This Homemade Coffee Ice Cream is made just like old-fashioned ice cream! It starts with a custard that is blended with heavy cream and churned in an ice cream maker for a sensationally smooth and creamy dessert.
Once you’ve made this homemade churned ice cream, you will come back to it time and time again. This recipe will satisfy your sweet coffee cravings any time you have them!
I have quite a few no-churn ice cream recipes in the archives but I’ve been itching to try a more traditional homemade ice cream.
Since you really enjoyed this coffee crunch ice cream I thought it would be great to turn it into a creamy churned recipe.
Plus, I’ve gotten quite a few requests asking how to make that ice cream with an ice cream maker.
You can use today’s custard method to turn any no-churn recipe into a luscious churned ice cream. Try it with fresh blackberry ice cream or peaches and cream ice cream.
I just know the results will be amazing.
How to make homemade coffee ice cream?
Step 1: Make the base
To get started on today’s homemade coffee ice cream, you need to make the custard. It’s a simple concoction of whole milk, sugar, salt, and instant coffee granules. The recipe calls for decaffeinated coffee just in case you are sensitive to caffeine.
Put all those ingredients in a small saucepan and cook it over medium heat until it begins to steam. Make sure not to boil it or the milk will curdle. As soon as it begins to steam reduce the heat to low.
The egg yolks go in next but you can’t just drop them into the hot the milk. They’ll scramble if you do.
Instead, whisk them gently in a small bowl. Then, while you continue to whisk, slowly pour half of the hot milk into the eggs. Now you can pour the eggs into the pot with the remaining milk.
Cook the custard over medium heat until it thickens. This can take anywhere from three to five minutes. And be sure to stir it occasionally so the bottom doesn’t scorch.
The printable recipe card with full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
Step 2: Refrigerate the custard
Sometimes little bits of egg get scrambled, no matter how careful you are, so I like to strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve once it’s finished cooking. This will ensure the custard is completely smooth.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is touching the surface of the custard. This will help prevent a skin from forming over the top.
Place the custard in the refrigerator until it’s cold. It usually takes about two hours to chill.
Step 3: Churn the ice cream
When it comes time to finish the coffee ice cream, you just need to mix the custard with heavy cream and vanilla until it’s well blended and churn it in your ice cream maker.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning.
Making old-fashioned churned ice cream seems time-consuming and this is why most people prefer no-churn options.
But all the steps above can be done in advance. The custard will be done and ready to use.
You can enjoy the ice cream right away or store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Tips for making homemade coffee ice cream
- Make the ice cream base a day in advance. It needs to be very cold before going into the ice cream maker.
- Take care not to scramble the egg yolks. Slowly pour the hot milk in while whisking continuously.
- Jazz up your ice cream by adding chocolate chips or nuts.
More ice cream recipes you’ll love
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Homemade Coffee Ice Cream
This Homemade Coffee Ice Cream is made just like old-fashioned ice cream! It starts with a custard that is blended with heavy cream and churned in an ice cream maker for a sensationally smooth and creamy dessert. Once you’ve made this homemade churned ice cream, you will come back to it time and time again. This recipe will satisfy your sweet coffee cravings any time you have them!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons instant decaffeinated coffee granules*
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine the milk, sugar, salt, and coffee granules. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until steaming. Reduce the heat to low.
- Lightly beat the egg yolks in a small bowl. Slowly pour half the hot milk into the eggs while whisking continuously. Return the mixture to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap, allowing it to touch the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold.
- When ready to make the ice cream, whisk the cream and vanilla into the custard until smooth. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Enjoy right away or transfer to a freezer-safe container. The ice cream will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Double the recipe for a larger batch.
*Caffeinated coffee can be used if desired.
*1/2 cup of regular, strong brewed coffee can be used instead of instant coffee granules. Omit 1/2 cup of the milk.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5Amount Per Serving: Calories: 192
Tried this recipe? Rate the recipe below and share your photos on Instagram! Mention @introvertbaker or tag #introvertbaker! Make sure your account is set to public or I won’t see it.
Ish says
Thanks for a very nice recipe. I wanted an ice cream recipe that I would not mess up. Grew up with a hand cranked ice cream bucket, my gold standard. Have been through numerous ice cream machines over the years here in Australia, all of which died early deaths. Very few manufacturers bother with design that lasts. And ice cream machines really test that.
Just bought the first ice cream machine in many years, on a whim.
Selected your recipe (with the intent of adding a quarter cup of Tia Maria).
Worked well. Some gotchas: The instant coffee needs to be really strong and maybe I’d double it next time.
And I’d cut sugar in half. The general consensus was that it was too sweet (but I know I wandered off grid with my Tia Maria – which I did not account for with the sugar)
But overall, I am not a skilled egg yolk whisk-er and manager, so I was antsy… and your recipe seemed the easiest I found. And it worked a treat for me.
So, right on! – This was absolutely terrific, bar the gotchas, and It will be my go-to for future tweaking and experimentation.
Many thanks, Jen.
(And Mango, Coconut and Bacardi ice cream, here I come!)
Robert Anderson says
I had been looking for a good coffee ice cream recipe when I found this one. I followed the recipe except I added the egg yolks in with the milk, sugar, salt and slowly heated the mixture together. I also used espresso granules for a richer flavor. This is absolutely the best coffee ice cream I’ve ever tasted and it kept the right consistency after sitting it in the freezer overnight.
