1.5 Quart Entry-Level Ice Cream Maker
Buy Now →Buttermilk Ice Cream
This Buttermilk Ice Cream is a tangy, refreshing, and perfectly balanced dessert. The egg-free base is simple to make and requires an ice cream machine to churn. Enjoy it on its own, swirled with something bright like rhubarb or lemon, or spooned over your favorite dessert for a unique, light, and creamy finish.
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Freezing Time: 12:00
- Cook Time: 00:10
- Total Time: 12 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: about 3 pints
- Category: Ice Cream
- Method: Traditional Churned Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 grams) brown sugar
- ¼ cup dry milk powder (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (see note)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium pot, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, and salt. Stir in the cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, the cream is steaming, and the mixture registers about 180ºF on an instant-read thermometer. Turn off the heat, stir in the softened cream cheese, and let sit, undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a metal bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Once cooled, whisk in the buttermilk.
- Chill the buttermilk base thoroughly in the refrigerator until at least 40ºF, preferably overnight.
- In an ice cream machine, then freeze the buttermilk base, following the recommended manufacturer’s instructions of your ice cream maker, until the ice cream has reached a soft-serve consistency.
- Transfer the ice cream to one or more airtight containers. Freeze until firm, at least a few hours.
Notes
Since this is an egg-free, non-custard recipe, I turned to two natural stabilizers that keep the mixture smooth without weighing it down: milk powder and cream cheese. Both add flavor too. The milk powder absorbs excess water, and the cream cheese helps prevent the buttermilk from curdling. Milk powder can be purchased online, or you can find it in the baking aisle.
Choose a high-quality, full-fat buttermilk, (from a local farm if you can!) because it's the main flavor in this ice cream and a good buttermilk makes all the difference.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.
It’s not essential, which is why it’s not included in the recipe, but I like to use an immersion blender to blend Philadelphia-style ice cream bases. If you choose to do this, blend the mixture before straining.
Place a piece of parchment on the surface of the ice cream to prevent any freezer burn.
Homemade ice cream is best consumed within a week, but will last for several in the freezer.
See my Toolkit for Making Ice Cream for equipment suggestions.
Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/buttermilk-ice-cream/