Ice Cream Archives — Bless this Mess

August 2, 2018

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Fresh peach ice cream made with peaches right off the tree, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla is easy, simple, and delicious.

Fall is in the air here in southern Utah. The nights are cool even tough the day can still be blazin’ hot. I love this time of year because you can swim and eat ice cream during the day and make a fire to roast mallows on at night. I’m so glad I live here; it is beautiful.

Utah has lots of pioneer heritage and those pioneers were wonderful about planting fruit trees wherever they went. There is a three story apple tree in my neighbors yard that I’m sure is pioneer planted. I would have never thought of Utah as being a great place to grow fruit, but it really is. The warmth mixed with plenty of irrigated water from the mountain really does well for fruit. Right now peaches, plums, and pears are ripe while we wait for our apples to sweeten with the onset of cold. Mmm, I love apple season.

What fruit is ready in your neck of the woods? Do you have any trees of your own?

This recipe is a great way to use fresh peaches for dessert. Fresh peaches and ice cream is a combo that is just meant to be. It’s simple to make, is full of peach flavor, and has a perfect creamy texture with just the right amount of sweetness. This is a favorite to make a batch or two of and keep in the freezer while peaches are in season. We can’t get enough fresh peach ice cream so we indulge when it’s here.

Tips and Tricks for making Fresh Peach Ice Cream

If the peaches don’t want to blend up try adding part of the milk called for to help things move around. If you like more chunks in your ice cream, blend up 1/2 the peaches and dice the other half. Add the diced peaches to the ice cream just before serving.
I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that you just freeze the canister the ice cream is made in. It takes about 15 minutes to make ice cream with no salt and ice to mess with. I love it!
If you like a harder ice cream, put the ice cream in a freezer container and cover. Let it freeze for at least 2 hours and then let it sit for 10 minutes on the counter before serving. The ice cream straight out of the maker is just like soft-serve. Out of the freezer it is like store-bought.

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseats on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Fresh peach ice cream made with peaches right off the tree, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla is easy, simple, and delicious.

Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess

Ingredients

3-4 medium peaches, peeled and pitted
1 cup whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 T. vanilla extract
pinch salt

Instructions

Add the peeled and pitted peaches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
In a medium bowl mix the peach puree, milk, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt together until the sugar dissolves.
Add the ice cream mixture to your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions.

Notes

If the peaches don’t want to blend up try adding part of the milk called for in the recipe to help things move around. If you like more chunks in your ice cream, blend up 1/2 the peaches and dice the other half.
Add the diced peaches to the ice cream just before serving.
I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that you just freeze the canister the ice cream is made in. It takes about 15 minutes to make ice cream with no salt and ice to mess with. I love it!
If you like a harder ice cream, put the churned ice cream in a freezer container and cover. Let it freeze for at least 2 hours and then let it sit for 10 minutes on the counter before serving. The ice cream straight out of the maker is just like soft-serve. Out of the freezer it is like store-bought.

If you love fresh peach ice cream, you might also like these recipes:

So many peach and ice cream desserts to choose from! ENJOY!

This post was originally published in September 2012 and has been updated in August 2018.

January 8, 2018

Quick and Easy Snow Ice Cream

Quick and easy snow ice cream made from fresh snow, evaporated milk, and a little sugar and vanilla. Four ingredients never tasted so good!

Have you ever made ice cream out of simple snow? This is one of our all-time favorite recipes to make in the middle of a snow day with the kids. It’s fun, novel, super easy, and it tastes just like homemade ice cream you make in the summer (with a fraction of the work). I can’t wait for you to try it!

I found my mom’s snow ice cream recipe on page 82 of our family cookbook! That should have been the first place I looked; it’s such a fabulous book filled with family treasures. This recipe is so much fun! I really hope you get a bit of snow this week just so that you can make it. Just stir together 3 simple ingredients, add a bit of snow, bust out the sprinkles for good measure, and you have yourself one very simple and fun treat for after school that takes about 5 minutes to toss together. My kids were completely amazed at how fun and easy this little recipe was. Extra mom points for me!

