Pomegranate Ice Cream

They're slightly sweet and slightly bit tart and pomegranates make the most delicious ice cream flavor! This Pomegranate Ice Cream is made with simple ingredients so the fruity flavor can really shine.

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🥣 Equipment needed
• 👩‍🍳 How to open pomegranates
• 🍦 How to make pomegranate ice cream
• ⏲️ How to store
• 🎉Variations on recipe
• ❓ Can I make this recipe with all fresh pomegranate arils?
• 😩 What if I don't have an ice cream maker?
• 🩷 More pomegranate recipes
• 🍨 More fruity ice cream recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

I love pomegranate season so much. Not only are poms absolutely delicious, but they are so visually perfect for the holiday season and for Valentine's Day.

Which just happens to be exactly when they're in season (typically late September through February in the US)!

Pomegranate arils and juice work well in so many recipes, both sweet and savory, from desserts to entrees to salads to drinks. The arils add a little crunch, sweet and tart juicy flavor, and lots of visual appeal.

This pomegranate ice cream takes the the flavor of the tasty winter fruit and puts it on full display in a deliciously sweet and tart creamy dessert.

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

If you enjoy eating pomegranates any chance you get during the season, you need to try this ice cream recipe!

It's an easy-to-make ice cream since it's egg-free and doesn't require any cooking.

I love it because it's SO simple and really allows the pomegranate flavor to really shine.

Plus, it's such a pretty ice cream to make during the holiday season or for your loved ones for Valentine's Day!

🗒 Ingredients

Like I mentioned, you don't need too many ingredients to make this pomegranate ice cream. Here's everything required (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Heavy cream
• Whole milk
• Granulated sugar
• Pomegranate juice
• Pomegranate arils

I recommend using a 100% pomegranate juice juice (don't get a juice "cocktail"). Can you believe this little bottle has 9 pomegranates in it??

They must have taken forever to open! 😅

I also love POM Wonderful, but my grocery store often only has blends instead of pure pomegranate juice.

🥣 Equipment needed

This homemade ice cream does require an ice cream machine. I have the ice cream attachment to my KitchenAid mixer and highly recommend it.

I've probably made hundreds of quarts of ice cream over the years with it!

You'll also want containers to store your ice cream in. You can use a simple food storage container (like Tupperware) or you can use one specific to ice cream.

I own several quart size containers and love them. But for this ice cream I used a new 1.5 quart container and it all fit perfectly.

👩‍🍳 How to open pomegranates

But seriously, the only thing I don't love about pomegranates is opening them to remove the arils/seeds.

You'll find lots of different tips and tricks for opening them, but my favorite technique is the under water method!

To do this, I recommend cutting the pomegranate in half horizontally. And then using a knife to make shallow scores along the pomegranate half. The scores should be just deep enough to penetrate the membrane without cutting into the arils too much.

Then put the pomegranate half in a bowl filled with water and use your hands to break it apart along the scored lines.

From here, you can gently pull the arils out of the pomegranate skin and membrane.

They will sink to the bottom of the bowl. The pith and membrane should float to the top of the water and you can discard this.

I like to clean up the pomegranate arils a bit more (getting rid of any attached pith) and then rinse them before using.

See? That wasn't so bad!

🍦 How to make pomegranate ice cream

Now for the ice cream making process. I make homemade ice cream a lot and this is one of the easier recipes I've developed.

That's in part because it doesn't have any eggs in it and, so, no heating is required. Just stirring, chilling, and processing!

To start, in a large bowl, stir together heavy cream, whole milk, and granulated sugar.

Stir until sugar has dissolved. This may take a few minutes.

Now, stir in the pomegranate juice.

And put the mixture in fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. I like to chill overnight when I have the time.

And you're ready to process the ice cream!

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and process it according to the manufacturer's directions. Mine took about 20 minutes to thicken in my KitchenAid ice cream attachment.

When ice cream is almost done processing, add in the pomegranate seeds.

Now, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

And you're finally ready to get scooping!

Look how pretty those arils are!

I'm really, really happy with how this ice cream turned out. It's truly the dessert for pomegranate lovers as there's nothing diluting the flavor and every bite tastes like the delicious winter fruit that's so often dismissed.

Though ice cream is often thought of as a summer dessert, I love a good winter ice cream and this one will fit into your holiday celebrations of Valentine's Day meals so well.

