29 ice cream maker recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can you over mix ice cream in ice cream maker? ›

Many people over mix the ice cream, attempting to freeze it and get it super-chilled right in the machine. This is a big "don't," as overmixing will cause the ice cream to turn, well, icy. "Ice cream's optimal texture doesn't happen in the machine—it happens in the freezer," says Perry.

Adding thickening agents, such as egg yolks, cornstarch, gelatin, tapioca starch, or even Junket tablets, enhances the texture and elevates the overall ice cream experience. Remember, making homemade ice cream is as much an art as it is a science.

To ensure your homemade ice cream will come out creamy, use heavy cream, half-and-half or milk with a higher percentage milk fat, such as whole milk. If the ice cream is made with a lower percentage milk fat, it has the potential to become icy.

Sugar: it's more than just a sweetener

Similarly, too little sugar in ice cream can make it rock hard.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically 20 to 30 minutes. The ice cream will be soft after churning. For firmer ice cream, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours before serving. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.

Most home ice cream recipes call for simple table sugar, which is chemically known as sucrose. But in pro kitchens you have more options. Liquid sugars like invert sugar, corn syrup, honey, and glucose syrup all add body, creaminess, and stability to ice cream, and a little goes a long way.

All ice cream have the same basic parts: ice crystals, air, fat, sweeteners, and other solids. Size of the ice crystals determines how smooth the texture of the ice cream will be. Larger crystals make a grainy texture, while smaller ice crystals create a smooth texture.

At the very least, chilling your base ensures it'll churn into ice cream as fast as possible, which translates into small ice crystals for creamier ice cream. Chilling your base also gives you the added advantage of tasting it in close-to-final form, so you can make final flavor adjustments.

Sugar, corn syrup or honey, as well as gelatin and commercial stabilizers, can all keep your ice cream at a softer consistency. Ice cream also stays softer when you store it in a shallow container, rather than a deep tub, and cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap to keep ice crystals from forming.

Chill Your Base Well

The initial mixture should be very cold before it hits the ice-cream machine; ideally, you'll want to refrigerate it overnight. It'll need less churning time this way, and that will keep ice crystals from snowballing.

What does corn syrup do in ice cream? ›

While corn syrup helps bind more water and keep it from freezing in ice cream, its most common purpose in sweets is to inhibit the formation of sugar crystals—pure sucrose will crystallize, but adding another form of sugar, in this case glucose, will slow down the formation of crystals.

Don't worry too much if you don't have whole milk or heavy cream. Nearly any milk will work, and you can substitute half-and-half for the cream. Ideally you want ingredients with a high fat content because these will create a creamy texture when cooled.

You know your ice cream is done churning when it gets to the consistency of soft-serve. It'll set up the rest of the way once it's in the freezer.

Oftentimes 30 minutes are enough, but you can easily check by removing the canister lid and testing the hardness of the ice cream with a spoon.

Although you won't necessarily see it with the naked eye, the longer your ice cream churns, the more icy it becomes. This ruins the overall mouthfeel of the ice cream, making it more watery than creamy overall.

I have been successful twice at making two batches in a row. But I worked quickly. I had both batches mixed and cold in the fridge. As soon as the first batch was soft serve consistency I put it in a container and into the freezer and quickly put the second batch in without cleaning the freezer bowl.

And it's caused by large ice crystals forming in the mixture as it freezes. Large ice crystals are usually the result of either too much water in the mix or excessively long freezing time. Or often both, since lots of water means the mixture will also take longer to freeze.