Blueberry buttermilk ice cream with the Thermomix® is ready in 5 minutes and makes 4 servings. We pulverise 80 g of sugar in 10 seconds at speed 10, then add 600 g of frozen blueberries, 200 g of buttermilk and 1 tsp of grated orange zest, and blend everything for 40 seconds at speed 8. Serve immediately. That is all there is to it.
What sets this ice cream apart from our plain blueberry ice cream is the buttermilk. Its acidity reacts with the anthocyanin pigments in the blueberries and shifts the colour: instead of deep blue-violet you get a lighter, noticeably rosy lilac. In terms of flavour, that means a fresh, mildly tart contrast that balances out the sweetness of the berries. It is a lightning-fast sorbet with no ice-cream machine and no pre-freezing of the mixture, because the cold is already locked in the berries.
Quick Blueberry Buttermilk Ice Cream with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 4 ✓
- 80 g sugar
- 600 g blueberries frozen
- 200 g buttermilk
- 1 tsp orange zest finely grated, unwaxed
Instructions 0 / 2
-
1
Pulverise the sugar.
Add the sugar to the mixing bowl and pulverise for 10 seconds / speed 10.
-
2
Blend and serve.
Add the remaining ingredients, blend for 40 seconds / speed 8 and serve immediately.
Tip: Try mixed berries and coconut yoghurt instead of blueberries and buttermilk. If you replace the buttermilk with a plant-based yoghurt, the ice cream becomes vegan.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why 600 g of frozen berries to 200 g of buttermilk is the right ratio
The 3:1 ratio of fruit to buttermilk is the heart of this recipe. The frozen berries provide the cold and the solid mass; the buttermilk adds just enough liquid so the Thermomix® can blend the mixture to a creamy consistency without it melting. If you use more buttermilk, you end up with a drink. If you use less, the mixing bowl will jam and the berries will not move.
For comparison: many Thermomix® recipes use only 200 to 500 g of berries, and some use double cream instead of buttermilk. Double cream makes the ice cream richer and milder, but you lose the fresh tart kick. With 600 g of berries and 200 g of buttermilk, the 4 portions genuinely serve four people, not just two small bowls. Exactly this ratio is what turns the blend into a sorbet rather than a smoothie.
We pulverise the sugar first for 10 seconds at speed 10 because icing sugar distributes more evenly through the cold mixture than coarse caster sugar. On 80 g of cold, frozen fruit, coarse sugar barely dissolves and you would hear it crunch between your teeth. If you want to cut back on sugar, alternatives such as xylitol, honey or agave syrup work just as well. Bear in mind that liquid sweeteners make the texture slightly softer.
40 seconds at speed 8 is the limit, not a suggestion
We use exclusively frozen blueberries. The reason is simple: the cold of the frozen fruit is what turns the blend into a sorbet. Fresh berries blended for 40 seconds at speed 8 would produce nothing more than a liquid blueberry buttermilk drink. Speed 8 for 40 seconds is the limit. Go longer and the friction heat from the blades causes the ice cream to thaw too quickly, losing its sorbet consistency and turning watery.
This is exactly where the Thermomix® has the edge over an ice-cream machine: there is no 30-minute wait and no pre-chilling of the bowl. One appliance, one step, finished ice cream. The price of that convenience is precision with timing. Stop after exactly 40 seconds and use the spatula in between to push the berries from the walls down towards the blades if an unmixed layer forms at the top.
The orange zest is the flavour boost nobody sees coming
One teaspoon of grated orange zest sounds like very little. In practice it lifts the ice cream noticeably, because the citrus essential oils intensify the fruit flavours of the blueberries. Blueberries on their own are relatively restrained in aroma; the orange zest gives them definition. We only use unwaxed organic oranges for this, because the peel of treated oranges contains waxes and pesticide residues that cannot be washed off.
Grate the zest fresh over a fine grater just before blending and take only the orange part, not the bitter white pith beneath. If you do not have an orange: finely grated lemon or lime zest works just as well and pushes the ice cream a touch further towards the tart end. Half a teaspoon is enough here, because lemon is sharper than orange.
Three pitfalls that can trip up the buttermilk ice cream
The ice cream stays liquid like a smoothie
The most common cause is berries that were not fully frozen, or too much buttermilk. Frozen berries that have been sitting half-thawed in a bowl no longer bring enough cold with them. Our solution: Add the berries straight from the freezer into the cold mixing bowl and stick to the 3:1 ratio (600 g fruit, 200 g buttermilk). If it is still too soft, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes and give it a quick stir.
Nothing moves in the mixing bowl, the berries are blocking it
With 600 g of rock-solid berries and only 200 g of liquid, a hollow space can form around the blades at first and the mixture does not turn. Our solution: Stop the blending after 10 seconds, push the mixture from top to bottom with the spatula, then blend for the remaining 30 seconds. Only use the spatula with the blades at a standstill, never while they are running.
The mixture turns grainy instead of creamy
Graininess occurs when the sugar was not pulverised finely enough, or the blending time was too short. Our solution: Let the sugar run for the full 10 seconds at speed 10 until it is as fine as icing sugar, and do not stop the blending before 40 seconds. Only then are the ice crystals small enough for a silky consistency.
Four variations using the same buttermilk technique
Other frozen fruit: We have successfully tested the technique with raspberries, redcurrants and mango pieces. Tart berries pair best with the buttermilk; for very sweet fruit such as mango, reduce the sugar by about 20 g.
Vegan: Replace the buttermilk with a plant-based yoghurt drink or coconut yoghurt. The acid-pigment colour shift will be milder, the colour stays a little darker and the flavour becomes rounder.
Creamier: Replace 50 g of the buttermilk with double cream or soured cream. The ice cream becomes richer and melts more slowly in the mouth, but loses a little of the fresh tart kick.
With herbs: Blend a few leaves of mint or lemon balm together with the berries. This adds a fresh, almost summery note that goes well with the tartness of the buttermilk.
What to serve with the blueberry buttermilk ice cream
If you want to try other frozen fruit: the quick raspberry ice cream with the Thermomix® and the mango coconut ice cream follow the same principle, though without the acid-pigment colour shift from the buttermilk. If you prefer the classic version without buttermilk, the plain blueberry ice cream with the Thermomix® gives you the deep-blue variation.
If you want to see the full ice cream range: the Thermomix® ice cream overview covers water ices, soft-serve, cream-based ice creams and specialities. As a topping, a dollop of whipped cream or a few fresh blueberries work perfectly on the finished ice cream.
How to store the ice cream and refreeze it
The ice cream tastes best immediately after blending, when it has the perfect soft-serve consistency. Leftovers can be frozen without any problem: in a shallow, tightly sealed container the blueberry buttermilk ice cream keeps for about 2 to 3 weeks in the freezer. It will freeze rock solid, however, because it lacks the fat and sugar content of a classic ice cream that keeps a scoop soft.
Before serving again, leave the frozen ice cream to thaw at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, then it will be scoopable once more. Alternatively, place the fully frozen pieces back in the Thermomix® and blend briefly, about 20 seconds at speed 6, to make it creamy again. Do not refreeze ice cream that has already thawed completely, as the ice crystals will become coarse and the texture sandy.
Frequently asked questions about the blueberry buttermilk ice cream
Goes well with: Waffles and brownies.
Our tip: Orange water ice with the Thermomix®.
