Description
This Homemade Salted Caramel Ice Cream is a rich and creamy dessert featuring a deep amber caramel sauce blended into a smooth custard base. Made with simple, high-quality ingredients and churned to perfection, this ice cream offers the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors, ideal for enjoying a decadent frozen treat at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
Ice Cream Base
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Caramel Sauce: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar while stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula until it turns a deep amber color. Add the butter and sea salt, stirring until the butter melts and is fully incorporated. Carefully pour in 1 cup of the heavy cream—the mixture will bubble vigorously—then stir until smooth. Remove the saucepan from heat and set aside.
- Warm the Milk and Cream: In a separate saucepan, warm the milk and the remaining 1 cup heavy cream over medium heat until just steaming but not boiling.
- Temper the Egg Yolks: In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly to temper them and prevent curdling.
- Cook the Custard: Gradually whisk the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the milk and cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches about 170–175°F on a thermometer.
- Combine Custard and Caramel: Remove the custard from heat and stir in the prepared caramel sauce and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Strain and Chill: Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Chill the custard in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight until fully cooled.
- Churn the Ice Cream: Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
- Freeze Until Firm: Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 hours to allow it to firm up before serving.
Notes
- For a deeper flavor, substitute dark brown sugar for granulated sugar when making the caramel.
- Add a swirl of extra salted caramel sauce when transferring the ice cream to the freezer container to create a ripple effect.
- Ensure the custard does not boil while cooking to prevent curdling.
- Chilling the custard thoroughly before churning improves the texture of the ice cream.
