Blue Moon Ice Cream Recipe
Blue Moon Ice Cream is a delightful, creamy homemade ice cream known for its vibrant blue color and unique fruity flavors from raspberry and lemon extracts. This recipe combines the richness of whole milk and heavy cream with vanilla pudding mix for an ultra-smooth texture, making it a refreshing and visually striking dessert perfect for any occasion.
- Author: Maya
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (including chilling and churning time)
- Yield: About 1 quart (4 servings) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Ice Cream Maker (Churning)
- Cuisine: American
Dairy
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Sweeteners and Flavorings
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon raspberry extract or 1 cup raspberries
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon blue food coloring
- Heat the milk: Pour 1 cup of whole milk into a saucepan and heat it over medium heat until it reaches boiling point, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
- Dissolve sugar and salt: Add ½ cup sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt to the hot milk, stirring constantly until completely dissolved to create a sweet base for the ice cream.
- Add cream and flavorings: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, 3 teaspoons vanilla pudding mix, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon raspberry extract (or 1 cup raspberries if preferred), and 1 teaspoon lemon extract. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined.
- Add coloring: Stir in ½ teaspoon blue food coloring to give the mixture its characteristic bright blue color. Adjust the amount slightly if needed for your desired hue.
- Chill the mixture: Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and chill completely. This step is essential to ensure the ice cream churns properly and achieves a smooth texture.
- Churn the ice cream: Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker and process it according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a creamy, soft-serve consistency.
- Serve and enjoy: Scoop the Blue Moon Ice Cream into bowls or cones and enjoy its unique, fruity flavor and creamy texture immediately, or freeze for firmer consistency.
Notes
- If using fresh raspberries instead of raspberry extract, you can puree them and strain out seeds for a smoother texture.
- Ensure the mixture is thoroughly chilled before churning to achieve the best ice cream texture.
- Blue food coloring is used purely for visual appeal and can be adjusted or omitted if preferred.
- Vanilla pudding mix acts as a stabilizer to keep the ice cream creamy and smooth.
- Store leftover ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer to maintain freshness.
Keywords: Blue Moon Ice Cream, homemade ice cream, blue ice cream, raspberry lemon ice cream, creamy dessert, easy ice cream recipe