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French-Style Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

French style roasted strawberry ice cream made with slow-roasted strawberries that turn ruby-deep, jammy, and intensely concentrated. A custard base is cooked to 175F, strained, then churned for a dense, rich strawberry frozen with balsamic-kissed depth.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 3 cup fresh strawberries Hulled and halved.
Granulated sugar, divided
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar Divide into 1/4 cup for roasting and 1/4 cup for the custard.
Aged balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar Adds tang and caramel depth during roasting.
Heavy cream
  • 2 cup heavy cream
Whole milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
Egg yolks
  • 5 egg yolks
Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Roast the strawberries
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Toss the strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar and the balsamic vinegar on a sheet pan, making sure the fruit is spread in a single layer.
  2. Roast for 30-35 minutes at 375F until deeply caramelized and jammy, with ruby juices bubbling around the edges. Cool slightly, then puree until smooth.
Cook the strawberry custard base
  1. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk until steaming, then whisk into the egg yolks beaten with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Keep whisking so the mixture turns glossy and smooth.
  2. Cook the custard to 175F, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. Strain the mixture, then stir in the roasted strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and salt.
Chill and freeze
  1. Cool the custard completely over an ice bath, stirring occasionally until no longer warm to the touch. Refrigerate for 4 hours to fully chill.
  2. Churn in an ice cream maker until thickened with a soft-serve texture. Freeze until firm, then scoop and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: Roast until the strawberries look jammy and deeply caramelized—this is where the intense, ruby-deep flavor comes from, so don’t rush the roast time. Store covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; for best scoopability, let it sit at room temperature 5-8 minutes. Freezing before serving is yes (churned, then firm in the freezer). For a lighter swap, use whole milk instead of some of the cream, but expect a softer, less rich texture.