This super rich and creamy Red Velvet Ice Cream is the perfect summertime dessert! Its tangy buttermilk-cocoa base and cream cheese frosting swirl make for the most indulgent and delicious scoop!
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Homemade ice cream is one of my favorite things to make because it’s so simple and fun! Harmony and I love getting in the kitchen, busting out the ice cream maker, and going to town inventing a new and exciting flavor. We’ve made a few batches that could give Ben and Jerry’s a run for their money.
Recently, Harmony and I made a flavor so good I just knew I needed to share it with y’all! Red Velvet Ice Cream is not for the faint of heart; it is so rich and flavorful you won’t know what hit you. Each scoop is lightly flavored with chocolate (just enough to get that malty, indulgent goodness) and swirled with sweet cream cheese frosting.
If you like red velvet cake, then you’re gonna love this homemade ice cream recipe!
What Flavor Is Red Velvet?
Red velvet is a flavor with a mild cocoa essence (like light chocolate) and is creamy with some buttermilk or cream cheese. The texture of red velvet cakes is always velvety soft, airy, and light.
Today, we’re taking inspiration from this dark, decadent cake and flavoring our ice cream with cocoa and buttermilk to create an ice cream reminiscent of its delicious counterpart. Each spoonful is rich, smooth, and loaded with tangy cream cheese frosting!
How To Make Red Velvet Ice Cream
Homemade Red Velvet Ice Cream is perfect to ring in the summertime weather! You don’t need much to make it and the red colored ice cream is so rich, creamy, and festive.
Ingredients
Eggs – To keep the consistency nice and rich, I use eggs in my ice cream to create a custard. This is my favorite type of ice cream.
Cocoa powder – Most people think Red Velvet needs a lot of chocolate but it really only requires a small amount. The chocolate is supposed to be subtle.
Buttermilk – In addition to the typical heavy cream in homemade ice cream recipes, I also added the tang of buttermilk to resemble more of the traditional red velvet flavor.
Red food coloring – To give the true red velvet color, I used red food coloring like I would in cake. You could also try making a natural one if you want to keep this free from chemicals.
Cream cheese frosting – This is swirled through the cake. I like to use homemade but if you want to save time, you can use store bought as well.
Instructions
- TEMPER THE EGGS. Homemade ice cream recipes start with a custard base made with heavy cream and eggs. To avoid curdling or scrambling, you’ll need to temper the eggs first. All this means is that you have to add small amounts of hot cream to the eggs, while whisking, to slowly bring their temperature up.
- WHISK TOGETHER THE BASE. Once the eggs have been combined with the sugar and cocoa and then tempered, you need to add the buttermilk and vanilla to the mix. Stir until everything is well-combined and there are no lumps. After that, go ahead and add as much food coloring as you’d like!
- COOL COMPLETELY. You cannot add a hot ice cream base to an ice cream maker. It won’t churn properly. So, you’ve gotta cover up the mixture and store it in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until it’s chilled.
- CHURN. Slowly add your mixture to an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It should only take about 30 minutes for a thick, smooth ice cream to form. Towards the end you’ll notice the paddle has a hard time moving as quickly.
- TRANSFER + STORE IN FREEZER. Once finished, add 1/3 of ice cream to the container and swirl with 1/3 of the cream cheese frosting and repeat until all is in the container. Serve immediately or tuck it into the freezer for later!
Serving Suggestions
Red velvet ice cream can be served straight out of the ice cream maker but it will have a softer, more soft-serve like texture. If you’d like a firmer ice cream, transfer it to an airtight container (see storage suggestions below) and allow it to freeze for a couple hours.
Serve your ice cream in bowls, cones, mugs, or just about anything else that will hold those cold, creamy scoops!
Recipe Tips
- Freeze the ice cream bowl and beaters- In addition to making sure your ice cream bowl is completely frozen, I also like to make sure the beaters are super cold as well so it churns really well.
