Boozy Homemade Peach Ice Cream with Bourbon and Streusel Swirl

My egg-free spirited peach ice cream recipe kicks up the standard peaches and cream with fresh roasted peaches, honey and bourbon, blended to a boozy, ambrosial brain-freezing confection. A buttery oatmeal streusel swirled throughout gives this easy summer ice cream an irresistible crunch. This is my go-to Cuisinart ice cream recipe, but it also works with most standard ice cream makers.

Homemade peach ice cream & other recipes for the Cuisinart ice cream maker

I’ve spent the better part of the past month hyper-focused on ice cream recipes for my Cuisinart ice cream maker. Partly because it’s AUGUST and partly because I’ve been reading Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home.

If you haven’t sampled Jeni’s Splendid gourmet ice creams you might wonder what the fuss is about. Let me tell you… It’s about her innovative flavors, foolproof methods and the creamiest, richest (egg-free) ice cream custards on the planet… that’s not hype. Just the plain, simple truth.

This peach ice cream recipe replaces my original honeyed peach ice cream with streusel that I published in 2014, because… well, it’s better. I used Jeni’s book as my jumping off point for the flurry of ice creams coming this way.

Jeni’s method for making the ice cream base is completely different from what you’re probably accustomed to, but it WORKS — and I’ve made it so many times in the past few weeks that I don’t even need to consult the book anymore.

Based on experience, I recommend making the ice cream base and  flavorings, swirls or add-ins the day before, so the components have time to CHILL completely before churning. Additionally, if you’re using the Cuisinart ice cream maker for this recipe, the canister needs to be frozen for 24 hours BEFORE making the ice cream… (this is true for many ice cream maker models – so check yours). The timing works well, because you can make the ice cream base and chill it at the same time you’re freezing the canister, then everything’s ready to go the next day.

Even with multiple components this peach ice cream recipe only has about 1 hour of hands-on time.

Ingredients for homemade ice cream base:

• Whole Milk
• Cornstarch
• Sugar
• Light Corn Syrup
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Cream Cheese
• Salt

I know… from the ingredients alone, it doesn’t sound like most ice cream bases you’ve tried before…where’s the eggs??? Trust me, this homemade ice cream is better.

First, let’s address the light corn syrup, because I know many people have an aversion to it. There’s only a few tablespoons of light corn syrup in the entire batch and it serves a critical function by preventing ice crystals from forming and giving elasticity to the ice cream. It’s one of the reasons this ice cream is so smooth, and melts evenly leaving a creamy, lush coating on your tongue.

Cornstarch (in the form of a slurry) is another ingredient that prevents ice crystals and also thickens the custard without the traditional egg yolks.

The overall method for Jeni’s foolproof ice cream starts the same for each batch, with 2 bowls and a saucepan. You’ll want to prep each of the bowls with their mixtures before making the custard (to avoid stops and starts and keep the flow).

The method

1. 1st Bowl: Use a small prep bowl to whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the milk. This is called a cornstarch slurry and it will thicken the ice cream base.
2. 2nd Bowl: Use a large mixing bowl to blend cream cheese and sea salt together until well combined. I use a hand mixer for this, but you can also use a whisk (it just takes more muscle).
3. Saucepan: Mix the remainder of the milk, heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup in the saucepan to start the ice cream base. Bring to a boil.
4. Cook the cream mixture for 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, then remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Return the pan to the heat and cook, whisking constantly, for one minute until thickened.
5. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture to the cream cheese and beat until blended smooth. Then add the remainder of the cream mixture and beat until well mixed.

This becomes the ice cream base. It’s smooth and slightly thickened, but will thicken more in the refrigerator as it chills.

Finishing the ice cream base

1. Liquor it up. Not all of Jeni’s ice creams call for liquor, but if they do, this is the time to add it. This is a bourbon peach ice cream recipe, so add the bourbon now, before chilling.
2. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to chill completely.

This is the basic ice cream base, which can be flavored and augmented most any way you like. There are tricks and tips in her book for how to add ingredients for the best flavors, textures and overall experience and they make all the difference between “ok” ice cream and stellar scoops.

