If you love white chocolate, you'll love this white chocolate ice cream! With just 6 ingredients, it's a deliciously simple dessert for warm summer days. Use this is a base for fruity add-ins or keep it plain for a strong white chocolate flavour.
For some more white chocolate treats, try white chocolate truffles, easy white chocolate mousse, and macadamia nut cookies.
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Sugar: white sugar and cane sugar can be used interchangeably for this recipe.
- Add-ins: try adding a swirl raspberry or strawberry jam, fresh fruit pieces, or a compote for a fruity twist.
- Make it dairy-free: sub a good plant-based cream and vegan chocolate. You can also use 100% full-fat coconut milk (cream only) to replace both the milk and cream.
Method
Step 1: beat the eggs and sugar until lightened in colour. Slowly add the hot milk and cream mixture.
Step 2: cook the custard over a double boiler, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Step 3: pour the hot custard over chopped white chocolate and stir to combine.
Step 4: cool the custard fully before churning in an ice cream maker.
Step 5: once the ice cream has churned, scoop it into a freezer safe container to freeze fully. This will take longer than normal due to the white chocolate.
Step 6: once the ice cream is frozen through, scoop and serve.
Top Tips
- No need to thaw: the high fat content in the white chocolate makes this easily scoop-able straight from the freezer. You can thaw in the fridge for a few minutes beforehand, but you shouldn't need to.
- Chill fully: make sure your custard base is completely chilled before churning, as that same fat content does mean that the ice cream needs a little longer to freeze completely. Don't worry if it doesn't get as hard as usual during churning, it'll still be good once it does freeze fully.
- Use a good white chocolate: if you don't like how the chocolate tastes before turning it into ice cream, you won't like the ice cream, either. Try to choose one that isn't too waxy and melts nicely in the mouth.
Recipe Notes
If you cook the custard on too high a temperature and it curdles slightly, you can try to fix it by immediately setting the base of the saucepan into cold water and whisking rapidly. This won’t work if it’s scrambled, but will reduce small lumps enough to continue with the ice cream.
The white chocolate pieces may not melt fully, but that's fine! Then you get a handful of chocolate chunks in the mix. You can also add extra white chocolate pieces if you want it visible, but it can get a little waxy when frozen.
How to Store
White chocolate ice cream will keep for up to a month in a sealed container in the freezer.
FAQ
Is white chocolate ice cream the same as vanilla ice cream?
White chocolate ice cream has white chocolate mixed into the custard, so it has a fairly strong white chocolate flavour. Vanilla ice cream is simply vanilla custard that's frozen, with no added chocolate.
Is white chocolate just vanilla?
White chocolate isn't the same thing as vanilla, but it is often flavoured with vanilla. White chocolate doesn't contain any cocoa solids, so it's not actually chocolate at all, but it does contain cocoa butter, giving it a slight chocolate flavour.
Is white chocolate vegan?
White chocolate is typically not vegan, because it contains cream or milk solids in the mix. You can get vegan white chocolate - often made with coconut cream - but it does usually have a waxy texture.
More Ice Cream Recipes
If you make this White Chocolate Ice Cream recipe or any other ice cream recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
White Chocolate Ice Cream
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl must be heat-safe
- Whisk
- Small saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Ice cream maker
- Ice cream scoop
Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 teaspoons vanilla optional
- 7 oz. white chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the egg yolks and sugar to a heat-safe mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, until well mixed and lightened in colour. Set aside.
- Add the chopped chocolate to another heat-safe bowl and set aside.
- Pour the milk, cream, and vanilla into a saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until almost boiling (once it starts to bubble, turn off the heat).
- Slowly pour ¼ cup of the hot milk into the sugar mixture, stirring as you pour. This tempers the eggs, preventing curdling. Add the remaining milk in a low stream, stirring constantly, until fully incorporated.
- Pour the milk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. This should take about 10 minutes, and the custard is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- Pour the hot custard mixture over the chopped chocolate. Let it rest for 30 seconds before stirring to incorporate.
- To quickly cool the custard, pour it into a heat-safe bowl and place it into an ice bath, stirring to speed cooling even more. It should come to room temperature in a few minutes. Alternatively, cover and set aside to cool.
- Once the custard has cooled, cover and place it into the refrigerator to chill for about two hours. Once chilled, it should be thickened and cold to the touch.
- Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Once the ice cream has churned, scoop it into a freezer safe container to freeze fully. This will take longer than normal due to the white chocolate.
- Once the ice cream is frozen through, scoop and serve. It will keep for up to a month in a sealed container in the freezer.