- Use homemade cream cheese frosting- For the best result, I recommend using my easy to make cream cheese frosting. Sweet, fluffy, slightly tangy, and insanely easy to whip up, this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is so rich and luxurious.
- Don’t overmix the frosting- You don’t want the frosting to disappear into the ice cream. Instead, you want thick, distinguishable swirls. Use a butter knife to carefully swirl the frosting throughout the ice cream.
- Add toppings- This recipe is totally customizable! Add your favorite toppings for a fun twist. Mini marshmallows, nuts, chocolate chunks, or brownie pieces are all great choices!
- Soft Serve Texture – This recipe doesn’t get rock rock hard like other ice creams but it is still a delicious treat. If you want a harder texture, make sure to freeze for up to 48 hours.
How to Store Homemade Ice Cream
To store leftover ice cream, I’d recommend investing in a high-quality container that can be used year round. This container is a favorite of mine; it’s inexpensive and doesn’t take up much freezer space. Alternatively, these biodegradable containers also make for quick, sustainable storage.
Other options for storage include: Tupperware or Rubbermaid freezer-safe containers, old plastic ice cream containers (ones with screw on lids like Talenti), a loaf pan covered with plastic wrap, or even a pie dish!
Homemade ice cream is best consumed within 2 weeks but it can be stored for up to 4 months. The quality, taste, texture, and color will deteriorate after long-period freezer storage. Keep the container tightly sealed to prevent freezer burn and serve while fresh.
More Of Grandbaby Cakes’ Best Ice Cream Recipes
When the Summer heat hits, so does my insatiable craving for all things cool and creamy!
Check out a few more of my smoothest scoops:
- Peach Pie Ice Cream
- Mocha Fudge Swirl Ice Cream
- Animal Cookie Ice Cream Cake
- Cookie Butter Ice Cream
Red Velvet Ice Cream Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Red food coloring
- cream cheese frosting a delicious cream cheese frosting recipe can be found here
Instructions
- Next add sugar and cocoa powder to the bowl and whisk together. Add heavy cream to a large saucepan and heat gently; do not let come to a boil.
- Temper eggs by slowly pour 1 cup of hot heavy cream mixture into egg mixture while whisking quickly. This will raise the temperature of the eggs carefully without scrambling them. Then while stirring, pour the tempered egg mixture slowly into the remaining heavy cream mixture in the saucepan.
- Gently heat ice cream base over medium low heat, stirring constantly (especially the corners of the pot), until thickened and reaches 170F on a digital thermometer. The mixture should look silky and coat the back of a spoon so when you run your finger through it, it doesn’t come back together.
- Remove from heat and add buttermilk and vanilla extract as well as red food coloring. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve (to catch any cooked egg pieces) and chill in an ice bath (a bowl set inside of a bowl of ice water) until it’s cooled to room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap and move into the refrigerator until completely cold, about 2-3 hours.
- Once finished, add 1/3 of ice cream to the container and swirl with 1/3 of the cream cheese frosting and repeat until all is in the container.
- Store in freezer while not serving. If you want a super firm set up of this ice cream, set in the freezer for at least two days. This recipe is more closer to soft serve in terms of texture but absolutely delicious.
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Hi Jocelyn,
I made your Red Velvet Ice Cream last weekend. The cream cheese swirl was a delightful surprise, reminding me of my grandmother’s red velvet cake. It was a big hit with my family. Thanks for a great recipe!
Cheers,
Kimberly
Wonderful! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it and what a compliment, thank you!
Thanks for the red velvet ice cream recipe.
This was really fun for my kids to make with me and the color and flavor were stunning! Will make again – thank you!
My mind is blown! I literally had no idea you could make red velvet ice cream. This might be my new favorite now!
This cake is totally irresistible!! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
You are speaking my language! Homemade ice cream is one of my favorite things to eat! Love the color and the taste is awesome!
The colour of this is amazing. Anything red velvet is good with me.
Red velvet is one of my favorite flavors, and this ice cream is the best way to celebrate it. Thanks so much for sharing!