Fruity Pebble Ice Cream
This homemade Fruity Pebbles™ Ice Cream is a colorful, nostalgic treat that’s as fun to make as it is to eat! The base is steeped with real cereal milk for maximum flavor, then churned until perfectly creamy and studded with a crispy Fruity Pebbles™ crunch mix-in. It’s everything you love about your favorite childhood cereal reimagined as a cool, dreamy dessert!
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream Base:
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream, chilled
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, chilled
- 2 cups (100 grams) Fruity Pebbles cereal
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 2 tablespoons non-fat powdered milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use the same weight or half as much by volume
For the Fruity Pebble Crunch Mix-in:
- 1 1/4 cups (60 grams) Fruity Pebbles cereal
- 2 tablespoons (10 grams) milk powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
Ice Cream Base:
- In a medium-sized bowl or large measuring cup, mix together the chilled heavy cream and whole milk.
- Use your hands to crush 2 cups of Fruity Pebbles until they reach a coarse sand-like texture.
- Add the crushed Fruity Pebbles to the milk and cream mixture, stirring well.
- Let the mixture steep for 20 minutes at room temperature to let the flavors meld.
Strain and Season the Milk:
- Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium-sized bowl.
- Carefully strain the milk mixture, collecting the infused milk in the bowl below.
- Using the back of a spoon, press gently on the Fruity Pebbles to extract as much liquid as possible, but avoid forcing the cereal mush through the sieve.
- To the collected milk, whisk in the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and non-fat milk powder.
- Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight to chill thoroughly.
Make the Fruity Pebble Crunch:
- Preheat your oven to 275°F (135°C).
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 1 1/4 cups of Fruity Pebbles, milk powder, and salt.
- Add the melted butter to the bowl and toss everything together. The butter will help form small clusters of the cereal mix.
- Spread these clusters on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the clusters look toasted and smell buttery.
- Allow the crunch to cool completely before using or storing. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge or freezer for up to a month.
- You will have extra to-top ice cream and to snack on!
Churn the Ice Cream:
- Prepare your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Pour the chilled Fruity Pebble milk mixture into the ice cream maker and churn until it reaches the consistency of soft serve.
- While the machine is running, drop in a couple of drops of food coloring.
- Remove the churned ice cream and fold in 1/2 cup Fruity Pebble crunch.
- Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 5 hours or overnight. I recommend overnight.
- Top with the extra fruity pebbles crunch, whipped cream or easy homemade salted caramel sauce.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. This helps prevent ice crystals and keeps the texture creamy.
Freezer bowl prep: Freeze your ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours before churning to ensure a smooth, scoopable texture.
Fruity Pebbles™ crunch mix was adapted from Christina Tosi's Milk Momofuku milk bar.
