Peach Ice Cream with 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 {affiliate link}.

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.

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process shots of making cornstarch slurry and whisking cream cheese in a bowl.

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 make and chill the base while freezing the canister; 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:

  • Whole Milk – Do not substitute low-fat or skim milk.
  • Cornstarch – to create a slurry to thicken the ice cream custard and help prevent ice crystals.
  • Sugar – to sweeten the ice cream.
  • Light Corn Syrup – you only need a few tablespoons and it prevents ice crystals from forming. It also gives elasticity to the ice cream and makes it smooth with an even melt.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream – Ice cream needs fat for its mouth feel and melt — heavy cream is a must for that.
  • Cream Cheese – just a small smidge adds to the chewiness of the ice cream.
  • Salt – to balance the sweet.
  • Peaches – look for fresh freestone peaches (they’re easier to peel).
  • Honey – to add a hint of sweetness to the fruit.
  • Bourbon – Not only does the bourbon add a nice flavor, but the alcohol prevents the ice cream from freezing solid and makes it easier to scoop.
  • Butter – I used unsalted butter.
  • Flour – for use in the streusel swirl.
  • Brown Sugar – to give the streusel a caramel-like flavor.
  • Cardamom– (optional)
  • Powdered Vanilla – (optional)
  • Rolled Oats – I used old fashioned oats, but you can use quick cooking oats as well.

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.

making the homemade ice cream custard.

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.

mixing the custard base with cream cheese

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.

adding bourbon to the homemade peach ice cream base.

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. 

a collage of recipe ingredients and roasting the peaches for the peach ice cream recipe.

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.

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.

process of making oatmeal streusel.

For oatmeal streusel

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 ⅓ cup leftover), but I’m sure you’ll find another way to use it up.

toasting oatmeal streusel on a sheet pan.

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.

Mixing roasted pureed peaches into bourbon ice cream base.

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.
churning homemade peach ice cream in the cuisinart ice cream maker and layering it with crunchy streusel.

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:

More Cuisinart ice cream recipes you might like:

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Serving a dish of homemade peach ice cream with streusel topping and fresh peaches.
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5 from 13 votes

Boozy Homemade Peach Ice Cream with Bourbon and Streusel Swirl

If you’re looking for a homemade peach ice cream that goes beyond the norm, this is it. Flavored with Kentucky bourbon and fresh roasted peach puree, this summer dessert even has a swirl of oatmeal streusel for crunch. It’s like a boozy peach cookies and cream ice cream — and who can resist that?
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword bourbon, honey, peaches
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

INGREDIENTS:

FOR ROASTED HONEY PEACHES

  • 2 large peaches peeled, pits removed, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey

FOR BOURBON PEACH ICE CREAM:

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons cream cheese
  • teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 ⅔ cups heavy cream
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
  • 1 cup honey peach purée recipe given above
  • ¼ cup bourbon

FOR STREUSEL:

  • ¼ cup butter chilled, cut into small cubes
  • 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar packed
  • teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom (optional)
  • teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
  • 6 tablespoons rolled oats old fashioned, not instant

DIRECTIONS:

FOR THE HONEY PEACH PURÉE

  • Preheat the oven to 375°.
  • Place the sliced peaches, sugar and honey in a small ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish that’s just large enough for the fruit to completely cover the bottom of the dish. Toss to combine and roast for 10-12 minutes or until just soft.
  • Transfer the peach mixture and liquids to the mini food processor and pulse until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

MAKE THE OATMEAL STREUSEL

  • In a medium bowl combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, salt, cardamom and vanilla powder (if using). Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles fine pebbles. (If you don’t have a pastry blender, you can use your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients — but work quickly, so the butter doesn’t melt and become pasty.)
  • Spread the streusel in a single layer on a quarter sheet pan or baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir the streusel and spread it back out into a single layer. Bake an additional 10-12 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to use.

FOR THE BOURBON PEACH ICE CREAM:

  • In a small prep bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the milk. Whisk together to form a cornstarch slurry and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sea salt together with a hand mixer. Set aside.
  • Add the remainder of the milk, heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture boils, set a timer for 4 minutes and continue to boil (and stir occasionally).
  • Remove the cream mixture from heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Return the pan to the stove and bring back to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook the cream mixture for one minute at a boil, until it thickens slightly.
  • Ladle about 1/2 cup of the cream mixture into the cream cheese and blend together with the hand mixer, scraping the sides occasionally with a rubber spatula, until smooth. Add the remainder of the cream mixture and beat until well combined. Stir in the bourbon, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  • When the ice cream base and peach purée have been thoroughly chilled, add the puree to the cream mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • When the ice cream is churned, transfer to a freezer storage container in this method: Scoop a large spoonful into the container and sprinkle with streusel. Top with more ice cream, followed by more streusel. Continue in this method so that the ice cream is layered with nuggets of crunchy streusel. Freeze the ice cream for 3-4 hours to firm up before serving.

NOTES:

* I have a gas stove which burns hot, so I use a simmer plate that I picked up for $20 at a cooking store. It disperses the heat more evenly, eliminating hot spots and allowing for a slow simmer.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg

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19 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    A big improvement on Jeni’s base recipe that I’ve been using for years! I like the increase in cream cheese and the suggestion to use a mixer or blender to insure the base is free of cream cheese ‘nuggets.’ I’ve roasted peaches before to make peach ice cream, but never thought of adding bourbon…absolutely delicious! Thank you!!

  2. 5 stars
    Never made ice cream before. This was so easy and made THE BEST peach ice cream I’ve ever had. Went back to the store for more peaches today.
    Thank you for sharing.

  3. 5 stars
    This is the best peach ice cream I’ve ever had. I used Knob Creek Bourbon and it really did keep the ice cream scoop-able. Love the crunchy bits of streusel too.

  4. Rebecca Koenig says:

    5 stars
    So, so good. Editing suggestion: I’ve made Jeni’s recipe before. I’m so glad to have found this because there’s not a peach recipe in her book!

  5. 5 stars
    I made the original a few years back, but my daughter treated me to the new and revised version this weekend! I love unique ice creams and the bourbon here played so well with the peaches (remember the rum raisin icecream cones we used to get —a bit of a disappointment as I knew they couldn’t use real rum and rum extract just didn’t rate! ). Everything in your treat is authentic! Delicious and wonderfully decadent! The best ever!

    1. So happy that you liked it, Mom! Let’s make more!

  6. Lauren Vavala | Delicious Little Bites says:

    Now this is my kinda ice cream! We have some peaches to use up and I hadn’t thought to make ice cream until now – yum!!!

  7. 5 stars
    I have been making so much ice cream this summer, and I am loving this combo. This came out perfect, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂

  8. 5 stars
    This is my kind of summer comfort food. It looks epic!

  9. 5 stars
    This is such a nice summer treat! I loved it!

  10. 5 stars
    This looks so delicious! My husband is going to love this recipe! Can’t wait to make this!

  11. Christine Hudson says:

    Peaches purchased, dairy chilling, Container freezing. Can’t wait to try this!

  12. Kenneth C. Wong says:

    OMG, Lisa – this looks amazing! I’m having Cecilia make it this weekend….

  13. 5 stars
    This ice cream looks amazing! Like, seriously… I’m obsessed with peaches and am drooling over this recipe! Pinned 🙂

  14. Yummo! Can’t wait to try this 🙂

  15. Charlotte says:

    This looks amazing !