Your Complete Guide to Making Coffee Ice Cream at Home.

You’ve mastered your favorite at-home brewing
techniques, or at least you are getting there by now. There is a lot to learn
when it comes to making amazing coffee, but it just takes some time and
practice. The next step, naturally, is to master ice cream. Or at least
that’s how we see it. In our opinion, coffee ice cream is a very underrated
flavor. Coffee ice cream is sweet but not overwhelming. It gives you a rich
flavor with very little caffeine, and who doesn’t love dessert?

Take your ice cream cravings into your own hands by
making coffee ice cream at home. Pay attention to what coffee you like when
making coffee ice cream. Just like you want a quality espresso in a flat white,
you’re going to want quality, well-made coffee in your coffee ice cream. Start
with a fantastic cup of coffee, and the rest is going to come easy.

The following methods are great options, but feel
free to get creative with it once you understand the basics that go into making
ice cream.

Making it Without an Ice Cream Maker

Before you buy an ice cream maker, try making ice cream without one! It turns out just as tasty, just with a slightly different texture than when you have a machine. The following recipe is adapted from The Spruce Eats.

Ice Cream Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup hot water
2. 2 tbsp. instant espresso granules
3. 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
5. 2 cups heavy cream
6. A pinch of salt.

Method

1. Combined the water and espresso granules, and stir until dissolved.
2. Add the can-sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt.
3. Whisk until incorporated and put in the refrigerator to cool.
4. While that cools, beat the heavy cream with a mixer until it becomes whipped cream.
5. Take the first mixture out of the refrigerator, and add it to the homemade whipped cream. Do not over mix.
6. Place it into a bread pan and cover with plastic wrap.
7. Freeze it for at least 6 hours—but overnight is ideal.
8. Serve. It might help to run the scooper under hot water to make for an easier scoop. The ice cream might be a bit thicker, having not been in the machine, but it will still taste amazing!
9. Enjoy!

Some coffee brands have recipes on their websites that are specific to their blends, so be sure to scope those out based on your favorites. When that’s not an option, the above recipe is a great staple. Once you master basic coffee ice cream, be sure to have some fun with it! Incorporate some chocolate chips, Oreos, or caramel—you will not regret it. Different mix-ins or toppings could even bring the coffee to a cappuccino or mocha kind of level.

Making it With an Ice Cream Maker

You can use an ice cream maker if you have it! It will enhance the consistency, plus they are not hard to use overall. The following recipe is adapted from Food.com.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Heavy cream
2. 1/3 cup sugar
3. 1/2 cup milk
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 1/2 cup chilled brewed coffee. The most important thing about the coffee is that it is strong, so a dark roast may be ideal.

Method

1. Whisk together the heavy cream and sugar. Do so until it gets frothy.
2. Slowly add the milk, vanilla, and coffee.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Use that mixture in your ice cream maker as it instructs you to. Each ice cream maker will be different.
5. Enjoy!

Cuisinart has some create ice cream makers, and they are not too expensive. We recommend investing in one if you find yourself craving some homemade coffee a lot, and you don’t have to keep it to coffee flavor! Cuisinart is also featured on our list of 9 Best Cheap Coffee Grinders, so you know its a brand worth considering whenever you can. An alternative to the recipe above is to check out the collaboration between William Sonoma and Kona Coffee. William Sonoma offers an Ice Cream starter, which requires heavy cream and milk to prep it for the ice cream maker! The one we want to pay attention to is the coffee flavor that is offered.

Making Dairy-Free Coffee Ice Cream

It is pretty common nowadays to not consume dairy. Whether it be for health reasons or personal choice, there almost always needs to be an alternative option. Making ice cream without real heavy cream or milk can lead to flat, flavorless ice cream—unless you do it right. We have found a recipe that maintains consistency and flavor while catering to specific dietary needs. The following recipe is adapted from Minimalist Baker.

Ingredients

1. 2 13.5-ounce cans of quality full-fat coconut milk
2. 1/2 – 3/4 cup raw sugar
3. 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4. 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee. 

Method

1. Combine coconut milk, coffee, and raw sugar in a small saucepan.
2. Whisk over medium heat until well combined (about 5 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
4. Move to a bowl to be set in the fridge to cool, for at least 6 hours.
5. Prepare the ice cream with this mixture in your ice cream maker. Freeze overnight if you do not have an ice cream maker, but the ice cream maker does help with the consistency a lot in this case.
6. Enjoy!

The coconut milk is precisely a good option because of how the sweetness of it adds to the ice cream without being overwhelming like a sweetened milk alternative may be. Feel free to mess around with other milk alternatives.

How Much Caffeine Does Coffee Ice Cream Have?

We are not here to judge if you want to start your day with coffee ice cream, but it is more likely that you will end your day with it instead. When that is the case, it is essential to consider the caffeine intake. For some people, the time of day that you consume caffeine does not affect you. Others need to keep close tabs on caffeine content after 2 or 3 pm. When you compare some of the most popular brands of ice cream coffee, including some of the ones mentioned above, it should not be a concern! The range of caffeine in coffee ice cream is equivalent to the amount of caffeine in decaf coffee (which still is not zero) to the amount of caffeine in half of the cup of coffee. These amounts grow as you consume more ice cream, so keep in mind how much caffeine you should be consuming each day. You do not want to go overboard by accident!

Thanks for reading our complete guide to
making coffee ice cream! It might take some trial and error to get it as
good as the professional stuff, but it will be well worth making it in your own
home. Once you master ice cream coffee, we recommend making a nitro or cold
brew float! The ultimate coffee experience.

If you are looking for other ways to incorporate
coffee into your day, other than just straight coffee, consider trying
these 6 Coffee Cocktails You Need to Make
at Home. What other coffee recipes would you like to see from us?

Check out our Pinterest to see interactive videos
and keep the curiosity going! We’re continually sharing recipes and photos.
While you’re at it, check out your private Facebook group at Daily Coffee Talk. Swap more recipes and
technique tips with other coffee enthusiasts and professionals!

We’ll brew ya later! ☕️