This boozy ice cream could easily be called espresso martini ice cream. It’s coffee flavoured ice cream with alcohol included. Featuring Baileys, coffee liqueur and vodka, it’s pure joy.
Short on time? Go for a boozy affogato dessert.
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I’m rather in love with this boozy ice cream recipe. It’s a blend of one of my favourite cocktail creations, my Baileys espresso martini, with rich coffee flavoured ice cream.
Think about robust, creamy, dreamy homemade coffee ice cream laced with a touch of coffee liqueur, vanilla vodka and plenty of Baileys Irish Cream. Yes, the result is spectacular.
I’m fond of calling this coffee ice cream with alcohol espresso martini ice cream. Whatever you call it, I’m sure you will enjoy this homemade ice cream immensely.
Not keen on boozy ice cream? Give my salted caramel ice cream or dark chocolate ice cream a whirl. Both are fully loaded with flavour.
Why you’ll love this ice cream
- Taste – there is no mistaking the flavour. The coffee flavour is strong and the alcohol content is easy to spot.
- Texture – as it’s a custard-based recipe, the ice cream is creamy and smooth.
- Scoopable – as this boozy ice cream contains a generous level of alcohol it is scoopable straight from the freezer.
- Different – you can try to find Baileys espresso martini ice cream in the supermarket, but it’s not a flavour you’ll come across often. Making your own means you’ll wow anybody who is lucky enough to taste it.
Ingredients notes
Coffee – I have created this recipe using ground coffee. If you are able to grind whole coffee beans freshly for this recipe all the better.
Alcohol – for this ice cream with alcohol you’ll need Baileys Irish Cream, vanilla vodka (I used Absolut) and coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua).
Sugar – use light brown sugar to add depth of flavour and introduce notes of delicious caramel to this homemade coffee ice cream.
Egg yolks – these are required to enable the custard base to thicken but they also help create a luxuriously smooth and creamy ice cream.
Equipment notes
Ideally, use an ice cream churner when making your ice cream. I have a Magimix Glacier 1.5litre machine that serves me well. I’m not sure it’s still in production, but Andrew James make a similar one.
If you do not have an ice cream churner then you can still make this recipe but you will need a large freezer-proof bowl and a pair of electric beaters.
Step by step instructions
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
There are 2 stages to making this ice cream:
- Make the custard base.
- Churn it to make ice cream.
I provide instructions for churning in an ice cream maker and, at the end of this section, there are also instructions for churning it without a machine (by hand).
Step 1. Put the milk, sugar, salt and ground coffee into a pan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Do not let it boil.
Remove from the heat and leave everything to infuse for 1 hour.
Step 2. Strain the coffee-infused milk through a nut bag or a fine-meshed sieve. Reheat in a clean pan.
Whisk the egg yolk until pale and thick then pour the warmed coffee milk over, whisking as you do so.
Step 3. Cook the custard base over low heat, stirring continuously, until thickened. Transfer it to a heat-proof bowl and lay a piece of food wrap directly over the top of the custard. Leave for 60 minutes.
Step 4. Stir in the cream, vodka, coffee liqueur and Baileys. Cover and chill the custard for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
Step 5. Transfer the custard base into the ice cream churner and churn until thick and frozen.
Step 6. Scoop the ice cream into a freezer-proof container and put it in the freezer to firm up for at least 6 hours. Cover with parchment after 2 hours to prevent freezer burn.
How to churn this boozy ice cream without an ice cream machine.
- Pour the custard base into a large freezer-proof bowl, cover it and put it in the freezer for 1-1½ hours. The centre will be soft and slushy but the edges should be beginning to freeze.
- Use electric beaters to beat the ice cream until the ice crystals are uniform (2-3 minutes). Cover again and place it back in the freezer.
- Repeat this process 6-8 more times at ¾ – 1-hour intervals. The more times you can repeat this process, the better your ice cream will be.
- Once fully churned transfer your espresso martini ice cream to a freezer-proof container and freeze for several more hours until firm. Cover with parchment to prevent freezer burn.
Top Tip: Do not wait until the point of churning to add the alcohol unless it has also been stored in the fridge. Room-temperature alcohol will increase the temperature of the custard base, making it more difficult to freeze fully.
Expert tips
- If you are churning your ice cream by hand it’s wise to start first thing in the morning and set a timer to remind yourself to churn every hour until it is ready.
- When churning by hand avoid leaving the ice cream too long between churns otherwise it will become icy.
- If churning in a machine keep it running until the ice cream reaches a relatively firm soft scoop stage.
- This homemade ice cream is best eaten within 2 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
I recommend using freshly ground coffee, if possible, but I have also tested this recipe using instant coffee. You’ll need either 3 tablespoons of ground coffee or 2 tablespoons of instant coffee.
I do not recommend adding more alcohol. The recipe already contains plenty and produces a firm ice cream that is scoopable straight from the freezer. As alcohol lowers the freezing point of the custard base, if too much is added the ice cream will not freeze properly.
