My Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream is sure to take you back to your childhood! It’s a creamy combo of nostalgic flavors: maraschino cherries and vanilla ice cream.
I’ve made this ice cream recipe many times, tweaking it each time to get the best balance of flavors and creaminess.
After lots of trial and error, I’ve got the steps to make it just right, every single time.
Give it a try, and you’ll love it as much as summer vacation!
What Makes This the Best Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream
- Nostalgic Flavor: My Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream brings back the flavors of old-fashioned ice cream parlors, banana splits, and hot fudge sundaes.
- Simple to Make: With easy-to-follow steps and simple ingredients—it’s easy to make at home.
- Crowd-Pleaser: This ice cream is sure to be a hit with everyone, from kids to adults.
What is Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream?
My bright pink maraschino cherry ice cream is a fun and tasty frozen treat. I started with a simple vanilla ice cream base made from milk, cream, salt, and vanilla.
Then, instead of regular sugar, I used maraschino cherry syrup. It gives the ice cream a sweet, nostalgic flavor and bright, almost fluorescent hue that reminds you of childhood.
To top it off, chopped up maraschino cherries add slightly tangy notes, giving it bursts of fruity goodness with every bite.
What You’ll Need to Make Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- Maraschino cherries: Two 16 oz. jars of store-bought, fake ass cherries. Remember to keep the juice!
- Baking staples: milk, cream, salt, and vanilla. Fresh vanilla is the best, but Vanilla extract is fine.
Tools
- Ice cream maker: I have the Cuisinart 1.5 Qt Ice Cream Maker.
- Blender or food processor.
- Strainer
How to Make Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream
Here’s a quick look at this simple recipe for cherry ice cream. You’ll find the full instructions below.
Make the Cherry Syrup
- Drain both jars of cherries into a small saucepan using a strainer.
- Roughly chop the cherries, then press them through the strainer to get as much maraschino cherry juice as possible into the saucepan.
- Boil the cherry juice over medium heat until it thickens.
- Allow the syrup to cool completely, then chill it in the refrigerator.
Make the Ice Cream
- Mix the milk, cream, vanilla, salt, and chilled cherry syrup in a large bowl or jug.
- Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn for about 20 minutes. Once it thickens, add the cherry chunks and churn for another 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze it overnight.
Chef’s Tips
- Keep it cold: Every ingredient should be cool before spinning the ice cream. Freeze the drum of your ice cream maker overnight to get the best results.
- Patience with Cherry Syrup: Don’t rush it. This can take an hour! You want the maraschino cherry syrup to reduce to half its original volume for that potent cherry flavor.
- Chill the Syrup: Once the cherry syrup has reduced, let it cool completely before chilling it in the fridge. The syrup should be about as viscous as maple syrup when poured.
- Know Your Ice Cream Maker: This recipe requires an ice cream maker, so be sure you know how to use it properly!
Recipe Inspiration
This cherry homemade ice cream recipe was inspired by The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.
I loved this heartwarming story about a chosen family living in a magical orphanage, and gave it 4 stars in my review—highly recommended!
When Arthur and Linus take their magical kids to the nearby village of Marsyas, the kids have a great time exploring.
To cap off their day, everyone meets at the local ice cream parlor for a treat. The ice cream parlor is “cheerfully old-fashioned” and “brightly lit, the walls painted candy red and pink”.
After a prejudiced shop owner refuses to serve them, Helen, the mayor, steps in to help.
She reminisces on how she worked at the ice cream parlor as a teenager, and served Arthur when he was a kid. Helen remembers that Arthur’s favorite flavor was always cherry—he “liked how pink it was.”
I just had to make Arthur’s favorite flavor! Instead of Bing cherries, I used maraschino cherries for that candy-pink color.
I hope this recipe brings back memories of your childhood, too!
More Dessert Recipes
- Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies – the perfect blend of rich cocoa, creamy white chocolate, and eye-catching color.
- Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls – best served with a big cup of coffee. My baking kit makes it even easier!
- Chocolate Cherry Cake – light and fluffy with a cherry cream cheese filling that’s the perfect mix of sweet and tart.
Maraschino Cherry Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Blender or food processor
- 1 Ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 jars Maraschino cherries 16 oz each
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Make the Cherry Syrup
- Freeze the drum of the ice cream maker overnight.
- Using a strainer, drain both jars of cherries over a small saucepan. In a blender or food processor, pulse the cherries into a rough chop. You want a mix of smaller pieces along with some big chunks.Pour the chopped cherries back into the strainer and press through until most of the juices are extracted into the saucepan.
- Put the saucepan over medium heat and boil the cherry juice for about 50 minutes or until the volume reduces to half. Let the cherry syrup cool at room temperature completely. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Make the Ice Cream
- In a large bowl or jug, mix the milk, cream, vanilla, salt, and ? cup of the chilled cherry syrup.
- Set up the ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Make sure the drum has been frozen overnight.Pour the ice cream base (the milk and cream mixture) into the ice cream maker and spin for about 20 minutes. When the mixture starts to thicken, add the cherry chunks. Spin for another 5-10 minutes, or until the cherries are fully distributed and the ice cream has a thick soft serve consistency.
- Transfer the ice cream to a large air-tight container and freeze overnight, or for at least 4 hours. When fully frozen, your ice cream is ready to scoop and enjoy!
