News & Stories / 20+ DIY Ice Cream and Frozen Custard Recipes
Ice cream in a metal pan with scoops and cinnamon sticks

20+ DIY Ice Cream and Frozen Custard Recipes

June 19, 2025

From an early age, fans of frozen treats may have chased trucks, walked several blocks to their local Freddy’s or eagerly opened the home freezer in search of ice cream, frozen custard, and more. For their deliciousness and often their presence in fond childhood memories, these cold sweets are favorites for many reasons. Therefore, it’s no surprise that home cooks may want to try to replicate their favorite ice cream flavors or try making frozen custard recipes at home. Here, you’ll find a collection of over 20 DIY ice cream recipes in the following categories (and a few bonus recipes and tips!):

 

● DIY ice cream recipes for classic ice cream flavors

● DIY ice cream recipes that incorporate or are inspired by other tasty treats

● Seasonally-inspired DIY ice cream recipes

● DIY recipes that align with current ice cream trends

 

Keep reading to learn more about making ice cream at home and explore various recipes to try!

 

20 DIY Ice Cream Recipes to Try

 

Whether you fell in love with frozen custard because of the selections on the Freddy’s menu or frequently have a craving for ice cream, you may want to try making your own variations of these cool creamy treats at home. From familiar favorites to trending flavors, the provided list features a wide range of DIY ice cream recipes to try. Reading through these recipes may result in a frozen treat craving, so you might want to have a Strawberry Dreamcake from Freddy’s or a container of your favorite ice cream on hand!

 

Classic DIY Ice Cream Recipes

 

If you are new to making ice cream, it can be helpful to start with a classic flavor such as vanilla or chocolate. These DIY ice cream recipes help familiarize you with the process of making ice cream and often offer guidance for troubleshooting common preparation challenges. Consider trying one of the recipes listed here to start honing your ice cream-making craft and creating delicious desserts for your enjoyment!

 

Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream tubs with scooper

 

Vanilla: On its own or as the base for other flavors, the versatility of vanilla ice cream is one reason that it is such an enduring classic. In this DIY ice cream recipe from Love and Lemons, you’ll need just five ingredients to make a batch of this creamy treat! Aside from your typical cup or cone, check out these other creative ways to enjoy vanilla frozen custard or ice cream.

 

Chocolate: As with other classic flavors on this list, chocolate often appears as one of the top 5 ice cream flavors year after year, as highlighted by the International Dairy Foods Association. The IDFA further highlights that chocolate components like hot fudge and chocolate sauce are also some of the most preferred toppings. Whether you enjoy it with or without even more chocolate accompaniments, The Kitchn provides a DIY ice cream recipe, so you can make your own homemade batch of chocolate ice cream! For even more ideas about making frozen chocolate creations, check out these tips for customizing your frozen chocolate custard.

 

Strawberry: If making the best strawberry ice cream is your goal, Serious Eats offers essential guidance for its preparation based on research and repeated test batches as well as a DIY ice cream recipe. From the necessity of the freshest fruit to the use of some potentially unanticipated ingredients, consider making this DIY ice cream recipe after picking your own strawberries when they are in season!

 

Chocolate Chip: Whether in cookie form or ice cream, people love chocolate chip treats. Leigh Anne Wilkes at Your Homebased Mom recommends using mini chocolate chips for a better mouthfeel to this ice cream. If you find that one of the approaches to DIY ice cream recipes works well for you, you may also find additional flavors with similar preparations in the initial recipe.

 

Cookie Dough: Celebrated ice cream maker, Ben & Jerry’s, is often credited with the introduction of cookie dough ice cream. If you want to make this ice cream at home, it’s important to remember that you need to make or use a cookie dough that is intended to be eaten raw. To your choice of DIY ice cream recipe, Allrecipes explains how to make cookie dough to incorporate into it.

 

Dessert-Inspired DIY Ice Cream Recipes

 

Some timeless flavors are built on the pairing of multiple distinctive ingredients, like mint chocolate chip or cookies and cream. However, new combinations also emerge when combining favorite classic flavors with other much-loved treats! At Freddy’s, vanilla and chocolate frozen custard serve as the foundation for our curated treats like the Cold Brew Caramel Crunch. Also, our guests’ custard creations often include assorted candies, cookies and sauces. The following DIY ice cream recipes also get their flavor from adding familiar treats to their ice cream base or being inspired by them.

 

Assorted ice cream flavors with cones, sprinkles, and sweet toppings

 

Strawberry Cheesecake: Strawberry is a classic ice cream flavor. This fruit is also a popular topping and addition to many desserts, including cheesecake. For example, at Freddy’s, our Strawberry Dreamcake incorporates cheesecake pieces and cinnamon streusel with vanilla frozen custard and sweet strawberries. In this DIY ice cream recipe from Homemade In The Kitchen, a choice of strawberry components, cream cheese and graham crackers combine to create a cheesecake-inspired ice cream.

 

Brownies: For serious chocolate decadence, the combination of chocolate ice cream and chocolate brownies is the ideal foundation. This DIY ice cream recipe from The Big Man’s World® achieves this kind of indulgence using just four ingredients.

 

Peanut Butter: As a sauce or in chocolate-covered cup form, peanut butter is a popular flavor and ingredient addition in ice cream. In this recipe from Joy Food Sunshine, prepared chunks of peanut butter are woven into the homemade chocolate ice cream, which helps ensure that each mouthful includes both peanut butter and chocolate.