There are several reasons why homemade ice cream with alcohol fails to set. Either (1) the custard base was insufficiently chilled before it was added to the ice cream churner, (2) too much alcohol was added, (3) the bowl of the ice cream churner was not fully frozen or (4) there was too much custard base for the size of the machine.
If you suspect reason 1 or 3 then return your custard base to the fridge then clean the churner bow and refreeze it for 24 hours (or as long as the instruction manual recommends). Then proceed to rechurn the ice cream.
If too much alcohol was added then make a little more of the custard base (without adding further alcohol) and mix it in. Ensure that your ice cream maker can handle the volume of liquid you pour into it.
If the volume of custard is too much for your machine to handle you may be better attempting to rechurn it by hand. (Then remember to make slightly less next time).
Serving suggestions
If you’re wondering what to serve with your espresso martini ice cream then how about a Baileys espresso martini to satisfy a thirst? My coffee cookies are a great option if you want to add an extra element to your boozy ice cream dessert.
More boozy ice cream recipes to try
Have you made this boozy ice cream recipe? Please give the recipe a rating or leave a comment – I love to hear how you get along with my creations.
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📖 Recipe
Boozy Ice Cream – Coffee Flavoured Ice Cream with Alcohol
Equipment
- Ice cream churner or a large freezer-proof bowl and electric beaters
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Ground coffee or 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 250 ml Whole milk
- 100 g Light brown sugar
- 4 Egg yolks Large, free-range
- 250 ml Double cream 48% fat content
- 100 ml Baileys Irish Cream
- 40 ml Coffee liqueur such as Kahlua
- 20 ml Vanilla vodka
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
Make the custard base
- Put the milk, sugar, salt and ground coffee into a pan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon and do not let it boil. When the sugar has dissolved remove the pan from the heat and leave everything to infuse for 1 hour.3 tablespoons Ground coffee, 250 ml Whole milk, 100 g Light brown sugar, Pinch sea salt
- Strain the coffee-infused milk through a nut bag or some muslin cloth. You can use a fine-meshed sieve but some of the ground coffee may seep through. Reheat the coffee-infused milk in a clean pan.
- Use electric beaters to whisk the egg yolks until pale and thick (2-3 minutes) then pour the warmed coffee milk over, stirring as you do so.4 Egg yolks
- Cook the custard base over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until it has thickened sufficiently to coat the back of the spoon. Transfer it to a heat-proof bowl and lay a piece of food wrap directly over the top of the custard. Leave to cool for 60 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, vodka, coffee liqueur and Baileys. Cover and chill the custard for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).250 ml Double cream, 100 ml Baileys Irish Cream, 40 ml Coffee liqueur, 20 ml Vanilla vodka
Churning in a machine
- Ensure that your ice cream churner is prepared as per manufacturer instructions. In some cases (mine included) the bowl of the ice cream machine must be put in the freezer for 24 hours prior to churning.
- When ready to churn give the custard base a stir then pour it into the ice cream churner and churn until thick and frozen (around 20-30 minutes).
- Scoop the ice cream into a freezer-proof container and put it in the freezer to firm up for at least 6 hours. Cover with parchment after 3 hours to prevent freezer burn.
Churning by hand
- Pour the custard base into a large freezer-proof bowl, cover it and put it in the freezer for 1-1½ hours. The centre will be soft and slushy but the edges should be beginning to freeze. Use electric beaters to beat the ice cream until the ice crystals are uniform (2-3 minutes). Cover again and place it back in the freezer.
- Repeat this process 6-8 more times at ¾ – 1-hour intervals. The more times you can repeat this process, the better your ice cream will be.
- When your ice cream is thick and smooth it is fully churned. You can now transfer it to a freezer-proof container and freeze for several more hours until firm. Cover with parchment to prevent freezer burn.
Notes
- Do not wait until the point of churning to add the alcohol unless it has also been stored in the fridge. Room temperature alcohol will increase the temperature of the custard base, making it more difficult to freeze fully.
- If you are churning your ice cream by hand it’s wise to start first thing in the morning and set a timer to remind yourself to churn every hour until it is ready.
- When churning by hand avoid leaving the ice cream too long between churns otherwise it will become icy.
- If churning in a machine keep it running until the ice cream reaches a relatively firm soft scoop stage.
- This homemade coffee flavoured ice cream is best eaten within 2 weeks.
- I do not recommend adding more alcohol. The recipe already contains plenty and produces a firm ice cream that is scoopable straight from the freezer. As alcohol lowers the freezing point of the custard base, if too much is added the ice cream will not freeze properly.
- The custard base was insufficiently chilled before it was added to the ice cream churner.
- Too much alcohol was added.
- The bowl of the ice cream churner was not fully frozen.
- There was too much custard base for the size of the machine.
Jane Coupland
I have enjoyed ctreating this recipe for you and I hope that you thoroughly enjoy it. Please reach out if you have any questions about it.