Strawberry Nutella Swirl Ice Cream

July is National Ice Cream month and I've been working my ice cream maker quite a bit. With so many flavors to choose from, I decided to take inspiration from what I had lurking in my fridge and pantry. Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits of all time and I especially enjoy dipping them in a little Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread. I had both of these ingredients on hand and that's when it dawned on me that I could try combining them into an ice cream! That's when this Strawberry Nutella Swirl Ice Cream was born. It's delicious proof that two great flavors are even better when combined with ice cream....

In making Strawberry Nutella Ice Cream, I decided to make strawberry ice cream the base flavor. Using fresh strawberries and its natural juices, I made a standard no-cook ice cream base. Just before the strawberry ice cream finished churning in the ice cream maker, I swirled in warmed Nutella. The mixture is frozen to allow flavors to meld and I recommend not touching the ice cream for at least 8 hours or overnight (patience, my friend!). The result? A delicious, creamy strawberry ice cream with bits of fresh strawberries and Nutella swirled throughout. Delish.

Strawberry Nutella Swirl Ice Cream
recipe adapted from Ben & Jerry's

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Nutella spread, warmed

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl, set aside in fridge for 1 hour.
In large mixing bowl beat eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, mixing well. Stir in milk and vanilla and mix well. Add strawberries with juice and mix well. Gently stir in whipping cream just until combined. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Meanwhile, warm the Nutella in the microwave until it's slightly runny. Just before the ice cream has completed churning in the ice cream maker, slowly pour in the Nutella in a steady stream. Allow the ice cream maker to swirl the Nutella into the strawberry ice cream.

Transfer the ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 4-6 hours (overnight would be better) to allow flavors to meld.