I distinctly remember the first hot summer night I told my oldest that we were having ice cream for dinner. He was about three, and was so excited you would have thought I arranged a play date with Ryan from Ryan’s Toy Review. It’s the little things, right? Since then, we try to do it a few times each summer. In celebration of National Ice Cream Month, I’m sharing a family-favorite recipe for no-churn strawberry ice cream, as well as a few great local Houston ice cream spots.
Kid-Friendly No Churn Ice Cream
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
- Any mix-ins your family prefers – chocolate chips, cookie chunks, chopped nuts, etc.
Directions :: Process the strawberries and lime juice with either a hand mixer or food processor. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add the pureed strawberries and condensed milk and fold gently {or not so gently if you’re having little hands help with this part – it will still taste great}. Transfer to a large loaf pan or flat container, cover and freeze for 10+ hours. Enjoy!
Top Ice Cream Shops Around Town
Honeychild’s Sweet Cream {Various locations}
This custard-based ice cream is some of the best in town. The owners use fresh, seasonal ingredients and their unique flavors hit the spot year-round. While they don’t have a traditional store-front shop, you can find their products in several Houston locations including Phoenicia, Revival Market, Katerra Exotics in Katy and Blockhouse Coffee and Kitchen in Richmond.
Fat Cat Creamery {1901 N. Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77008}
This cute shop in the Heights makes all their ice cream from scratch. They use whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, egg yolks, and other flavorings. Fat Cat also pays attention to supporting the local community by using cream from Texas dairy farmers, eggs from Ole Dad Farms, and fruits from The Barry Farm. They have unique flavors like Waterloo Strawberry Buttermilk, Chai Tea Coconut {a dairy-free option} and also offer soft-serve, push pops and ice cream sammies.
Amy’s Ice Cream {3816 Farnham St, Houston, TX 77098}
Amy’s started in Austin and opened up in Houston a while back. This company not only makes homemade ice cream, they make it a point to connect with the community with fundraisers for breast cancer, AIDS, Autism, and more. Okay, about the ice cream. They always have the standard Mexican Vanilla, Belgian Chocolate, Just Vanilla, Sweet Cream, Coffee, White Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate … but they rotate out more than 300 specialty flavors all the time!
Nectar :: A Nitro Cafe {7560 FM 1960 Humble, TX 77346}
Waffles, coffee and ice cream. What more could a growing family need?!? There is a mix and match assortment of flavors for nitro ice cream and waffles ranging from almond roca to elderflower and so, so many tasty options in between. The ambiance is amazing with friendly staff and board games to keep the kiddos occupied. The only downside to this place is you may want to keep coming back to try all their unique treats.
Nonnie’s Soda Fountain {102 Market St, Tomball, TX 77375}
This old fashioned ice cream store is exactly what you would picture from back in the day. It’s cute and quaint, and they have really great malts and root beer floats! They have several flavors of ice cream including Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Chunk.
The Sweet Tooth Shoppe {8503 FM 359, Fulshear, TX 77441}
This shop in Fulshear is known for it’s delicious ice cream and cute ambiance! And if you’re interested in a nightcap after your ice cream, they also have a massive candy selection so you can satisfy your sweet tooth with all different flavors in one convenient spot. Oh, and they also have a party space and stress-free party packages too!
What are your favorite spots to grab ice cream around town?