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May 4, 2017

Easy Healthy Rainbow Popsicles

Rainbow popsicles are naturally sweet, loaded with real fruit, and so simple to make that your kids can almost make them by themselves!

We’re heading into popsicle season here in Southern Utah and we aren’t sad about it, at all! Let’s be honest though, my kids eat popsicles pretty much year round and I have no proplem with that. When you start making your own popsicles and you load them up with all kinds of healthy real foods, you start to think of popsicles as frozen healthy smoothie on a stick. I don’t care if my kids eat a frozen smoothie on a stick for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

These beautiful fruity rainbow popsicles are a little different than my normal “smoothie on a stick” kind of popsicles and my kids went bananas for them. They loved making them, couldn’t wait for them to freeze, and ate the whole batch in one afternoon (big family problems, who’s with me?!).

What I love about these rainbow popsicles is how easy they are to make. You literally just put fresh fruit into a popsicle mold (this is my favorite popsicle mold, FYI) and then fill up the gaps with some light colored juice (I used white grape) or coconut water. The coconut water was infused with all of the delicious fruit flavors, but my kids definitely preferred the sweet juice for their rainbow popsicles. You can pick just about any light colored or clear liquid that you’d like to use though (I think I might try sweetened almond milk next time).

What is it about putting the colors in rainbow order that makes things so much prettier? Rainbow popsicles would be a fun addition to any party, picnic, or stay-at-home date with mom. They look great, taste great, and are full of delicious fruit. Everyone will love these popsicles, adults included.

Craving more? Subscribe to Bless this Mess to get new recipes, meal plans, and a newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseat on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

Easy Healthy Rainbow Popsicles

Rainbow popsicles are naturally sweet, loaded with real fruit, and so simple to make that your kids can almost make them by themselves!

Author: Melissa Griffiths
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Yield: 6-12 rainbow popsicles

Ingredients

Red fruit (such as raspberries, strawberries, or pomegranate)
Orange fruit (such as mango or mandarin orange segments)
Yellow fruit (such as pineapple)
Green fruit (such as kiwi or green grapes)
Blue fruit (such as blueberries)
Purple fruit (such as grapes or blackberries)
White grape juice or coconut water
Popsicle molds

Instructions

Prepare your fruit by washing it, removing any skin it might have (for things like pineapple, oranges, and mango) and then cut it into small pieces. Cut the pieces as small as you would if you were serving them to a toddler (the chunks will still be in the frozen popsicle, so cut them small enough that they won’t be a choking hazard). I like to arrange the fruit on a plate in a rainbow order so if my kids are helping so they can easily see the color pattern.
Fill (or have your kids help fill) the popsicle mold in rainbow order. You can start at the bottom of the rainbow or at the top, it doesn’t matter. Gently press the fruit into the mold so that it’s full but not so full it’ll be solid fruit.
Carefully fill the rest of the mold with white grape juice or coconut water. Add the popsicle stick and freeze until solid (8 hours to overnight).
To remove the popsicle from the mold, run the outside of the mold under warm water and gently pull on the popsicle stick until the rainbow popsicle is released from the mold.

Aren’t those pictures so fun? I have a feeling that these simple fruit-packed rainbow popsicles are ones that you are going to be making over and over again with your little people. I can’t wait to hear how much they enjoy making and eating them with you.

Here’s a collection of popsicle gear, if you are needing to stock up for summer.

1. Star Mold
2. Squeezable Mold with Cap
3. Onyx Mold (I have and love this one)
4. Rocket Mold
5. Ice Cream Mold
6. Standard Mold (I have and love this one too)
7. Umbrella Mold
8. Ring Pop Mold

SO many fun popsicle mold options, right? I love that stainless steel mold and the traditional mold (which makes 10 popsicles – awesome for this mom of 5). They all look so fun, though! Do you have a favorite?

Thank you so much for being here and happy popsicle making!

PS. I’m working on my editorial calendar through the summer. What would you like to see more of here on the blog? I’m all ears!

