Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

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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.

Homemade coffee ice cream being scooped out of a loaf pan into a white bowl.

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.

Creamy coffee ice cream in an ice cream scoop set over a pan of ice cream.

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.

milk and coffee in a pot
tempering egg yolks with coffee mixture

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.

coffee custard in a fine mesh sieve
coffee custard covered with plastic wrap

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.

heavy cream added to coffee custard
homemade coffee ice cream in an ice cream machine
Close up of the best coffee flavored ice cream in an ice cream scoop.

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.

Coffee ice cream in a scoop set over a loaf pan.

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.
Overhead view of homemade ice cream flavored with coffee in a loaf pan with an ice cream scoop.
Homemade coffee ice cream being scooped out of a loaf pan into a white bowl.
4.54 from 320 votes

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!
Prep Time :25 minutes
Cook Time :10 minutes
Total Time :35 minutes
Servings :5
Author :Jen Sobjack

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups (600 ml) whole milk
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons instant decaffeinated coffee granules
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 ¼ cups (540 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 ½ 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. 

Video

Notes

  • Double the recipe for a larger batch.
  • Caffeinated coffee can be used if desired.
  • ½ cup of regular, strong brewed coffee can be used instead of instant coffee granules. Omit ½ cup of the milk.
Makes 5 cups of ice cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 748kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 11gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 369mgSodium: 145mgPotassium: 382mgSugar: 69gVitamin A: 2083IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 252mgIron: 1mg
*Nutrition Disclaimer
Course :Dessert
Cuisine :American
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Recipe Rating




136 Comments

  1. Eleanor A Connolly says:

    Can I use 2% milk instead of whole milk?

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      That should be fine.

  2. Jessica Singh says:

    A quick couple of questions. This recipe looks awesome btw! I know you addressed why you did not heat up the heavy cream with the milk in a previous comments, but I have an additional question. In the past I have whipped the sugar with the eggs? Do you think that would work?

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      I’ve not made the recipe this way. But that is a pretty common technique when making custard so I imagine it would be fine to do.

  3. Nancy Orman says:

    I made this icecream about a dozen times allowing because everyone in my family just loves it but I use hazelnut coffee instead of regular coffee it tastes so much better

  4. Phyllis Hughes says:

    Hi, is double cream ok as we in uk have single double or thick whipped cream thanks

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      Yes, double cream is the same as American heavy cream.

      1. Victoria Pulcini says:

        Hi Jen, i need help with this. When i was making it after i took it off the stove, it was all chunky. What happened? Did i leave it on too long?

      2. Jen Sobjack says:

        It sounds like the eggs scrambled. This can happen when not tempered correctly or left unattended while cooking. Cook it just until thickened while stirring frequently. Any bits of scrambled egg will be strained out in step 3.

      3. Victoria Pulcini says:

        Okay i was thinking i may have left it too long because it looked too thin. Thank you for replying back. I was not sure what happened. I will take it off the heat earlier then what i had it on for.

  5. 5 stars
    Love this recipe! I have only made coffee flavor with out the egg before trying this one and i will never again make it with out the egg! It’s so creamy and smooth! The texture is perfect!

  6. hey so is it alright if i sub my milk for the heavy cream?

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      I don’t recommend it.

  7. 4 stars
    Made this today: I did add 1/4 cup espresso Vodka to intensify the coffee flavor or if you don’t do alcohol, add another tablespoon instant espresso granules. The added bonus with the vodka is that your base shouldn’t get “rockhard” once frozen in the freezer – meaning, the vodka helps with scoop-ability. And no, I couldn’t detect the “boozy” in this mix mostly because I used a very good quality vodka brand (Three Olives).

  8. I made this today. It’s the best coffee ice cream I’ve ever had. I added a little more coffee and also heath bar bits at the end. It was truly amazing.

  9. Lisa Stephanos says:

    I’m about to make the base now but I would like to add heath bar bits to it. What step would I add in the bits? During churning?

    1. Jen Sobjack says:

      Add the bits during churning.

    2. @Jen Sobjack, I found out it is better to stir it in after churning. I made coconut ice cream and added coconut shavings during churning which made the ice cream machine blades jam up. I would add anything chunky, even small bits, after churning.

  10. I’m just about to make a batch of what has become our favourite ice-cream. My husband, who doesn’t like desserts, requests this about once a month, and I gladly do so! I use 1/2 t of vanilla extract rather than vanilla bean, and put grated baker’s chocolate into it as well. I like to have this with freeze-dried strawberries and plain granola sprinkled on top. YUM.