Very Blueberry Blueberry Ice Cream

It’s berry season here in the Pacific Northwest. And beautiful purpley-blue fresh off the bush blueberries is on my top 13 activities here in Anacortes. I didn’t even know I liked blueberries until I moved here. We are so incredibly lucky to get to pick these beauties, snack on them all summer, then fill our freezer for more blueberries throughout the winter.

Yesterday, my family and I went blueberry picking at Bow Hill Blueberries. We had so much fun picking berries, checking out sunflowers, and just being outside. We snacked on as many as we could, but we realized we’d need a few recipes to use up remainder of our blueberry stash. My boys decided that some of those delicious blueberries should be reserved for some blueberry ice cream, and I definitely agreed!

With blueberries this flavorful, I wanted to make sure the berry flavor was really showcased. I wanted a blueberry ice cream with a BIG blueberry flavor, not just a little blue swirl. We also wanted to keep it simple so that my little 3-year-old chefs could help.

This recipe only has 3 ingredients- blueberries, sugar, and half and half. And it’s SO SIMPLE. I chose not to strain these because I don’t think it’s necessary. But if you are sensitive to blueberry skin, that is an option. I did throw our blueberries in our beloved Vitamix to make sure there were no large pieces of blueberry skin, just as a personal preference. I loved the way it turned out, and I REALLY love the beautiful color of the finished product.

Print Recipe

Very Blueberry Blueberry Ice Cream

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10 servings, 1/2 cup each

Calories: 157kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 heaping cups blueberries washed and picked over
• 2 cups half and half

Instructions

• Add the blueberries to a medium saucepan. Pour the sugar over the top. Heat on medium heat until blueberries release liquid, and the sugar dissolves- about 5 minutes.
• (Optional) Blend the blueberry mixture just enough to ensure no huge blueberry chunks.
• Cover the mixture and refrigerate until cold.
• Mix the half and half and the blueberry mixture. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker, and turn it on OR pour into a freezer-safe bowl and freeze until it reached the desired firmness- 2 to 4 hours.

Notes

I used 1 cup sugar and the result was quite sweet.  Sugar could be reduced if you prefer a healthier treat.  

Let us know what you think! Also, check out some of our other recipes.