Razzleberry Swirl Ice Cream
Silky smooth vanilla ice cream swirled with a perfectly fruity razzleberry compote made from raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. This light, summery ice cream is refreshing yet will satisfy your sweet tooth any day of the year.
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To be honest, I will always go for chocolate ice cream if given the option. Yet sometimes I’m disappointed. Like recently, we were in Bend, Oregon, and I sampled this blueberry lemon ice cream that was SO good. But I got the chocolate. Because I thought I’d be happier with it. But I wasn’t.
Maybe, just maybe, chocolate isn’t always the answer. Just sometimes.
Like this ice cream. By all means, you can drizzle it with hot fudge to get your chocolate fix. But it’s so, so good on its own. In fact, it’s a great little topping for any summery pie. Like my ginger berry pie. Berries on berries is never a bad idea, especially during summer.
The star of this ice cream is the razzleberry compote. It’s just the perfect thickness to meld into the ice cream rather than turn to ice or turn gummy and difficult to scoop. Not only does it give a pop of color, it also gives a bold pop of flavor. A little tart and a little sweet and full of fresh berry flavors.
Yeah, this ice cream didn’t last long in our house.
What I also love is the richness of the ice cream base. I actually made this using a no-churn method that still uses an egg-based custard. Don’t let that scare you—it’s super fast and easy to make.
And of course you can churn it in your ice cream maker—I just never have room in my freezer for our KitchenAid ice cream insert or loads of ice to use with one of our other two ice cream makers (yep…those who know my husband won’t be surprised we own three ice cream makers).
Altogether, this ice cream surprised me with how addictive it was!
Key ingredients
Razzleberry compote. Wowzers this compote is so good. So good that I just embarrassed myself by saying, “Wowzers.” I don’t even care—this compote is the perfect trio of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries with a bit of lemon juice and sugar and some cornstarch to thicken it.
Egg yolks. Needed to thicken the custard and provide that rich custardy base.
Sugar. Granulated sugar is used.
Vanilla. Necessary to get that rich, creamy ice cream base.
Whole milk. This is heated into the custard, so avoid using nonfat to get the best texture.
Heavy cream. You can either whip this separately and fold it into the custard OR stir the two together and churn it all in an ice cream maker. Both work relatively the same, with an ice cream maker giving a bit fluffier of a result.
How to make razzleberry swirl ice cream
1. Make the razzleberry compote ahead of time. It needs time to set, so it’s easiest to make it a day ahead. You could make it while the custard cools, but be sure it’s completely chilled (cold—not room temperature) before you use it.
2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. This takes a few minutes, so feel free to use a hand mixer. You want it pale yellow and fluffy—it should increase in volume by at least 50%.
3. Heat milk and vanilla until steaming. Heat in a medium saucepan over medium and stir frequently so it doesn’t burn.
4. Slowly whisk (temper) milk into yolks. You want to pour slowly and whisk quickly. It can take practice, so take breaks as needed and be sure you have a bowl that stays put (some of mine start spinning as I whisk).
5. Heat the custard until thickened. After all the milk is tempered into the eggs, pour it all back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s roughly the thickness of instant pudding before it sets.
6. Chill until set. Place a piece of plastic wrap wright on the custard so it doesn’t form a skin. Refrigerate at least an hour.
For a slow-churned ice cream
7. Combine cooled custard and heavy cream. Stir well so everything is evenly mixed.
8. Churn according to machine directions. Be sure you have enough ice and rock salt or that you’ve frozen your maker’s insert well in advance (some require 24 hours).
9. Layer into container with razzleberry swirl. You can use a 9x5 bread pan or ice cream container. Pour 1/3 of the ice cream base then drop dollops of compote (stir it up if it’s thickened too much) and swirl these gently with a knife—just a few passes vertically and horizontally will do. Continue two more times until all ice cream is used up.
10. Freeze 3-4 hours or overnight. It’s soft-serve consistency right away, but that gets a little messy with the swirl. It’s best to freeze it at least a few hours.
For a no-churn ice cream
7. Whip cream until soft peaks. You want sturdy peaks but the cream should still be shiny and just starting to turn matte in spots.
