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–+ servings

Brown Butter Ice Cream

5 | 3 reviews
I love infusing ice creams, and as brown butter's biggest fan (and ice cream's biggest fan), it's no surprise that I'm combining the two! Brown butter infuses an ice cream base with a golden, toasty, nutty flavor. Once you strain out the brown butter flecks, you're left with a smooth, golden ice cream that is the perfect landing zone for all of your favorite toppings.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Infusing & Churning Time 3 days
Servings: 1 quart container

Equipment

Ingredients

For the ice cream base
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar , 3.9 ounces / 110 grams, separated
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk , 12.7 ounces / 360 grams
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 12.7 ounces / 360 grams
For the infusion
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter , 4 ounces / 113 grams, see Note*

Instructions 

To prepare a day ahead:
  1. Place your KitchenAid Ice Cream Churner attachment in the back of the freezer to chill for 14-16 hours. (See Note**)
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar (55 grams) until the egg yolks are lightened to a pale yellow color and doubled in size.
  3. In a medium sauce pot, add the whole milk, heavy cream, and remaining 1/4 cup (55 grams) of sugar. Stir to combine and place over medium heat. Stirring often, let this heat up until foamy or until it reads 165°F with an instant-read thermometer.
  4. Reduce the heat to low and scoop a spoonful (about 1/4 cup) of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk it into the yolks to temper them. Do this three more times to heat up the yolks. Then pour the egg yolk mixture directly into the pot.
  5. Stirring constantly, increase the heat to medium-low and mix the custard until it can coat the back of a spoon and reads between 165-170°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  6. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a mesh sieve into a bowl. Set aside.
  7. Next, brown the butter. Place a small sauté pan over medium heat and add the 113 grams of butter. Let the butter melt. Stir constantly until the milk solids separate from the butter and begin to turn a golden brown at the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat.
  8. Working carefully, tilt the sauté pan and pour out the clear, yellow butter (the clarified butter) into a heat-safe storage container. You want to keep the brown bits of butter at the bottom of the pan, but remove as much clarified butter as possible.
  9. Once you have mostly the brown milk solids left in the pan, scrape this into the ice cream custard. Mix it in to combine. Store the clarified butter in the fridge to use as normal in your other cooking.
  10. To prevent a film from forming, directly place cling wrap on the surface of the ice cream mixture to seal it. Cover the mixture and store it in the fridge for 1-3 days to infuse.
When you are ready to churn the ice cream:
  1. When you are ready to churn, take the custard base out of the fridge. Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve into the churner. You should see a bunch of hardened butter bits caught in the strainer.
  2. Churn for 20-30 minutes or until the ice cream is thick and has the texture of a stiffer soft serve.
  3. At this point mix in any additional fillings (see the blog post for ideas!).
  4. Transfer the ice cream from the churner to your preferred container. I love plastic deli quart containers for this. Cover and freeze another 2-3 hours, then it is ready to scoop and serve.

Notes

Note*: If you also like a bit of saltiness in your ice cream, feel free to add 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of white miso with the butter as you brown it. Let this toast down with the milk solids and it will kick your brown butter flavor up a notch. 
Note**: This recipe can also be done with a traditional ice cream churner. See your churner's instructions for proper preparation.