping cream for better results, as fresh cream can turn into butter if over-whipped.
2. Always keep the ice cream base cold while whipping to prevent melting.
3. Store ice cream in airtight containers to avoid freezer burn.