 

Cookies: Cookies and cream is a classic ice cream flavor and one that blends and mimics beloved chocolate and cream sandwich cookies. At Freddy’s, our guests can create their own frozen custard combinations using OREO® Cookies or try one of our menu selections such as the OREO® Double Trouble. You can also try making cookies and cream ice cream at home using this recipe from King Arthur Baking. You’ll even find a recipe within this DIY ice cream recipe for making your own chocolate sandwich cookies.

 

Seasonal DIY Ice Cream Recipes

 

There’s always something exciting about limited-time availability, even if those offerings usually appear year after year. From festive candy canes to the first summer peaches, specialty flavors inspired by the season often appear in the frozen custard choices at Freddy’s, not to mention coffee drinks, ice cream, baked goods and more. For example, one special offering for summer is the Key Lime Pie Concrete! Whether you are looking for a DIY ice cream recipe for winter, spring, summer or fall, the list below includes possibilities for them all!

 

Pumpkin spice latte with mini pumpkins, spices, and autumn leaves

 

Cherry: While strawberries may be most associated with the arrival of the warmer months, cherries are another fruit that appears in later spring and is often available through the summer. This DIY ice cream recipe shared at Beautiful Life and Home notes that either fresh or frozen cherries can be used and offers two different approaches to incorporating them.

 

Peach: Tasting a perfectly ripe peach is a simple pleasure but a delicious one! It also often heralds the arrival of summer. When fresh peaches are in season, this DIY ice cream recipe from Beyond the Chicken Coop® might be one to try. Here are some additional ideas for how to use your peach custard or ice cream in a variety of sweet preparations!

 

Apple: Apple pie frozen custard treats are a festive choice for occasions throughout the year. If you are taking advantage of the fall apple bounty in your area, you might also try making your own ice cream using your freshly picked apples. This apple pie-inspired DIY ice cream recipe from Celebrating Sweets can be made without an ice cream machine.

 

Peppermint: Cool and refreshing, peppermint ice cream seems like an ideal option for the warmer months. However, it is most often available during the winter. If you’ve got leftover peppermint candy from the holidays or want to enjoy this flavor any time of year, you might try this ice cream recipe from Simply Recipes. Its custard base includes multiple egg yolks, so you might want to find a second recipe that enables you to use up the egg whites.

 

Cinnamon: This DIY ice cream recipe from David Lebovitz incorporates a spice that’s not exclusive to the colder months but is often incorporated in warming dishes and beverages during this time. Don’t forget to remove the cinnamon sticks if you decide to make this treat! If you want a crunchy and seasonal component with your cinnamon ice cream, top it with gingerbread cookies instead!

 

Trendy DIY Ice Cream Recipes

 

Regarding ice cream trends for 2025, Tastewise notes that plant-based ice creams are growing in popularity. In addition to the continued reign of favorites like vanilla, chocolate and various fruit ice creams, unique ingredients and flavors that provide a sense of nostalgia are also appealing to today’s ice cream enthusiasts. Find DIY ice cream recipes that align with some of the current trends below:

 

Glass of coconut milk next to fresh coconut pieces on a napkin

 

Coconut Milk: For this dairy-free recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie, you need canned coconut milk and just a few other ingredients! Make sure to check out the tips and tricks, as well as how to create additional ice cream flavors using this same base. Preparing the salted caramel variation with a coconut milk base may lend even more richness and depth to this flavor.

 

Pistachio: Pistachio is another popular ice cream flavor. This DIY vegan ice cream recipe from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken uses plant-based milk, such as soy, as well as pistachios both in the base mixture and churned into the ice cream near the end of the processing time. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, guidance about other methods is provided.

 

Bubble Gum: Whether it’s the bright colors or the presence of two sweets in one, bubble gum ice cream may be one of the first unusual ice cream flavors that people may have been daring enough to try during childhood. If you want to revisit this flavor and maybe even share some favorite memories of it, check out this DIY ice cream recipe from Baking Beauty.

 

Lavender: Lavender and other herbal notes are becoming increasingly popular in ice cream, as well as in baked goods and drinks. Although not dairy-free, this egg-free recipe from The Spruce Eats uses honey, lavender and just two more ingredients for this DIY ice cream recipe. If you are looking for other homemade recipes that incorporate unique ingredients, find 10 other ideas in this list of unique flavors from Taste of Home.

 

Mango: Its vibrant color, minimal ingredient list and fruit flavor may move this DIY ice cream recipe from Addicted to Dates to the top of your list. Noted as both dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free, this ice cream offers visual appeal and what may be a more unique ice cream flavor to try.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about DIY Ice Cream Recipes

 

How long can homemade ice cream be stored in the freezer?

The recommended shelf life of this ice cream is shorter than a container of ice cream from the store. The difference is often a few weeks in comparison to a few months for packaged products, once they are open. Most DIY ice cream recipes will include a recommended amount of time during which to enjoy the best possible texture and flavor of the ice cream.

 

Is an ice cream maker absolutely necessary?

Many DIY ice cream recipes don’t require a machine or provide alternative methods in addition to instructions for machine use. If you find that you are making ice cream more frequently, then you might investigate buying an ice cream maker, as they may make the process a little easier. However, if your storage or counter space is already pretty full, you may not want one more piece of equipment.

 

What kind of time commitment is involved in making homemade ice cream?

Here’s where you’ll definitely want to check out the recipe in advance as well as the manufacturer’s directions for using an ice cream maker, if you choose to use one. In addition to ingredient preparation and freezing time during processing, you may need to freeze the machine bowl in advance.

 

Can’t wait to enjoy a cool creamy treat? Save making that DIY ice cream recipe for another time and head over to the Freddy’s near you for a frozen custard creation. By signing up for Freddy’s Rewards, you can start earning points to redeem in the future for shakes, steakburgers and more!