Jen Sobjack says
Thanks for sharing, Robert! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe.
Sharon says
This is the bomb.com!!! Creamy yummy ice cream! My husband and I are on a keto diet, so I used 2 cups of heavy cream plus 1/2 cup of water instead of the milk, and replaced the sugar with swerve and omg so good. Then I made it again and replaced the coffee with about a cup of cocoa, just for a change, and it was like chocolate brownie mousse gelato. Freaking yum!!!
Jen Sobjack says
Thanks for sharing, Sharon. I must try it with cocoa next time!
Lynard Burt says
I thank you for this I’m going to try Swerve, and also the heavy cream.
Lana says
I absolutely love coffee ice cream! I have several bottles of Watkins Coffee Extract which I purchased to add to plain vanilla (store bought) ice cream. I am wondering now if it might be possible to work some of the coffee extract into this recipe.
Jen Sobjack says
I don’t think it’s necessary because the recipe yields great coffee flavor. But, if you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Gena says
I have made this ice cream twice and have gotten nothing but raves about it. It is truly delicious. I was told last night it taste just like Blue Bell Coffee ice cream. WHOO HOO! that means it’s good.
I am wondering, could I leave out the coffee when making the custard and add fresh peaches, strawberries or another fruit to change it up? I am assuming I would not add fruit until I am putting it in the ice cream maker.
Jen Sobjack says
I haven’t made this recipe with fruit so I’m not 100% on how to approach it. But, I think mixing it in right before you add it to the ice cream maker would work.
Robert Anderson says
I will be making peach ice cream using this recipe, adding the peaches just before pouring mixture into churn pot. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Robert Anderson says
OK, I make peach ice cream using this base recipe. I used (cheap) canned peaches because it was raining and I didn’t feel like going to to the market. I reduced the sugar to one cup because the peaches were in a light syrup. The ice cream is good but using the cheap canned (green) peaches was a mistake. They do not have the flavor of fresh ripe peaches. Also it may have helped to reduce the vanilla because peaches have a milder flavor than coffee. I will be using this base recipe for strawberry also, fresh strawberries for sure.
Lynne says
Made this for my garden club’s ice cream social. Everyone was blown away with how good it was. A bit time consuming, but definitely worth it!
Jen Sobjack says
It’s so great that ice cream was enjoyed at the social event! Thanks for making my recipes!!
Walter says
Wonderful step by step recipe. I however don’t understand why I has to be consumed within 2 weeks? (it will not last 2 weeks, however 🙂 )
Thanks.
Jen Sobjack says
Because ice cream, especially custard-based, doesn’t keep very well past 2 weeks. They get icy, change texture, and/or pick up flavors from the freezer.
Jenn says
Amazingly delicious! Husband said it was the best coffee ice cream he’d ever had. Thanks!
Sherri Martin says
This is absolutely delicious! I doubled it for my large ice cream churn and made the custard a day ahead. I could have just eaten the custard by itself. It was that good. Good step-by-step instructions also. This recipe is a keeper.
Jen Sobjack says
Fantastic! It’s one of my favorites so I’m thrilled you enjoyed it as much as I do!
Michael says
I need to make this in a 4 quart ice cream maker for an ice cream social. Can you advise on what adjustments I would need to make to the recipe?
Jen Sobjack says
You can use a 4-quart ice cream maker without making any adjustments. If you are wanting to make 4 quarts of ice cream, just double the recipe.
Karen ODell says
YUM!! YUM!!
I did make 1 alteration – I used instant espresso powder instead of instant coffee. I also went up to 3 Tablespoons Espresso Powder instead of 2 Tablespoons.
Incredibly smooth, rich and tasty!! It was a bigger batch than my machine would handle, luckily I have a second churning container so I just divided it into 2 batches.
Thank You for the great recipe!!! I will definitely make this one again.
Stephanie M Lumbia says
This is the Bomb! Best Icecream ever! I added semi-sweet chips! Everyone loved it and wanted recipe or another bowl! Lol
I decreased sugar and omitted vanilla. Its packed with Flavor! I use Nescafe regular Instant coffee. I used raw milk and eggs. Delicious and super creamy!
Jen Sobjack says
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the ice cream so much!
Lauren G says
I followed the recipe and the ice cream turned out even better than I expected! So creamy and flavorful, the texture is great and the coffee flavor really comes through. Next time I will just put in a little less sugar. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Dannielle Fenwick says
Hi, I have made this ice cream twice now and both times the flavour is so delicious! However, the ice cream has been quite icey both times. I wondered if you had an idea of why it would be doing this? Thanks 🙂
Jen Sobjack says
This can be caused by a number of reasons. First, make sure you are cooking the custard portion long enough. It could take longer than the 5 minutes called for in the recipe for your custard to thicken properly. Second, make sure all the ingredients are as cold as possible before going into the ice cream maker. Finally, it could just be the ice cream maker you are using. Most domestic ice cream makers take a long time to freeze the ice cream and this long freezing time can cause ice crystals. There’s no way to prevent this unless you want to spend money on an expensive, high-end machine.
Craig says
I don’t understand yet why we use half the milk/cream to make custard and then add the other half of the milk/cream to the custard. That is, why don’t we use all the milk/cream to make the custard instead of only half?
By the way, great recipe !
Jen Sobjack says
You’d combine the milk and cream to make the custard if you were making a frozen custard. But, this is ice cream. The process for making each is different.