When visiting our local Graeter’s this week, we discovered that it’s National Ice Cream Month. 

While trying the seasonal strawberry sorbet, I was further reminded of the time that Audrey, Henriette, and I made homemade strawberry ice cream.

Here are a few of our family’s DIY Ice Cream treat tips in honor of this national ice cream month.
 

(1)    DIY Ice Cream Sandwiches
This is the easiest DIY ice cream treat of all. It includes the world’s favorite Toll-House Chocolate Chip cookie recipe (which I embarrassingly now know by scratch!). 

After baking the cookies and letting them cool for at least an hour, use an ice cream scoop to scoop 1x scoop of delectable vanilla of your choice. Smash it in between two chocolate chip cookies- and voila! The DIY ice cream sandwich is born. A permanent crowd pleaser.

(2)    DIY Banana Splits
My tremendous late father-in-law was given a set of yellow, ceramic “banana boats” from the family of one of his adoring pediatric patients. My mother-in-law graciously handed these over to Hal and me when we repotted permanently to Winnetka. These are a fan-favorite for DIY banana splits in our house. The steps:

(i)    Slice a banana in quarters and place two slices in the banana boat
(ii)    Add 1-2 of your favorite scoops of ice cream
(iii)    Heat your favorite chocolate or caramel sauce and drizzle it on top. (We’re loving either from Homer’s Ice Cream these days)
(iv)    (Optional) add chopped nuts, whipped cream, and/or maraschino cherries

Absolutely decadent and delicious.

(3)    DIY Strawberry Ice Cream
Heavy cream, frozen or fresh strawberries, oodles of sugar, and an ice cream maker, and presto! You too can have homemade strawberry ice cream. If you want to skip; the churning, this no-churn ice cream recipe uses condensed milk which is in some ways even more decadent.

(4)    DIY Strawberry Milkshakes
All of the above in DIY strawberry ice cream. Blend with additional frozen strawberries and milk to make it a strawberry shake!

(5)    (The easiest of all) DIY Popsicles
Use these reusable popsicle holders. Add your favorite juice(s) to each popsicle mold. Put in the freezer. 12 hours later, your DIY, natural juice popsicles are ready to rumble. Inexpensive, healthy, and tasty.

May your summer be filled with all things handcrafted ice cream!!