Butterscotch Ice Cream Recipe

square image of a blue bowl of ice cream

This rich and creamy butterscotch ice cream starts with a cooked butterscotch added to a Sicilian gelato base. No ice cream maker? No problem! As long as you have a freezer and a whisk, you'll be able to make ice cream every bit as rich and decadent as the best premium churned ice cream you've ever had!

Course Ice Cream Recipes

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Freeze Time 3

Total Time 3 40

Servings cups

Calories 235kcal

Author Jennifer Field

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup well packed brown sugar 8 oz, by weight
1 stick unsalted butter
1 quart whole milk divided
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 oz cream cheese softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Melt butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
Add the brown sugar, and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar caramelizes and the butter browns, stirring constantly. First it will be hard to mix the butter and sugar, then it will smooth out. After a few minutes of stirring, it will break again, and the butter and sugar will be separate. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture comes back together for a second time and darkens in color. You may see a few wisps of smoke.
Once the butterscotch has finished cooking, carefully add 2 cups of the whole milk. The butterscotch will harden into a clump. Worry not. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until the butterscotch melts.
Whisk the cornstarch and salt into the other 2 cups of milk and then whisk into the butterscotch.
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and allow the mixture to boil for about 1 minute.
Turn the heat off and whisk in the softened cream cheese until completely incorporated and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

To Churn with an Ice Cream Maker

Let the base cool for an hour on the counter, whisking occasionally, and then chill the ice cream base at least 6 hours or overnight.
Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions and pack into a container to freeze throroughly.

To Churn without an Ice Cream Maker

Pour the finished base into a large bowl.
Cool the base for an hour on the counter, whisking occasionally, and then chill the ice cream base at least 6 hours or overnight.
Whisk the base thoroughly to incorporate a bit of air and freeze for an hour.
Remove the base from the freezer and whisk very well, being sure to scrape the frozen parts around the edges into the whole.
Return to the freezer and repeat steps 3 and 4 at least 2 more times and possibly 3, until the base is the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
Pack into an airtight container to freeze thoroughly, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Video

Notes

Make butterscotch by cooking together brown sugar (I used sponsor Dixie Crystals Light Brown Sugar) and butter until the butter has browned and the sugar has caramelized.

Add half of the milk and stir over low heat until all the butterscotch has melted into the milk.

Whisk the cornstarch into the rest of the milk and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and let boil for one minute.

Whisk in the softened cream cheese until smooth.

Add vanilla. (I used sponsor Adam’s Extract Double Vanilla.)

MAKING ICE CREAM WITHOUT AN ICE CREAM MAKER

It is much easier than I thought to make ice cream without an ice cream maker.

I can not tell the difference in texture between my ice cream I make in my churn and ice cream churned “by hand.”

Here's how to do it.

Make and chill your base until completely cold.
Put the base in a large bowl and whisk it really well to aerate it as much as possible.
Put it in the freezer. Set a timer for one hour.
After the hour is up, take the bowl out of the freezer and whisk it very thoroughly, making sure to scrape all the frozen bits around the edges into the rest. Whisk until it is completely smooth with no lumps.
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 at least two more times. It might take three more times depending on your base.

A collage of 6 images showing how to whisk and freeze ice cream base if you don't have an ice cream maker.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY ICE CREAM IS DONE?

If you’ve ever had soft-serve ice cream or frozen yogurt, that is the texture you’re looking for.

After 3 or possibly 4 rounds of freezing and thorough whisking, your base will hold its shape fairly well and will look like soft serve. (See Video)

And then you’re done.

Once you get to soft-serve consistency:

pack the ice cream in whatever container you’d like
press plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream (if not using a container with a tight-fitting lid)
freeze at least four more hours or overnight.

Thanks to whisking in some air, the cornstarch, and the cream cheese, your ice cream won’t be rock hard straight from the freezer, but it will be a bit easier to scoop if you let the container sit on the counter for five minutes or so before serving.

Nutrition