Name: Espresso Ice Cream
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes, plus 24 hours to freeze
Yield: 2-4 servings
Ingredients: For the ice cream base:; 1 cup heavy cream; ½ cup whole milk; 2 Tbsp. cream cheese, room temperature; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 2 large egg yolks; Pinch of fine sea salt; For the espresso brittle (optional):; ½ cup granulated sugar; 2 Tbsp. water; Pinch of fine sea salt; For the affogato moment (optional):; 1 shot of fresh espresso per serving (or ¼ cup strong brewed coffee)

Home | Recipes | Espresso Ice Cream

Espresso Ice Cream

Recipe by Savory Spice Test Kitchen

Sweet Treats

A five-minute espresso bloom with espresso brittle shards and a tableside affogato pour creates a sweet-and-savory dessert moment. Make it in a single-spin Ninja Creami or traditional ice cream maker.

Jump to Recipe

Serves 2-4 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cooking Time 10 minutes, plus 24 hours to freeze

Email Share

Ingredients

For the ice cream base: 1 cup heavy cream ½ cup whole milk 2 Tbsp. cream cheese, room temperature 1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. Pure Espresso Powder

2 large egg yolks

1½ tsp. Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract

Pinch of fine sea salt For the espresso brittle (optional): ½ cup granulated sugar 2 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. Pure Espresso Powder

Pinch of fine sea salt For the affogato moment (optional): 1 shot of fresh espresso per serving (or ¼ cup strong brewed coffee)

Directions

Step 1 Bloom the espresso. In a small pot, warm ¼ cup of the heavy cream over medium-low heat until it just steams (about 130 to 150 degrees — do not simmer). Remove from heat, whisk in 2 Tbsp. Pure Espresso Powder until smooth. Cover and let stand 5 to 10 min.

Step 2 Return the pot to medium-low heat. Add the remaining 1¾ cup heavy cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, cream cheese, and pinch of salt. Whisk until the cream cheese fully dissolves and no streaks remain. Heat to a bare steam.

Step 3 Temper the egg yolks. In a small bowl, whisk the 2 egg yolks. Slowly drizzle in about ½ cup of the warm base while whisking constantly. Pour the tempered yolks back into the pot. Cook on medium-low, stirring with a silicone spatula in figure-eights, until the base reaches 165 degrees and lightly coats the back of the spatula, about 2 min. Do not boil.

Step 4 Strain and freeze. Strain the base through a fine-mesh sieve directly into a Ninja Creami pint. Stir in the 1½ tsp. Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract. Cool to room temperature, snap on the lid, and freeze flat for at least 24 hours.

Step 5 Spin. Run on the ICE CREAM setting. The texture comes out perfect with one spin — glossy and scoopable. Scoop and serve, or hold in the freezer until ready to plate.

Step 6 Make the espresso brittle (optional). Combine ½ cup granulated sugar and 2 Tbsp. water in a small pot. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring until the syrup turns a deep amber. Remove from heat, whisk in 1 Tbsp. Pure Espresso Powder and a pinch of fine sea salt. Pour onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and tilt to spread thin. Cool 15 min. until rock hard, then crack into 2 to 3-inch shards.

Step 7 Scoop the ice cream into a low glass tumbler. Stand 2 to 3 espresso brittle shards vertically into the scoop. Pour 1 fresh shot of espresso over and serve.

Recipe Notes

Cream cheese is the secret to a scoopable, glossy single-spin Creami texture. Use full-fat block cream cheese. Traditional ice cream maker (1 quart, French custard style): Scale to 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, ¼ tsp. salt, 5 egg yolks, 3 Tbsp. Pure Espresso Powder, and 1 Tbsp. Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract. Cook the custard to 175 degrees, strain into an ice bath, refrigerate overnight (8 hours minimum), then churn 20 to 25 min.

Plant-based ice cream: Replace the dairy with 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk + ½ cup barista-blend oat milk + 1 Tbsp. vegan cream cheese in place of the dairy cream cheese. Omit the egg yolks and whisk 1/8 tsp. guar gum into the bloomed espresso.