Cherry Garcia Ice Cream Recipe

As we begin dreaming of summer, thoughts of our favorite ice cream flavor fill our heads and chase away memories of scorching heat.

Cherry Garcia Ice Cream is one of the most iconic, popular ice cream flavors of all time, and we've got the Ben and Jerry's copycat recipe you've been looking for. This Cherry Garcia ice cream recipe is a delicious black cherry ice cream you’re definitely going to love!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A rich and creamy texture from heavy cream and whole milk.
• Packed with sweet cherries and chunks of dark chocolate for chocolate lovers.
• Easy to make with a Cuisinart ice cream maker or any ice cream maker.
• A perfect way to enjoy cherry season with fresh cherries or frozen cherries.
• The combination of cherry and dark chocolate is a perfect pairing and makes an incredible ice cream your entire family will remember with fondness.
• Everyone remembers this popular ice cream from childhood trips to Ben & Jerry's or the local ice cream store. It seems so exotic and yet is so very simple to make Ben & Jerry's ice cream at home. When you know, you know.
• You only need six ingredients for our cherry Garcia ice cream recipe, and it comes together very fast on the stovetop.
• This black cherry ice cream recipe is a fun twist from traditional cherry ice cream.

Ingredients for Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

• Dark Chocolate. You can use different chocolate, but it won't be cherry Garcia if you do. But you can certainly get similar results.
• Fresh Cherries. Frozen or canned cherries can be substituted but should be drained first. 
• Heavy Cream. No sense in trying to substitute. You need the cream for fat content to make smooth ice cream.
• Whole Milk. Again, the fat content of whole milk is essential, and ice cream made with lower-fat milk may be weepy or watery.
• Eggs. The large size works best.
• White Sugar. Also known as granulated sugar or table sugar.

Equipment and kitchen tools

You will need an ice cream maker. I recommend the Cuisinart Ice Cream 2-quart machine. The cherry Garcia ice cream takes approximately 30 minutes to freeze into soft serve in this machine.

How to make Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

Once you have an ice cream machine, making ice cream is a piece of cake. The only tricky part is tempering the eggs so that they do not cook prematurely, leaving little bits of cooked egg in your ice cream mixture.

We walk you through exactly what you need to know in the step-by-step instructions. Be prepared, because the ice cream mixture does need to be chilled overnight before it is churned for best results.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and heavy cream to 140 degrees.
2. As the milk heats, beat the eggs until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Very slowly add the sugar to the eggs and beat until the sugar is dissolved.
4. While beating the eggs very slowly, temper the eggs by adding about ⅓ of the heated milk to the eggs.
5. Then, whisk the egg mixture into the remaining milk in the pot.
6. Heat the liquid until 175ºF, stirring often.
7. Remove from heat and refrigerate overnight.
8. Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
9. When the ice cream is almost completely set, add the chocolate and cherries.

Heat milk and heavy cream. Add sugar.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker.

Scoop with an ice cream scoop.

Place into serving cups.

Making your own ice cream is so easy. Try this easy Pumpkin ice cream or this Avocado ice cream for an easy dessert idea.

Storing the Leftovers

Our recipe makes about two quarts, so you may have leftovers. Leftover ice cream can be kept for several months in an airtight container in the freezer. It will become very hard once frozen thoroughly.

Tips for the Best Results

• Keep the ice cream bowl in the freezer for at least 24 hours before using.
• Temper the egg yolks slowly to prevent curdling.
• Use high-quality shaved chocolate or chunks of a dark chocolate bar for the best part of the ice cream.
• Let the ice cream mixture chill overnight for a smoother, creamier texture.
• Store in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.
• Homemade ice cream is very soft straight out of the machine. If you want firmer ice cream, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for 4 to 6 hours.

Substitutions and Variations

• Use canned cherries, but drain them before adding.
• Swap dark chocolate for fudge flakes for a different texture.
• Experiment with chopped cherries or cherry syrup for extra cherry flavor.

FAQs

What if I don't have an Ice Cream Maker?

Freeze: Pour the chilled base into a shallow, freezer-safe container (metal works well for faster freezing).
Stir Regularly: Every 30-60 minutes for the first 2-3 hours, remove the container from the freezer and vigorously stir the mixture with a fork or whisk to break up any ice crystals that are forming around the edges.  
Final Freeze: Once the ice cream starts to thicken and becomes more difficult to stir, return it to the freezer and let it freeze solid for several more hours.

More yummy ice cream recipes

Try these delicious and easy frozen treats

• Pineapple Coconut No-Churn Ice Cream
• Blueberry Pie Ice Cream
• S'mores Ice Cream
• No Churn Strawberry Kiwi Ice Cream

📖 Recipe

Cherry Garcia Ice Cream Recipe

Raquel Pineira

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 468 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ cup shaved dark chocolate frozen
• ½ cup fresh cherries pitted, quartered and frozen
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups white sugar

Instructions

 

• Note: Frozen or canned cherries can be substituted but should be drained first.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk and heavy cream to 140 degrees.
• As the milk heats, beat the eggs until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Very slowly add the sugar to the eggs and beat until the sugar is dissolved.
• While beating the eggs and very slowly, temper the eggs by adding about ⅓ of the heated milk to the eggs. Then, whisk the egg mixture to the remaining milk in the pot.
• Heat the liquid until 175 degrees, stirring often. Remove from heat and refrigerate overnight.
• Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• When the ice cream is almost completely set, add the chocolate and cherries.
• For firmer ice cream, transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 4 to 6 hours.

Notes

Homemade ice cream is very soft straight out of the machine. If you want firmer ice cream, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for 4 to 6 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 468kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 45mgPotassium: 164mgSugar: 35gVitamin A: 1478IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 0.1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share delicious recipes for the season and a few things that I don’t share here. I email you only once a week as I know how valuable your time is and respect that tremendously!