Calling all coffee lovers! This cool & creamy homemade coffee ice cream recipe is the stuff of dreams. Be warned, like coffee it can be addicting.
This was inspired by my love of coffee & ice cream. My kids are starting to like coffee flavored things so it was a natural progression to create this recipe. It's so easy & tastes better than anything store-bought - you need to make this today to find out for yourself.
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The Why
Why do I need to make this recipe? Here are all the reasons why I cannot get enough of this recipe & why you will love it too.
- Easy 5 minute prep - no cooking or making a custard.
- Make the coffee flavor as subtle or as strong as you like.
- Can use regular or decaf instant coffee.
- It's creamy, rich, & decadent.
- Great summer dessert on a cone, in a bowl, or for milkshakes.
This was inspired by my love for cold coffee drinks like my recipe for Mint Mojito Iced Coffee on this site. Ok, let get to churning some ice cream!
Ingredients
Here are the everyday simple ingredients needed. It starts with a basic vanilla ice cream base (not a custard that needs cooking with eggs). It has real dairy & sugar - for a low-carb version try my Keto Mason Jar Ice Cream recipe.
This bold flavored ice cream has all the taste of coffee without the buzz. I use decaf instant coffee crystals so you can have it as an evening treat without staying up all night.
Here are the ingredients needed to make this coffee ice cream recipe.
- Heavy Cream - for richness & amazing creamy texture.
- Whole Milk - do not use low-fat or fat-free, you want the ice cream to be thick.
- Sugar - sweetens the base.
- Instant Coffee Crystals - decaf espresso or regular coffee will work (espresso instant powder also works as a substitute)
- Vanilla Extract - classic ice cream flavor.
- Salt - to cut the bitterness of the coffee.
See the recipe card for quantities & substitutions/variations.
How to Make Coffee Ice Cream
I am using a Cuisinart 1.5quart maker so it is fluffy & airy thanks to the churning. If you have tried any of my other ice cream recipes, like Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream , you know I love this machine & have been using it for decades.
*** Ensure your ice cream maker will be ready to freeze the mixture in about an hour. This usually means the insert should be in the freezer the night before. ***
Here are the easy steps for making homemade coffee ice cream in an ice cream maker.
- Mix & Chill the Base
- Churn the Ice Cream
- Freeze & Serve
See the recipe card for full instructions.
1 - Mix & Chill the Base
If your freezer insert is properly chilled or you have an ice cream maker with a compressor, it is time to begin mixing.
In a bowl whisk together all the ice cream ingredients. The instant coffee crystals should be mostly dissolved (a few dark bits is ok)
Place the bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes. Whisk again and chill another 10 minutes - the colder the ice cream base the better!
2 - Churn the Ice Cream
Assemble your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions. Once it is ready to go, grab the bowl from the freezer and give it one final stir or whisk.
Pour the coffee ice cream base slowly into the moving ice cream maker. Let it churn according to your machine's manual.
Once it is thick, fluffy, & creamy it is ready. My machine takes about 15 minutes but it can take up to 30 minutes.
3 - Freeze & Serve
Once it is ready, time to get it in the freezer so it can set more. I am using a 5x7.5x2.5'' container that holds 50oz or 1.5ml. You want something that holds at least 1.5 quarts.
Scoop out the coffee ice cream into a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid.
Place the ice cream in the freezer for 4-6 hours to set. This allows it to become more solid & be easy to scoop.
Serving Suggestions
Once the ice cream is to your liking, time to scoop & enjoy. It is great in a bowl, on a sugar or waffle cone, or blend with more coffee for frappe or milkshake.
Hint: I find that 4 hours in the freezer yields a soft-serve texture that is still scoopable - see above. 6 solid hours is typically ready to hold up on a cone.
Top Tips & Equipment
All of these great tips are shared in the recipe card. But these are so good and important they are worth highlighting so you don't miss them.
- Plan ahead - make sure your ice cream insert is frozen solid & ready to go.
- Use instant coffee & whisk until the crystals are mostly dissolved.
- DO NOT substitute whole milk and heavy cream with any low-fat, non-fat, or non-dairy milks.
- Always chill the base in the freezer for 30 minutes so it is very cold before adding to the machine.
- I made this recipe in a Cuisinart 1.5quart maker, so use one that can hold at least that much.
- Freeze for 4-6 hours to get a better texture & consistency for serving.
- Store in reusable ice cream containers with tight-fitting lids that can hold at least 1.5 quarts.
Final Notes & Behind the Scenes
Here is my recipe for success - including what I learned, funny stories or bloopers, and more from creating & testing this recipe.
- All ingredients are easy to find & likely in your refrigerator or pantry already.
- Can make it decaf by using decaf instant coffee crystals- many have coffee extract like Baskin Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge which may have caffeine.
- This recipe calls for more cream than milk so it is a bit richer & thicker than gelato. It will be pretty solid after freezing overnight so let it sit out for about 5 minutes before scooping.
- The first time I made this I used regular instant coffee crystals! Oh boy was that a mistake - I was up all night & sure learned that decaf was the way to go from now on for me personally.
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Coffee Ice Cream
Equipment
- ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant coffee crystals or instant espresso
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- IMPORTANT: Make sure the ice cream maker insert has been in the freezer overnight to be solid and ready to use.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the cream, milk, vanilla, & sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the coffee crystals & the salt. Whisk briskly for 2 minutes to be sure it is completely incorporated into the cream mixture.
- Put the bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes. Whisk and put it back in for another 10 minutes. You want the mixture to be VERY cold before adding it to your ice cream maker. Otherwise it brings down the temperature of the frozen insert.
- Once the mixture is cold, whisk it again to bring all the ingredients back together - some crystals may have settled to the bottom.
- Assemble your ice cream maker and place the frozen insert into position. Slowly add the coffee ice cream mixture into the ice cream maker while it is running.
- Churn according to the manufacture's instructions & timing. Typically this is between 15-30 minutes. My Cuisinart takes about 15 minutes for 1.5 quarts of ice cream.
- Once done, transfer ice cream to a container with a tight-fitting lid. I am using a 5x7.5x2.5'' container that holds 50oz or 1.5ml. You want something that holds at least 1.5 quarts.
- Place the ice cream in the freezer for 4-6 hours. Once it is solid and scoopable it is ready to enjoy. ENJOY!
Notes
- Plan 1-2 days ahead of time if you need to freeze the insert.
- ALWAYS chill the mixture before adding to the machine.
- Instead of instant coffee, use an alternate like coffee extract which does have caffeine.
- DO NOT use low-fat or non-fat dairy, only full fat ingredients for best flavor & texture.
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