Peach flavor for homemade ice cream

You won’t find this peach ice cream recipe in Jeni’s book, but I used her techniques to create a boozy version that’s amped up with Kentucky bourbon. To give that summery fruit flavor, I start with honey roasted peaches. My previous (before Jeni) recipe macerated fresh peaches in sugar before dicing the fruit to add to the ice cream. It was good, however, the fresh peaches tended to freeze into solid chunks. Not what I was going for. 

Why roast the peaches?

Roasting the fruit and pureeing it adds fresh peach flavor to each bite of ice cream without rock-hard chunks of stone-fruit interrupting your enjoyment.  Here’s why: cooking the macerated peaches breaks down the cells of the fruit, releasing its liquids and blending them with the sugar and honey, which naturally have a lower freezing point, so instead of being rock hard, the fruit will be softer and more malleable. See more on the science of freezing fruit here.

For honey roasted peaches:

• Fresh Peaches
• Sugar
• Honey

Combine the sliced peaches, sugar and honey in a glass or ceramic baking dish that’s just large enough to hold the fruit in a shallow layer. Roast for 10-12 minutes or until the peaches have slumped and the sugar and honey are syrupy.

Transfer the peaches and the honey syrup from the roasting dish to the food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. Then refrigerate until very cold, for several hours or overnight.

For oatmeal streusel

• Butter
• Flour
• Brown Sugar
• Salt
• Cardamom (optional)
• Powdered Vanilla (optional)
• Rolled Oats

This streusel recipe is a riff on the one in Jeni’s cookbook and I’ve scaled it for one batch of ice cream. You may not have cardamom and powdered vanilla in your pantry, and if you don’t… that’s FINE! Skip it. I like these ingredients because cardamom is floral and spicy while the powdered vanilla adds a warm, inviting “fresh baked” flavor to the streusel. But I’m a food blogger and my spice drawer is bigger than most — I GET IT.  This crunchy buttery streusel makes slightly more than you need for this peach ice cream recipe (I had about 1/3 cup leftover), but I’m sure you’ll find another way to use it up.

Bake the streusel

Bake the streusel until it’s golden brown and very crunchy. You’ll want to give it a stir or flip about halfway through the cooking time, so that it browns evenly. Be sure to let the streusel cool to room temperature before adding it to the ice cream (otherwise, you’ll risk melting). I usually make the streusel on the same day as the ice cream base and store it in an airtight container until the next day.

To churn homemade bourbon peach ice cream

1. Combine the chilled, roasted peach purée to the bourbon ice cream base and stir well to combine.
   
2. Transfer the custard to the frozen Cuisinart ice cream canister, secure the paddle and lid and turn on the machine.
3. Churn for about 20 minutes, until the peach ice cream has reached the consistency of soft serve.
4. Alternate layering spoonfuls of ice cream and handfuls of the streusel into a storage container, ending with streusel.
5. Freeze the ice cream until solid, about 4 hours.

What you’ll love about this homemade boozy bourbon peach ice cream

1. The booze! You can really taste the bourbon as the ice cream melts on your tongue.
2. Fresh peach flavor is a natural with bourbon and there’s no icy or crystallized chunks to be found.
3. The buttery, oatmeal streusel stays crunchy and adds amazing texture to the peach ice cream.
4. It’s easily scoop-able. You know how homemade ice cream can be tough to scoop? You either have to let it sit out for 10 minutes to soften it up, or risk a broken wrist, right? Not here. Because of the bourbon, that little bit of corn syrup and the cornstarch slurry, this AH-MAZING ice cream is firm, but honestly scoopable right from the freezer.

My taste testers agreed that this one is BEYOND GOOD. It’s creamy, luscious — just like the premium ice creams you pay $6/pint for… but instead, you get a whole quart!

More boozy desserts you might like:

• Baileys Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies
• Cherry Amaretto Peach Crisp 
• Fresh Peach Hand Pies with Bourbon Glaze
• Rum Passion Fruit Cake
• Bittersweet Kahlúa Pots De Crème

More Cuisinart ice cream recipes you might like:

• Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
• Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
• Cherry Nougat Crunch Ice Cream
• Coconut Mango Ice Cream

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