8. Fold into cooled custard. Do this in thirds so you don’t deflate the cream.
9. Layer into container with razzleberry swirl. You can use a 9x5 bread pan or ice cream container. Pour 1/3 of the ice cream base then drop dollops of compote (stir it up if it’s thickened too much) and swirl these gently with a knife—just a few passes vertically and horizontally will do. Continue two more times until all ice cream is used up.
10. Freeze 4-8 hours. This all depends on your freezer, but you want it sturdy enough to scoop.
Pairs well with:
If you are a pie and ice cream or cake and ice cream person, then these combos are for you!
Blackberry Lavender Greek Yogurt Cake
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes (or cake!)
Confetti Sprinkle Cake (for ALL the colors)
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
Is slow-churned better than no-churn?
I notice very little difference between the two. The biggest thing I’ve found is that no-churn is harder straight from the freezer and needs a few minutes to soften on the counter. Once it has, it tastes just the same!
What if my eggs scrambled?
Sometimes, the eggs scramble just a bit. If they’ve scrambled a lot, with large chunks of egg, you should start over. However, if you’re unsure or think you see some tiny egg bits, just use a large fine mesh sieve to strain the custard before chilling. It’ll remove any egg that didn’t temper properly.
Can I make this without eggs?
Yes! I personally prefer the taste of egg-based vanilla ice creams, but you can make this recipe by using one 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk instead of the egg yolks, milk, and sugar (so replacing the custard). You’ll simply melt the chocolate chips and let them cool slightly stir them, the vanilla, and the cocoa powder into the sweetened condensed milk in a large mixing bowl. The replaces the custard, so you can then either add the heavy cream and churn with an ice cream maker or follow the no-churn option above.
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making ice cream. Affiliate links provided.
Ice cream container (or use a 8x4 loaf pan or 9x5 loaf pan)
Mesh sieve (in case some egg scrambles as you temper it)
You might also like:
Red, White, & Blue Trifle (with razzleberry coulis)
Razzleberry Swirl Ice Cream
- prep time: 25-30 minutes
- chill time: 1 hour
- churn time: 30 minutes*
- freeze time: 4-8 hours
- total time: 10 hours
servings: 12 (½ cup servings)
Ingredients:
- 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
- 2 cups (480g) heavy whipping cream, cold
- one batch of razzleberry compote
- ice cream maker, prepped per directions (optional–see no-churn option at the bottom)*
Instructions:
- Follow your ice cream maker’s directions to prepare it for use, which could include placing the bowl in the freezer for up to 24 hours*.
- Make the razzleberry compote ahead to help split up your work. Alternately, you could make it while the custard cools (step 7), but you’ll need to ensure the compote is fully chilled before swirling it into the ice cream.
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until pale frothy, 2-3 minutes. At first it may seem thick and clumpy, but keep going until the sugar melts and it becomes pale and frothy. Set aside.
- Combine the whole milk, vanilla, and pinch sea salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to steam and small bubbles begin to form along the edge of the pan.
- Temper the milk into the eggs by very, very slowly streaming the milk into the eggs while whisking the eggs very quickly. Be sure to whisk constantly and quickly as you do this to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Once all of the milk has been added to the eggs, scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula (be sure to get to the edges and corners), until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should feel thicker as you stir, as well.
- Pour into a medium bowl (the bowl the eggs were in works just fine). If the eggs have scrambled, pour the whole mixture through a large fine mesh sieve set over your bowl to remove the egg bits. Cover well and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
- Once the custard is cooled, combine with the heavy cream and mix well. Follow your manufacturer’s directions to churn the ice cream. Don’t overmix.
- Once the ice cream is finished, layer ⅓ of it into a 9x5 loaf pan or an ice cream container. Drop dollops of razzleberry compote onto the ice cream, swirling it a couple times with a knife. Repeat, layering ice cream and compote two more times, ending with the compote on top.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. You may need to let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes before scooping.
Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Ice cream should last at least 1-2 months, but this can vary depending on your freezer and how well-sealed it is.
*If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can make this a no-churn ice cream. Follow the directions up to step 7. When the custard is cooled, place the heavy whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer). Beat on medium until frothy then increase speed to high until stiff peaks just begin to form (the mixture will start to turn matte in appearance–watch carefully and stop your mixer when this just begins to happen). Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the custard until fully combined, then continue with the next ⅓ of the whipped cream, followed by the final ⅓ until all whipped cream is mixed in. Layer ice cream as directed in step 9 and freeze at least 4 hours.
