Creamy and decadent strawberry rhubarb ice cream with bright bursts of fresh fruit. This ice cream is my summer's theme. Satisfy every sweet tooth and stay cool with this gorgeous dessert.

Creamy and decadent strawberry rhubarb ice cream with bright bursts of fresh fruit. This ice cream is my summer's theme. Satisfy every sweet tooth and stay cool with this gorgeous dessert.
Why you'll love it
This sweet and cream ice cream is one of my absolute favorites to beat that summer heat while also celebrating its fresh produce. It is a great recipe for anyone who perhaps tried my deeply rich and flavorful homemade vanilla ice cream and are ready to dip their toes into adding some fun and seasonable flavors. Rhubarb season is very short and this is a great way to use up some extras and keep it available to enjoy a little longer. If you've made by rhubarb jam, you can even use that in the ice cream as a part of the fruit mixture. In fact, it is a great way to use up any strawberry and/or rhubarb leftovers in many forms.
- It is a super easy recipe to make and great for people new to making ice cream
- The base is rich, with a velvety mouthfeel that is contrasted by the sweet and tart flavors of strawberry rhubarb coming together to create an unforgettable treat
- You can use frozen strawberries and rhubarb if you have a craving for it when they aren't in season
Key ingredient overview
Ice cream making uses very simple ingredients and the chances are you have many of the ingredients, or can easily source them at your favorite grocery store. These are some of the key ingredients you need to know before you start. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
- Dairy - You need both whole milk and heavy cream for this recipe. It is important that you use both for the best flavor and mouthfeel. Higher fat products ensure there are less ice crystals forming in the ice cream which is very important.
- Corn syrup - This is different from high fructose corn syrup which is not in this recipe. It again helps with preventing ice crystals and creating a smoother ice cream base when it is churned. You can substitute it with agave or honey or omit it entirely.
- Cornstarch - This helps to create a luscious, velvety consistency, but it can be substituted with arrowroot starch or omitted entirely.
- Produce - This recipe was originally made with using fresh strawberries and fresh rhubarb, but you can always use frozen if you are making this out of season.
How to make
Making homemade ice cream is surprisingly easy. The most important thing is to pay attention to the temperatures of your ingredients and ice cream base. Before you begin, you need to prepare your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions, which often means freezing your base 24 hours in advance. You can also check out my guide on how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker.
- Start with the swirl. Add the strawberries and rhubarb into a medium saucepan with ½ cup sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until the mixture breaks down and a syrup forms from the juices. Use a potato masher to break up the fruits even more. Set aside to cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator.
- Start the base. Use a large saucepan to combine milk, cream, sugar, and corn syrup together and warm gently over medium heat until it reaches a soft simmer.
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a separate medium bowl and mix until well-combined.
- Drizzle about a cup of the heated milk mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly until the eggs are warmed.
- Transfer the warmed egg yolks into the saucepan with the milk and continue to cook until it all forms a custard that coats a back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Transfer the custard to a large freezer bag that you keep partially open to let heat escape.
- Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl that is mostly ice and place the bag into the bath, taking care to keep any of the water or ice from the inside of the bag. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes. I recommend leaving the ice bath in the refrigerator to help speed the cooling process even more.
- Churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer instructions, then layer the strawberry rhubarb mixture and ice cream in a loaf pan or freezer-safe container
Amanda's expert tips
- The ice cream base needs to be at least 40F/4C before you begin churning. This not only helps to speed up the churning process, but also reduces the chances of ice crystals
- You don't have to layer in the swirl into your loaf pan or ice cream container. You can also add it to the ice cream machine near the end of the churning process and incorporate the fruit entirely into the ice cream
- Add the hot liquid to the egg yolk mixture slowly to gently bring up the temperature of the yolk without scrambling it. This is called tempering. To help with this process, make sure your egg yolks are at room temperature before you add the liquid
Recommended tools
If you don't already have a set up for making your own strawberry rhubarb ice cream at home, I recommend these.
- This is the updated version of the ice cream maker I have
- If you prefer, you can also use this ice cream maker attachment
- These ice cream containers are amazing and I own a few of them
- My absolute favorite ice cream scoop
Recipe Card
Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 cups 750 mL whole milk
- 1 ½ cups 360 mL heavy cream
- 1 cup 200 g sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Strawberry Rhubarb Swirl
- 1 cup 200 g diced strawberries
- 3 rhubarb stalks chopped
- ½ cup 100 g sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, mix the milk, cream, ¾ cup of the sugar, salt, and corn syrup together on medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil for about 1 - 2 minutes, then lower to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks, ¼ cup (50 g) of sugar and corn starch. Slowly add 1 cup (250 mL) of the heated milk to the eggs to bring up the temperature. Mix the eggs back into the pot.
- Mix the contents of the pot constantly until it forms a thick custard. You can test this by dipping a wooden spoon in the mixture, then running your finger down the back of the spoon. If a line where you swipe remains there, the custard is ready. It should take about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
- Prepare an ice bath - it should be more ice than water. Fill a large freezer bag with the custard and let it rest in the ice bath for about 30 minutes.
- Make the strawberry rhubarb swirl by adding all the ingredients in a medium pot and cook until the rhubarb is soft and a syrup has formed. Mash the strawberries and rhubarb, leaving a couple of small chunks in if you want more texture. Place in a bowl and refrigerate.
- Put the cooled custard in your ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer instructions.
- Layer the strawberry rhubarb and ice cream in a container, starting with the strawberry rhubarb mixture. Freeze for an additional 3 - 4- hours.
- *If you do not have an ice cream maker, place the ice cream in a container and place in the freezer. Every 30 minutes for about 3 - 4 hours, mix the ice cream. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottoms to break up the ice crystals. Use am immersion blender if you have one available.
Carrie says
Can you just mix the custard and strawberry mixture in the ice cream maker instead of layering after the ice cream is done?
Amanda Powell says
Yes, you can do that if you want it to be more distributed throughout the ice cream
Caroline says
Looks delicious! Is the corn syrup necessary?
Amanda says
Hi Caroline, the corn syrup helps with texture, sweetness, and also helps prevent ice crystals in the ice cream. You can replace it with honey, but that will give it a hint of honey flavor which may not be a bad thing with strawberry and rhubarb!
peatta says
omg I love rhubarb! just made rhubarb pie now I want ice cream. don't know If I can get strawberries right now though.
Amanda says
Oh, yummm.... rhubarb pie! I would give anything for a bit more rhubarb. Let me know if you ever do get your hands on some strawberries and make the ice cream!
Susan - ofeverymoment says
Hi again Amanda
I'm sorry, I just realized my website address was incomplete in my previous comment! Hopefully it is corrected now!
Susan - ofeverymoment says
HI Amanda
I was so thrilled when I saw this recipe. Strawberry-rhubarb sounds like the perfect flavor for ice cream and I cannot wait to try it! It looks so good, I featured it on my blog today, with a link back to this post! I love your website so I encouraged my readers to stop by and take a look around.
Thanks - I can't wait to buy strawberries tomorrow and try this!