Rich and creamy homemade salted caramel ice cream, sweetened with caramel, flavored with bourbon and vanilla, and slowly churned. The flavor of this ice cream is fantastic, and you can use either homemade salted caramel sauce, or buy a jar ready made. And if you don’t have an ice cream maker, not to worry. I’ve also included alternate instructions to make equally luscious no churn caramel ice cream. You’ll love this delicious caramel ice cream recipe!
You might also love this vanilla caramel cake, caramel stuffed chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate caramel tart.
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Ingredients
- Salted Caramel Sauce. The caramel sauce sweetens the ice cream and adds a rich, buttery caramel flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream + Whole Milk. Ice cream needs fat, and a combination of heavy whipping cream and whole milk gives homemade ice cream the richness it needs for a smooth, creamy texture.
- Dark Brown Sugar. Sweetness, and a hint of molasses.
- Egg Yolks. Egg yolks add fat, richness and body, and help to thicken the custard.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Vanilla + Bourbon. Adds flavor, while the alcohol in the bourbon helps keep the ice cream creamy, rather than icy.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Instructions
- In a saucepan, whisk together 1 cup of the cream with the milk, brown sugar, egg yolks and salt.
- Over medium heat, cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick enough to coat a spoon, but don’t let it come to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the caramel sauce, vanilla and bourbon.
- Pour the custard through a mesh strainer (to remover any bits of cooked egg) into a bowl; cover the bowl with plastic wrap resting right against the surface of the custard and refrigerate until well chilled, preferably overnight.
- Whip the remaining cup of cream until soft peaks form, and fold into the chilled custard. Churn the custard in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then transfer to a container and freeze until firm, about 6-8 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I make caramel ice cream with store bought or homemade caramel sauce?
You can make your ice cream with homemade or store bought caramel sauce. When making homemade salted caramel sauce, you can control how dark you cook the sugar, extracting as much rich flavor as you can. Some inexpensive caramel toppings will taste bland and overly sweet, so get a good-quality jar of caramel sauce or even dulce de leche.
Will this ice cream recipe work with less cream?
The ratio of cream to milk is necessary for a smooth, creamy ice cream. If you reduce the fat in ice cream, you’ll have more of an ice milk that doesn’t have a luxurious texture and flavor.
How long should I churn the ice cream in my ice cream maker?
This will depend on the ice cream maker you’re using. Every brand is different, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your ice cream maker. I use the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment, and it takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes to churn a batch of ice cream.
How do I make no churn caramel ice cream?
In my recipe card, I’ve included alternate ingredients and instructions for a no churn version of salted caramel ice cream.
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Salted Caramel Ice Cream
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Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
Traditional Churned Caramel Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 cup caramel sauce or dulce de leche, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract,
- 1 tbsp good quality bourbon or whiskey
No Churn Caramel Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup salted caramel sauce, divided
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp good-quality bourbon, optional
Instructions
Traditional Churned Caramel Ice Cream
- In a saucepan, whisk together 1 cup of the cream with the milk, brown sugar, egg yolks and salt.
- Over medium heat, cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thick enough to coat a spoon, but don't let it come to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the caramel sauce, vanilla and bourbon.
- Pour the custard through a mesh strainer (to remover any bits of cooked egg) into a bowl; cover the bowl with plastic wrap resting right against the surface of the custard and refrigerate until well chilled, preferably overnight.
- Whip the remaining cup of cream until soft peaks form, and fold into the chilled custard. Churn the custard in your ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then transfer to a container and freeze until firm, about 6-8 hours.
- Optional: If you like, swirl in extra caramel sauce when you fill your ice cream containers with the churned ice cream.
No Churn Caramel Ice Cream
- Use an electric mixer to whip the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form that hold their shape. Set aside while you combine the remaining ingredients.
- In a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce, salt, vanilla and bourbon.Fold in 1/3 of the whipped cream to loosen up the milk and caramel mixture, then fold in the rest of the whipped cream.
- Spread 1/3 of the ice cream into your ice cream container/s, then drizzle with 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce. Add another layer of ice cream and caramel, then one more layer of ice cream and caramel. Gently swirl the caramel in with a knife.
- Freeze until firm, about 6-8 hours.
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