Salted Honey Ice Cream combines mellow sweetness with a subtle twang of salt. It can be scooped straight from the freezer and it is exceptionally creamy. Chilly bliss.
Just in case you’ve any doubt about the season, I’m coming at you with another ice cream recipe. Salted Honey ice cream is a spin-off from a cake I shared earlier this year, which was ludicrously well received – remember my Cinnamon Chocolate Cake with Salted Honey Buttercream?
I was thinking about that cake in the heat wave a couple of weeks ago – when it was too stifling to move, let alone bake. Being ever so slightly food minded and far too hot, I started wondering what would happen if I took that buttercream flavour pairing and ran it through an ice cream maker.
And Salted Honey Ice Cream was born.
This ice cream is made using just 6 ingredients and the result is one of the creamiest, most sublime flavour combinations I’ve come across in ice cream form. Ever. The honey lends a mellow sweetness to the ice cream and duets perfectly with the subtle twang of salt. Chilly bliss.
Until I made Salted Honey Ice Cream, there were two contenders for my all-time favourite ice cream flavour:
- Mint Choc Chip (what can I say – I’m a true 1970’s child)
- Salted Caramel
But these two flavours are no longer top dog. They have been firmly ejected from the top spot. Salted Honey Ice Cream is my new best friend in frozen form.
Before we go further, I feel obliged to warn you that this frozen treat is a dangerous friend to make. My recipe replaces all white sugar with honey. Honey – classified as liquid sugar – does several things to ice cream:
- It gives a little extra body and creaminess to the ice cream
- It also lowers the freezing point of ice cream, so the mix doesn’t freeze rock solid
Alarm bells should now be ringing in your head. That’s creamy, scoopable ice cream direct from the freezer. No waiting for it to soften.
I smell danger.
Assuming you are exactly like me and can manage to never accidentally slide a spoon into the tub each and every time you reach into the freezer for the frozen peas, then I have a few serving suggestions. Although Salted Honey Ice Cream is a delight to eat on it’s own I can recommend the following:
- Serve alongside fresh strawberries – the honey-salt-strawberry combination is magical
- Go a step further and pile those strawberries and the ice cream on top of Muscovado Meringues
- Pair it with chocolate cake or a warm chocolate brownie
That’s all. I’m leaving you to think happy thoughts about honey and salt for the rest of the day. Oh and don’t miss my dark chocolate version of this ice cream – it’s magical. And should salted honey not be your bag, then take a look at the rest of my ice cream recipes for alternative inspiration. There’s Blackcurrant Ice Cream and Stroopwafel Ice Cream for a start.
Salted Honey Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 150 g ( 3 ½ fl oz) honey
- 250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt crystals
- 250 ml (1 cup) double (heavy) cream
Instructions
- Put the milk into a medium sized pan (heavy based) over a medium heat. Split the vanilla pod and drop into the pan. Heat until warm
- Add the honey a stir through until dissolved. Take off the heat
- Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl for 2-3 minutes until thicker and paler
- Pour the warm milk onto the yolks, whisking continuously
- Pour the custard mix back into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon
- Take off the heat. Remove the vanilla pod. Scrape out the seeds and add back into the custard
- Grind the salt in a pestle and mortar until fine. Tip into the custard and mix well
- Pour the custard into a bowl or jug, cover with clingfilm (to stop a skin forming) and cool. Once cold, transfer to the fridge to chill overnight (or for at least 4 hours)
- When ready to churn remove the clingfilm, pour in the cream and stir until thoroughly combined
Making the ice cream using an ice cream maker
- Pour the custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- Serve immediately or transfer the ice cream into a freezer-proof container, cover the surface directly with greaseproof paper or foil and store in the freezer. (It should be scoopable straight from the freezer – unless your freezer is exceptionally cold)
Making the ice cream by hand
- Pour the ice cream into a suitable freezer-proof bowl, cover and put it in the freezer for 1-1 ½ hours. The sides should be beginning to freeze, but the centre will be soft and slushy
- Remove from the freezer and, working quickly, use electric beaters to beat the ice cream until the ice crystals are uniform. Cover and place back in the freezer
- Repeat this process 4-8 more times at 1 hour intervals – the better the texture will be the more the process is repeated
- Cover the ice cream with greaseproof paper or foil and freeze for a further 3 hours or overnight
- Serve straight from the freezer
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That sounds like one wonderful ice cream to try this summer!
Jane Saunders
Thanks Rebecca. It is genuinely my new favourite 🙂
Jowell
If I make this recipe by hand , when do I add the heavy cream ?
Jane Saunders
Hi Jowell – sorry for the confusion – add the cream once your custard has chilled sufficiently and you want to start the churning process (step nine in the main part of the instructions (before moving onto the specific ‘by hand’ or by ‘machine parts’)). Hope that helps.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
Now I’ve tried salted chocolate but not salted honey and in ice-cream too. Bet the sweetness works well with the saltiness
Jane Saunders
Then you need to try it asap – it’s a treat.
Chef Mireille
OMG – that ice cream looks awesome!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou! I’m looking forward to having some later on today 😉
Pamela (BrooklynFarmGirl)
This ice cream looks amazing! I love that you replaced the sugar with honey it sounds delicious 🙂
Jane Saunders
Thanks Pamela – I can’t claim I made the sugar switch on health grounds – it was purely for the taste. And it was only after I’d made it I discovered how good an ingredient honey is for ice cream – accidental bonus!
Jagruti
I need this ice cream right now, looks so tempting and yummy! Lovely pictures.
Jane Saunders
Thanks Jagruti – I have some in my freezer ready waiting for Saturday… which is only 1 day away now – yay!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland
I’m smellin’ the danger too, Jane ~ this sounds irresistible! I think the whole reason to go to the trouble to make your own ice cream is to experiment and come up with flavors you can’t get anywhere else, and this certainly qualifies, fabulous recipe, I can’t wait to try it.
Jane Saunders
You are so right Sue. I’m picky about ice cream – it has to be a great texture with bags of flavour for me. Thanks for stopping by.
Sarah
I’ve wanted an ice cream maker for so long…and..well..this Salted Honey Ice Cream is making it happen. Oh my word I need this ice cream ASAP!
Jane Saunders
Indulge your kitchen Sarah – you won’t look back. ice cream consumption will be at a record high though 😉
Kristina
that scoop in the first photo is a PERFECT ice cream scoop! 🙂 I love adding salt to ice cream – especially vanilla – it really brightens the flavor!
Jane Saunders
Doesn’t it just – magical. I struggle to scoop neat ice cream balls usually but with this ice cream it was a dream.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
You are preaching to the choir here! I make homemade ice cream all the time, and love anything that has a salty finish to it… Butter almond is one of my faves. But salted honey… I want to try this! Is it ok if I toss in some almonds or pecans, gotta have some crunch!
Jane Saunders
Oh I think I could give you permission – let me know how you get on. I’ve turned into a homemade addict this year – too many frozen recipes I want to share!
Melissa Griffiths
Oooh this flavor combo sounds delicious! And dangerous. 🙂
Jane Saunders
Thanks Melissa – definitely the latter 😉