Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream Recipe: creamy vanilla base, with tangy rhubarb compote and sweet strawberry compote ribbons throughout.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Ice Cream or maybe I should say Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream. But the rhubarb is the star of the show, so it seemed like it deserved top billing. This ice cream just might be the best thing I’ve ever made -like ever!

It’s so perfectly creamy and smooth, and then with ribbons of tangy rhubarb, and sweet strawberries throughout that make it exciting in every bite. We served ours in homemade waffle cone wafers to make Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Rhubarb and Strawberries

Rhubarb is a new love for me. I didn’t really ever have it growing up, but this year I can’t get enough of it. We even purchased a rhubarb plant for the garden to feed my new addiction in the future. I just love that combo of sweet and tangy. And speaking of perfect combinations, it pairs so beautifly with strawberries. It’s a classic for a reason.

Let me warn you that this recipe does have a fair number of steps involved. None are too complicated, but it is a fairly lengthy progress. It is so worth it though. I think this is my new very favourite recipe.

You can add the rhubarb and strawberry swirl into the vanilla ice cream base to suit your own personal taste. Less is if you want more of the delicious vanilla base to come through -more rhubarb if you like it more tangy, more strawberries if you like it more sweet. It really is the perfect combination of flavours.

Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

Ingredients

For The Ice Cream Base

3 cups half-and-half cream
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean

For The Rhubarb Compote

2 cups rhubarb -cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1/3 cup sugar

For The Strawberry Compote

2 lbs fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Place the half-and-half and the heavy cream into saucepan, and heat over medium heat. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally and remove from heat.
In mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in colour, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Temper the egg mixture by gradually adding small amounts of the cream, until 1/3 has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon -reaching 170 to 175 degrees F.
Pour the ice cream base mixture into a container and cool at room temperature half an hour. Stir in the vanilla, and the inside scraping of the vanilla bean (or omit the vanilla bean and use 2 tsp of vanilla extract). Refrigerate the mixture 4-8 hours until the temperature is 40 degrees F or below.
To make the rhubarb compote, stir the rhubarb pieces and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium saucepan, and let sand off the heat about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb releases some of its liquid.
Next bring the rhubarb mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb pieces have broken down, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool. Set aside.
For The Strawberry Compote
Combine strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp of water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally until the strawberries begin to break down, and the juices thicken -about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, and add vanilla and lemon juice. Let cool, and set aside.
Pour the cooled ice cream base mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s direction. When the ice cream is a soft serve consistency stir in ribbons of the cooled rhubarb and strawberry compotes to taste. Place in an air tight container and freeze 3-5 hours before serving.

Homemade Rhubarb and Strawberry Ice Cream

I don’t think my new rhubarb plant will be ready to harvest this year. So I’ll be picking up some more rhubarb at the grocery store, or the farmer’s market to make another batch of this amazing ice cream! It will be especially good right now while our local strawberries are in season.