July 21, 2016

Cereal Ice Cream Sandwiches

Today I’m working with Mom’s Best Cereals, and I’m sharing one of our very favorite ice cream treats: cereal ice cream sandwiches. This simple dessert is a great easy no-bake recipe you can make with little kitchen helpers. They can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer, and they’re just plain fun. My kids thought these were awesome and so much fun to make and eat. I know you and your kids will love the recipe too!

Summer is in full swing and I love it. We are spending time working at the house, splashing at the pool, digging in the garden, playing in the river, and doing all kinds of hot and fun outside summer activities. I have a loose summer schedule for the day that looks something like this: breakfast – chores – reading/school time – play/craft/kitchen project – lunch – quiet time – outdoor activity – dinner – baths – reading – bed. It’s relaxed and fun, but we still manage to keep ourselves busy, in a good way. The kids fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow most nights, and that kind of played-hard-tired is so satisfying.

I’ve found that in the summer, the kids are always asking for a treat. I think they are more hungry because they are so active. So I fill them up by pulling out my weekly veggie box, popping lots of popcorn, and making treats to share with neighbors and cousins. Ice cream and summer just go together, and I don’t mind at all if my kids have sticky faces from a treat now and again.

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July 11, 2016

4 Ingredient Healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (5 minute recipe!)

I love having sweet treats ready while the kids are home during the summer and I love it even more when those treats are actually good for them. We eat a lot of homemade popsicles, date balls, and recently, homemade frozen yogurt. My kids loved this recipe and I did too!

This recipe for 4 ingredient frozen yogurt literally takes 5 minutes to make and tastes just like a traditional frozen yogurt. I felt like this was a new way to serve fruit that wasn’t a smoothie or popsicle, which we get a lot of. The color is beautiful, I have everything on hand most of the time, and you just can’t beat how quickly it comes together. This is a recipe we have been making almost daily, all week long.

You will need a food processor for this recipe, and that produces a nice thick frozen yogurt. I really like this one that I’ve used for a few years (it’s perfect for making date balls too). The texture is smooth and about as thick as a traditional soft serve frozen yogurt or ice cream. If you’d like it more firm you can always add the blended mixture to an airtight container and stick it in the freezer for a few hours. This will scoop up more like a store-bought ice cream from the freezer section. Both are delicious.

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July 5, 2016

Easy 3 Ingredient Watermelon Granita

Watermelon granita recipe made with only 3 ingredients and little freezing time. You are going to love this simple dessert all summer long.

What could be more perfect in the heat of the summer than a simple 3 ingredient Watermelon Granita? Here’s the best part, not only is it easy to throw together but you don’t have to have any kind of special ice cream making or churn for this recipe! All you need are three simple ingredients, a blender, and a freezer; with a little time and a fork you’ll have yourself a simple icy treats that the whole family will love. This recipe is simple enough to make for an afternoon snack but pretty enough to serve after dinner to guests. Watermelon lovers unite because this recipe is for you!

Here’s how this recipe works. You add the a bunch watermelon to a blender along with some lime juice and a little coconut sugar. The lime juice is the perfect tart balance to the sweetness of the fruit. I use a little coconut sugar in this recipe too; have you tried it? Coconut sugar is one of my very favorite granulated sugars. It’s a beautiful light brown color and has some great things going for it like lots of vitamins and minerals that other refined sugars don’t have. It’s surprisingly easy to find and even my little middle-of-no-where grocer carries it! Toss it in the cart next time you see it and try it a few of your favorite recipes. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to use!

Tips and Tricks for making Watermelon Granita

The key to this recipe is scraping the blended watermelon juice mixture with a fork while it is at different stages of the freezing so that the ice crystal stay big and rough. If you let it just sit in the freezer it turns into one giant watermelon ice cube, but by scraping it a few times as it starts to freeze you separate the ice crystals and they remain that way as it continues to freeze.
It takes about 5 minutes to get the watermelon juice mixture ready, you toss it in the freezer and then you scrape it after an hour and then again 2 more hours later. Easy! You just have to set a timer if you are prone to forgetting projects you just hid in the freezer. Enjoy!
No coconut sugar on hand? A traditional granulated white sugar will work just fine.
I wrote a cool article about melons (who to store them + creative ways to use them), you might want to take a look.

