Fresh Peach Ice Cream

This fresh peach ice cream is summer in a bowl, the kind of recipe you make exactly once a year when local peaches hit the farmstand and the kitchen smells like vacation. The blanch-and-peel step is non-negotiable for getting that velvet-smooth texture, the skins go from clinging to slipping off in 60 seconds of hot water followed by an ice bath.

This is a no-cook custard base, which means it relies entirely on the peaches themselves to carry the flavor. There’s no eggs to mellow the fruit, no cooking to develop other notes, just dairy, sugar, and pure peach.

The ratio of milk to cream is the sweet spot for soft-scoop texture. All-cream versions get grainy and ice-crystal hard, this blend stays scoopable straight from the freezer.

Pro Tips

• Use the ripest peaches you can find, soft enough that they smell sweet from across the kitchen. Underripe fruit makes pale, flat ice cream.
• Score a small X on the bottom of each peach before blanching, the cut peels back during the boil and makes peeling effortless.
• Stir the sugar into the dairy until it fully dissolves before adding the puree, undissolved sugar leaves a gritty texture even after churning.
• Chill the base in the fridge for at least 2 hours before churning, cold base churns into a creamier finish.

Variations

• Add a splash of bourbon or peach schnapps to the base for a Southern-style adult version that scoops easier from the freezer.
• Swirl in raspberry jam or fresh raspberry puree at the end of churning for a peach-melba spin.
• Use a mix of yellow and white peaches for a more complex flavor and lighter color.