Description

This homemade vanilla ice cream features a rich, French-style custard base swirled with a complex spiced brown butter caramel. The combination creates a creamy texture and sophisticated flavor profile far superior to store-bought varieties, perfect for summer dessert or cozy treat.

Ingredients

Scale

480 ml (2 cups) heavy cream (36% milk fat minimum)
240 ml (1 cup) whole milk
150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
10 ml (2 teaspoons) alcohol-free vanilla extract
115 g (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter
100 g (1/2 cup packed) light brown sugar
1.25 ml (1/4 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
0.6 ml (1/8 teaspoon) ground cardamom
2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) flaky sea salt (or fine sea salt)

Instructions

Prepare Spiced Brown Butter Caramel: Melt 115 g unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat, cooking and stirring until brown and nutty (about 5-7 minutes). Strain brown butter into a bowl. In the same clean saucepan, combine 100 g light brown sugar and 60 ml water. Boil over medium-high heat until deep amber (8-12 minutes). Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the cooled brown butter, spices, and salt until smooth. Cool completely to room temperature until viscous.
Make Vanilla Custard Base: Combine heavy cream and whole milk in a saucepan and heat until steaming, but not boiling. Separately, whisk 150 g granulated sugar with egg yolks until pale. Gradually temper the warm cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then return all to the saucepan.
Cook and Chill Custard: Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spatula (approx. 80°C / 175°F). Do not boil. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and strain into a clean bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
Churn and Swirl: Churn the chilled ice cream base according to your ice cream maker’s instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency. Transfer half of the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Drizzle one-third of the cooled caramel sauce over the ice cream. Repeat layers with remaining ice cream and caramel sauce, swirling gently with a knife. Cover tightly and freeze for 4-6 hours until firm.

Notes

Ensure the custard base is completely chilled (minimum 6 hours) before churning to prevent large ice crystal formation. For best results, take the ice cream out of the freezer for 10-15 minutes before serving for easy scooping. If the custard accidentally curdles, try blending it with an immersion blender before chilling. The brown butter caramel can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Churned Ice Cream, Custard
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 120 ml
Calories: 300 calories
Sugar: 24 g
Sodium: 100 mg
Fat: 22 g
Saturated Fat: 14 g
Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 80 mg

Keywords: ice cream, caramel swirl, brown butter, vanilla custard, homemade, churned, spiced, dessert, summer