Serve it on its own or with a slice of dark chocolate cake or gingerbread cookies.

⏲️ How to store

Be sure to keep this pomegranate ice cream in an airtight container in your freezer.

When stored properly, it should keep fresh for about a month.

Make sure the temperature of your freezer is well-regulated as fluctuations can cause freezer burn.

🎉Variations on recipe

Like I mentioned, I chose to keep this ice cream simple so you could really get the full flavor of the fruit. But pomegranates go with so many different ingredients and there are a lot of fun add-ins you can use for this ice cream.

Here are some of my favorite ideas:

• Chocolate chips or chunks: I think white chocolate goes especially well with pomegranates, but so does dark chocolate. Semisweet or milk chocolate would also be tasty.

• Nuts also work well with the fruit and I think chopped walnuts or pecans would be delicious in this ice cream. You can also use pistachios to give this an even more festive look for Christmas.

• There are so many spices you could add to the ice cream base that would complement the pomegranate flavor. My favorites are cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.

• Add in a honey swirl or a honey drizzle over the top of the served ice cream for a little extra sweetness.

• If you're making this pomegranate ice cream in the summer months, try mixing in chopped mint for more warm weather appeal.

• Add cream cheese into the ice cream base for extra creaminess and richness (also, how delicious does pomegranate cheesecake sound??)

• Try swirling in pomegranate molasses (homemade or store-bought) for a more intense burst of flavor.

• Use coconut milk in place of milk and/or cream in the recipe and you'll have a decadent ice cream with a tropical touch. You can also mix in shredded coconut if you want.

• While I add vanilla extract to almost all my ice cream recipes, I didn't use any here because I wanted just the flavor of the pomegranate. However, you can add a little for more levels of flavor.

• Add in other fruits. Just like POM Wonderful makes pomegranate juice blends, you can do the same thing with the ice cream. Fruits that go especially well with pomegranates include cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.

• Top with chocolate fudge sauce, marshmallow sauce, or whipped cream for a delicious touch.

❓ Can I make this recipe with all fresh pomegranate arils?

When I first started working on this pomegranate ice cream recipe, I had the idea of using all fresh pomegranates to make it.

But i quickly realized that would involve opening A LOT of pomegranates and that it made more sense to use 100% pomegranate juice in the base.

However, you can certainly do this if you want. You'll likely need the seeds from 3-4 pomegranates to get the 1 cup pomegranate juice required for this recipe as most pomegranates yield about ¼ to ⅓ cup of juice.

Once you have removed the arils from all of the fruit, you can either use a juicer to extract the juice or use a blender or food processor to puree the arils and then use a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to strain the juice.

😩 What if I don't have an ice cream maker?

I highly recommend getting an ice cream maker since it will make ice cream making so much easier. But you can make this recipe using a no-churn method. It just takes a bit more work!

After you mix together the cream, milk, sugar, and pomegranate juice, pour the mixture into a deep baking dish or a similar shallow dish. You want the dish to be shallow so the mixture will freeze evenly. Put in the freezer.

Now, every 30-45 minutes, you'll need to stir the mixture vigorously with spatula or fork. Or you can use a hand mixer if you have one. Be sure to mix in the mixture at the edges since that will likely freeze first. Your goal here is to break up the ice crystals to get a creamy ice cream texture.

Mix in the pomegranate arils after about 2 hours of this process. And then keep up with the stirring process every 30-45 minutes. The mixture will slowly thicken and it will eventually reach a "scoopable" consistency. This may take 4-6 hours depending on your freezer and the size of the container.

And then give the ice cream its final freeze. Give it at least 4 hours (but overnight is always best if you can).

🩷 More pomegranate recipes

If you're looking for more ways to enjoy the fabulous winter fruit, be sure to check out more of my favorite pomegranate recipes:

🍨 More fruity ice cream recipes

And if you're on the search for more ice cream recipes packed with fruity flavor, check out some of these:

I also can't wait to make this Strawberry Banana Ice Cream!

It can sometimes be tough to get excited about produce at this time of year when it can often be chilly, dark, and a little bit gloomy.

But pomegranates add a little bit of sunshine into the winter season.... And pomegranate ice cream will make you and your loved ones' days extra happy!

📖 Recipe