The best homemade black currant ice cream recipe! Incredibly easy to make no-churn ice cream, creamy, and so full of flavor.
This black currant ice cream is the best! So creamy and flavorful, sweet yet slightly tart, one of the best flavors I know.
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Why do I love this recipe?
- Taste: AMAZING!!!
- Consistency: creamy and comforting, yet fresh and slightly tangy.
- No ice cream maker is needed: a no-churn recipe that is still perfectly creamy.
- Ingredients: just a few; there is no need for eggs either.
- Easy to make: cook the berries for a couple of minutes and mix them with whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk. You will not have to make a custard with eggs, simplifying this homemade recipe a lot.
What do you need?
- Black currants:
- Either fresh or frozen.
- I had fresh this time; the bush in my garden is finally starting to grow some berries, not the world yet, but more and more every year. Otherwise, frozen currants are great, and they might be easier to get than fresh ones.
- Have a look at the Black Currant Cake if you happen to have some berries in your garden as well. You could also make the Black Currant Freezer Jam or Crème de Cassis.
- Black currants are a super fruit with more antioxidants than blueberries, for example. In addition, they are full of vitamins, especially Vitamin C. During World War II, children in the UK were given a cordial of black currant and water as a Vitamin C supplement to avoid scurvy.
- They have a very particular, slightly tart taste with a very light touch of bitterness or earthiness, an incredible flavor.
- Despite them growing so easily, buying them can be very challenging. You might find them at farmer's markets (if you are lucky), but I've never seen them sold in a regular store.
- They are very popular in Europe (UK or Germany, for instance), but pretty much unknown in the US, where they have been banned for almost 100 years. This is because the bushes were spreading a fungus that was affecting white pine trees, which were vital for timber production in the country. However, some states started to lift this ban in 2003, and the berries are now cultivated again in the US.
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Heavy cream
- Lemon
- Black currant cordial or syrup. Optional, if you don't have it, leave it out.
How to make no-churn ice cream with black currants?
- Rinse the berries under cold running water and let drain well in the sieve.
- Remove the stems. Weigh the needed berries after you've removed the stems. However, you will not have to be so precise about how many berries you have. Somewhere between 200-300 g/ 7-10.6 oz is fine.
- Place in a small saucepan. Add lemon juice and cordial. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until they pop and the mixture thickens slightly about 3-4 minutes. (1)
- Set aside and let cool completely. When cool, blend with a hand-held blender or in a blender. Set aside.
- Mix the sweetened condensed milk with the berry puree. Set aside. (2)
- Beat the whipped cream until soft peaks form. (3)
- Carefully fold in the whipped cream. (4)
- Line the bottom and the walls of a small loaf tin with cling film/plastic wrap.
- Pour the black currant ice cream into the tin. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface of the mixture.
- Freeze for at least 8 hours or until solid.
Tips
Use the same recipe to make this dessert with other sorts of berries, absolutely anything you like. Have a look at this No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream, for example.
To speed up the cooling process, transfer the cooked berries to a large bowl and refrigerate; they should get cool in 20-30 minutes.
You can make the puree one day in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until the next day. However, I would not keep it for much longer; there is no sugar to help preserve it for longer.
You can reuse a clean plastic ice cream container or use a silicon container. There is no need to line the container with plastic wrap in this case.
How to store?
In the freezer, of course, for up to 2-3 months for the best flavor. Keep it in an airtight freezer container or wrapped well in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burns.
How to serve?
Remove from the freezer about 5-10 minutes before serving to allow it to soften slightly so that you can scoop it out properly. The sides should not be rock solid anymore, but the mixture should not start to melt either.
If you don't have a scoop, use a spoon; however, you will not be able to make nice balls with a spoon. The dessert will taste just as amazing, though.
I serve it in cones (mainly for the kids, they love that) or small bowls. You can drizzle it with a few drops of cordial or with a bit of chocolate sauce (not too much).
More black currant recipes
More berry desserts
Black Currant Ice Cream (No-Churn)
Ingredients
- 9 oz black currants
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 400 g/ 14 oz
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons black currant cordial optional
Instructions
- Prepare berries: Rinse the berries under cold running water, drain well in a sieve. Remove the stems. Weigh the needed berries after you've removed the stems.
- Cook: Place in a small saucepan. Add lemon juice and cordial. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until the berries pop and the mixture thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside and let cool completely. When cool, blend with a hand-held blender or in a blender. Set aside.
- Mix: Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Set aside. Mix the sweetened condensed milk with the black currant puree. Carefully fold in the whipped cream.
- Freeze: Line the bottom and the walls of a small loaf tin with cling film/plastic wrap. Pour the mixture into the container. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface. Freeze for at least 8 hours or until solid.
- Serve: Remove from the freezer for about 10 minutes before scooping to allow it to soften slightly. Serve in ice cream cones or small bowls.
mjskitchen says
What a gorgeous color! Would love a cone of this ice cream right now. Love ice cream made with sweetened condensed milk.