Watermelon Granita

Watermelon granita recipe made with only 3 ingredients and little freezing time. You are going to love this simple dessert all summer long.

Author: Melissa Griffiths
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

4 cups cubed watermelon, seedless or seeds removed
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup coconut sugar or granulated white sugar

Instructions

Add the watermelon, lime juice, and coconut sugar to the jar of a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Pour the liquid into a shallow freezer-safe dish, cover, and place level in the freezer.
After 1 hour remove the watermelon mixture from the fridge and use a fork to scrap any ice that has formed. Replace the lid and return to the freezer.
After an additional 2 hours remove the watermelon mixture from the fridge and use a fork to scrap any ice that has formed. The slush should be done or just about done now (depending on your freezer and how thick the mixture was in the container). Serve if everything is uniformly icy or return the freezer and scrape with a fork one final time before serving. You may need to let the mixture sit at room temperature for a few minutes before re-scraping and serving.

Super simple cold and icy treats are my favorite in the summer and you can’t be how easiest this is to make. I hope that you love it!

I have LOTS of ice cream recipes on the site too, so if homemade ice cream or popsicles are your jam, take a look at some of my favorite recipes. Most of those you will need an ice cream maker for. I’m still in love with the one Thomas got me for Mother’s Day years ago. We use it weekly!

In search of other healthy, simple desserts? Here are some of my favorites:

Healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
No Bake Oatmeal Bites
Healthy No-Bake Cookies
9 Date Bite Recipes

Enjoy from my kitchen to yours!

June 21, 2016

Homemade Cake Batter Ice Cream

Making homemade ice cream in the summer is something that I love to do. I feel like after a full day of working in the garden/playing/swimming/bike riding, then sitting down to a healthy seasonal meal (like anything on the grill + fresh beans and corn from the garden + sun sweet peaches or melon), that dessert just follows naturally. Eating healthy is pretty easy, since so many delicious things are in season. And getting in lots of sunshine and movement is also a natural part of the summer season, so I have no worries about giving my family a homemade treat after a full day. Ice cream is always at the top of my list of things to make.

Thomas got me this ice cream maker for Mother’s Day a few years ago and I love it. You don’t have to mess with ice and salt, you just freeze the whole bowl instead. Once you add your liquid, it only takes about 20 minutes to make ice cream too, which I think is great. I might have to get a second one as my family gets bigger though, because the 1.5 quarts is just enough right now. The ice cream maker would make a great summer wedding gift too! My sister has the same one (in red), and when she comes to visit she packs it down so that we can make ice cream for all of our kids.

This cake batter ice cream recipe is actually from my sister and one that we make lots and lots. I like that it doesn’t have any eggs and that you don’t have to cook the liquid before churning it because that means I can make it on a whim and it’s done in about 25 minutes. I love all things cake batter, and this ice cream is perfection. You can use just about any cake mix you’d like, and that will change your flavor. I normally make this with Funfetti cake mix, but I’ve also made it with white and yellow cake mix – all of them are delicious. I’m positive that you could use chocolate, cherry, and even lemon cake mix too, depending on the flavor you’d like in the end. No matter what cake mix you choose, this cake batter ice cream is sure to please.

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June 7, 2016

Blueberry Chia Popsicles

Popsicle season is upon us and I couldn’t be more excited. We end up eating popsicles all year long but I love them in the summer because I can send the sticky drips outside. With the right mix of ingredient popsicles can turn into a powerhouse of a snack. When you plan and stock the freezer with healthy snacks, you can’t help but say yes when the kids come begging. Trust me on this one, homemade popsicles will make you neighborhood famous in no time and none of the kids will even know you are feeding them healthy snacks. Sometimes I even give these popsicles to my teething toddler when I can’t get him to eat anything else. He likes the cold in his mouth and I feel better knowing he’s getting something nutritious.

