Suggestions
🖨️

Coffee Ice Cream

Chop Rating
chopchopchopchopchop
Sign in to review
Not yet rated
desserts•french•contains dairy, contains eggs, gluten-free
9 hours•1 quart (8 servings)•

Ingredients

  • 1 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar (150g)
  • 1/8 tsp fine salt
  • 1 1/2 cups coffee beans – whole, lightly crushed
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 5 large egg yolks
Coffee Ice Cream

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and pour in the heavy cream; place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water to make an ice bath. Keep nearby.

  2. 2.

    In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, granulated sugar, and fine salt. Stir in the lightly crushed coffee beans.

  3. 3.

    Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is steaming but not boiling, 3–5 minutes. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep until very coffee-aromatic, 45–60 minutes.

  4. 4.

    Uncover and rewarm the milk-and-coffee mixture over medium heat until steaming. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.

  5. 5.

    Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the hot coffee milk into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper.

  6. 6.

    Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula. Cook over medium-low heat until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spatula, 5–7 minutes; it should reach 170–175°F/77–80°C. Do not let it boil.

  7. 7.

    Immediately pour the custard through the strainer into the cold heavy cream, pressing on the beans to extract flavor, then discard the beans. Stir over the ice bath until cool, 5–10 minutes.

  8. 8.

    Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled to 39°F/4°C, at least 4 hours or overnight to mature the base.

  9. 9.

    Churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions until softly set and increased in volume, 20–25 minutes.

  10. 10.

    Transfer to a lidded container, press parchment or plastic wrap directly on the surface, cover, and freeze until firm enough to scoop, 2–4 hours. Scoop and serve.

Coffee Ice Cream is a rich, scoopable custard flavored entirely with real coffee, delivering balanced roasted notes, gentle bitterness, and a clean, lingering finish. The texture is dense yet silky, with a creamy body that carries the aromatic complexity of the beans without tasting burnt. It’s equally at home in a simple cone, alongside a slice of cake, or spun into an affogato with a fresh shot of espresso.

Rooted in the European tradition of crème glacée and gelato, coffee ice cream gained popularity as coffee culture spread in the 18th and 19th centuries. French custard techniques, which rely on egg yolks for body and sheen, became the foundation for many classic coffee ice creams. Over time, the flavor became a parlor standard in America and beyond, valued for its sophistication and its ability to showcase the character of different coffee roasts.