Our ice cream maker has been forlornly tucked away in the back of our kitchen cabinet for a while, just begging to be used. So a few days ago, I decided to whip up some ice cream.
After some debate, I went with this recipe for salted caramel ice cream. Because if there is ever an option for salted caramel ANYTHING, I will take it. When I go to an ice cream shop, and see that salted caramel ice cream is offered, I think to myself, “These are my people. They just get me.”
This salted caramel ice cream is just perfection. The classic custard base results in a silky, creamy, smooth ice cream. A deep, dark caramel is created by slowly browning sugar, and then mixed into the custard base. I doubled the recipe, which was a good call because this ice cream will not last long our house.
Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Print this recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes
Yield: about 1 1/2 pints
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 6 large egg yolks
Directions
In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 3/4 cup of sugar with 3 tablespoons water, swirling pan frequently until the sugar turns dark amber brown.
Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, heavy cream, milk, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt. Simmer until caramel and sugar dissolves, and cream mixture is completely smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about 1/3 of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on a kitchen thermometer).
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer.