Blueberry chia popsicles are a long time favorite in our house. The pretty purple color is pleasant to the eye and you can’t beat all the fiber packed into these pops. The chia seeds hide right along with the blueberry pieces and the kids don’t know they are there. There’s some great fat and protein in here too thanks to some avocado (which makes the popsicles extra creamy)

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September 4, 2015

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Simple chocolate peanut butter ice cream made with cream, peanut butter, and two kinds of chocolate. Great homemade ice cream recipe to make all summer long.

I feel like the summer got away from me in terms of the blog and recipes. I should be rolling out pumpkin, but I’m still dreaming about garden veggies and this amazing homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. It’s still summer and plenty warm here in Southern Utah, so I thought I’d go ahead and post this recipe for you to enjoy. I’ve been making this ice cream for a few years now and it’s one of our favorites! It’s rich and smooth and that chocolate peanut butter combo is always a delicious classic.

This is the perfect easy recipe to celebrate a long weekend with! Don’t put summer away until you’ve tried this one, friends. You won’t regret it.

Doesn’t that look amazing! I made this chocolate peanut butter ice cream for my daughter’s birthday a while ago. Now I’m thinking I’m going to have to make another batch soon… the peril of editing all those pictures! They made me hungry.

Tips and Tricks for making chocolate peanut butter ice cream:

Thomas bought me this ice cream maker a few years ago and we LOVE IT! You freeze the bowl so there’s no ice or salt to mess with and it churns the ice cream really quickly. When our kids get a little older and their appetites increase, I’m going to need to buy a second one.
Good semi-sweet chocolate chips work well in place of the unsweetened chocolate if you don’t have any on hand.
If you like a harder ice cream, put the ice cream in a freezer container and cover. Let it freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. The ice cream straight out of the maker is just like soft-serve. Out of the freezer it is like store-bought.
This ice cream is delicious frozen in between two of my famous homemade chocolate chips cookies (best chocolate chip cookies ever!).

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment, pin it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #blessthismesseat on Instagram. I love to see your kitchen skills in action!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Simple chocolate peanut butter ice cream made with cream, peanut butter, and two kinds of chocolate. Great homemade ice cream recipe to make all summer long.

Author: Melissa Griffiths
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk (whole is best)
1 cup heavy cream
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (I like Ghiradelli), cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Instructions

In a medium pan whisk together the cocoa powder and sugar. While whisking add the milk and the cream. Whisk together well combined. Place the pan over medium to medium-high heat. When the milk mixture starts to steam (but isn’t boiling) add the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate melts. Remove from the head and add the vanilla and peanut butter and stir until well combined. Place the ice cream mixture in a container, cover, and refrigerate until cool (about 4 hours or overnight).
Pour the ice cream mixture in your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions.
I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that you just freeze the canister the ice cream is made in. It takes about 15 minutes to make ice cream with no salt and ice to mess with. I love it! If you like a harder ice cream, put the ice cream in a freezer container and cover. Let it freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. The ice cream straight out of the maker is just like soft-serve. Out of the freezer it is like store-bought.

Hope your weekend is awesome! Thanks so much for stopping in.

June 1, 2015

Quick and Easy Peach Pineapple Popsicles

Today is our very fist Monday of summer break and we are celebrating in style. The house is scattered with building blocks, we plan on going to the little local pool after lunch, our summer reading point charts are ready to be marked, and homemade popsicles are pretty much the only thing my kids want to eat. These Quick and Easy Peach Pineapple Popsicles are just as great as the name sounds! They have 2 ingredients and take a full 2 minutes to throw together. The only hard part is waiting for them to freeze. I often will make popsicles at night when my kids are in bed so that they aren’t asking me all day long if they are frozen yet. Kids have the memory of elephant when it comes to popsicles, I tell you! They just can’t forget when there are popsicles in the freezer. Too bad this phenomena doesn’t apply to where they left their shoes…

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