Creamy No Churn Cherry Chunk Ice Cream is a creamy and refreshing summer dessert that is made in under 30 minutes. Made with fresh cherries and swirled with chopped chocolate chunks, this treat is sure to please.

There’s nothing as refreshing as a cold treat on a hot summer day, and everybody in our town couldn’t agree more. There’s a local ice cream shop that has a line of people continually waiting outdoors to order their ice cream. And let me tell, regardless of rain or shine, cold or scorching hot, the line continues.

They offer one of my favorite flavors which is black cherry. It’s creamy and delicious with chunks of black cherry throughout. And it’s so good that I decided to recreate this flavor at home with my twist.

It’s a cherry ice cream mixed with fresh cherries and chunks of chopped chocolate. And the best part, it’s a no churn ice cream that only takes 30 minutes to make! Whoever thought making ice cream could be so simple?

Before you begin

Take out the following baking equipment.

Digital kitchen scale
Medium saucepan
Fork
Silicone spatula
Large bowl
Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Freezer safe resealable container

Read the recipe through from start to finish.

Understanding ingredients

Sweetened condensed milk is an essential ingredient in making no churn ice cream. It’s milk that is cooked down to evaporate most of the moisture and has sugar added. It adds a concentrated creaminess and sweet, milky flavor to the ice cream without the added moisture.

Cherries are the star of the show in this recipe. Using fresh cherries is the best option, especially during peak season. If you try making this recipe using frozen cherries, it will still work, but you will have to cook your cherries longer to evaporate the extra juices.

Heavy cream is used to lighten the ice cream mixture and provides an airy texture. Typically traditional ice cream has heavy cream added in liquid form. But because this recipe does not require an ice cream maker, the heavy cream is beaten until stiff peaks form and then added to the mixture to provide the necessary volume.

How to select cherries

Selecting the best cherries will yield the best flavor in this no churn ice cream. Use these tips when picking your cherries:

Color. Depending on the variety, cherry colors fluctuate. It’s best to select cherries that are glossy, dark red, and have green stems. This will ensure the freshest quality.
Size. Firm, plum cherries are the best tasting.
Storing. Store your cherries in the refrigerator to preserve their taste and freshness. They will last 5-7 days, but it’s best to consume while they are the freshest.
Wash. Wash your fruit just before eating. Doing this will extend the shelf life.

How to make no churn cherry chunk ice cream

No churn ice cream only requires two ingredients, sweetened condensed milk and heavy whipping cream. Aside from that, it all comes down to flavorings and mix-ins.

Cherry mixture. Slowly cook cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan set over medium-low heat until they have softened and their juices have slightly thickened. Cool the mixture, set aside 1/3 cup cherries, and pulse the rest in a food process until pureed.

Sweetened condensed milk. Mix the pureed cherries, sweetened condensed milk, and almond extract. Set aside.

Heavy cream. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form (when lifting the whisk out of the mixing bowl creates peaks that will firmly hold their shape). Fold the cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture.

Fold in mix-ins. Gently fold in reserved cherries and chopped chocolate.

Freeze. Spread the mixture in a freezer-safe resealable container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Mix-ins Substitutions

Although I love this recipe exactly the way it is, you may prefer to change it up a bit to satisfy your personal preferences. Here are some of my suggestions for substitutions:

Substitute 720 g (4 cups) black cherries for the sweet cherries for a more tart flavor
Add 80 g (1/2 cup) chopped toasted nuts of your choice (almonds work well)
Substitute 85 g (1/2 cup) roughly chopped dark or white chocolate chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Substitute 6 g (1 1/2) teaspoons pure vanilla extract for the pure almond extract
For extra lemon flavor, add the zest of 1 lemon to the cherries as they cook on the stovetop

Tips and takeaways

No churn ice cream doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. It’s important to stick to the list exactly and not try to substitute with lower fat or reduced sugar ingredients otherwise, the texture of the ice cream will be affected.
Store your ice cream in the back of your freezer. This will help prevent fluctuations in the ice cream’s temperature (which is key to maintaining its texture) when you open and close the freezer door.

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