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Home » dessert » Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

Published: May 30, 2018 · Modified: Jul 22, 2020 by Louisa Clements · This post may contain affiliate links

This post may contain affiliate links

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2 hours 15 minutes 7 Comments

Learn how to make coffee ice cream at home with a simple custard base, heavy cream and ground coffee from your pantry. This post has been sponsored by the Egg Farmers of Canada. 

Homemade coffee ice cream is perfect creamy and the perfect summer desert with a simple custard base. | livinglou.com

I’ve been making homemade ice cream for years and have shared many of my favourite ice cream recipes on Living Lou. This coffee ice cream though, is without a doubt my favourite (chocolate peanut butter is a close second).

Making your own ice cream is the perfect project for the summer.

Plus, ice cream makers are a super affordable appliance, I’ve been using a similar machine to this Cuisinart ice cream maker (it’s under $100) for almost seven years.

How do you make homemade ice cream?

When it comes down to it, ice cream is a simple mixture of fat, sugar and water. And while you can definitely make ice cream without eggs (I don’t use eggs in my chocolate ice cream recipe), I’ve found that the eggs help make it creamy and rich, just the way ice cream should be.

This mixture is then strained and cooled to room temperature, then cooled in the fridge for at least an hour. They key here is that the base is cool enough to churn and freeze in an ice cream machine.

Homemade coffee ice cream is perfect creamy and the perfect summer desert with a simple custard base. | livinglou.com

How do you know when the custard is ready?

I use the back-of-the-spoon test to know if my custard is ready.

To do the back-of-spoon test, place a spoon in the custard mixture, remove it and run your finger through the custard that’s left on the back of the spoon. If it leaves a clear path (the custard doesn’t run back together), then it’s ready and thick enough to be churned into ice cream.

I’m a total coffee junkie, so it was only natural that this was the flavour I wanted to develop for the summer.

Homemade coffee ice cream is perfect creamy and the perfect summer desert with a simple custard base. | livinglou.com

Should I use instant or ground coffee for this recipe?

You could really use either. In this recipe I’m using ground coffee because I like the texture that some of the leftover grounds add to the ice cream (when you strain the custard, most of the coffee bits are strained out).

This way you get a little extra flavour and texture without an overwhelming amount of ground coffee.

Homemade coffee ice cream is perfect creamy and the perfect summer desert with a simple custard base. | livinglou.com

Homemade Coffee Ice Cream

Author: Louisa Clements
4.24 from 21 votes
Learn how to make coffee ice cream at home with a simple custard base, heavy cream and ground coffee from your pantry.
Pin Print
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes
servings icon
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 cups heavy cream, 35% cream
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp ground coffee
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

  • Have ready a medium stainless-steel bowl sitting on top of another bowl with ice. Place a fine-mesh sieve in the top bowl.
  • In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, whisk eggs with cream, milk, sugar, ground coffee and salt to a very low boil over medium-low heat. Cook until mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon–this can take 7-10 minutes. To test if it is ready, place a spoon in the custard mixture and remove it. Run your finger through the custard that's left on the back of the spoon–if it leaves a clear path (the custard doesn't run back together), then it's ready.
  • Carefully strain the mixture, do not press through the sieve as this will add too many of the coffee grounds to the mixture. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 1 hour.
  • Freeze in the ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s instructions–this can take about 20 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container, and let it harden in the freezer.
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + rating and let me know what you think!
Filed Under: dessert, easy
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Coffee Ice Cream
Amount Per Serving
Calories 437 Calories from Fat 315
% Daily Value*
Fat 35g54%
Saturated Fat 20g125%
Cholesterol 307mg102%
Sodium 154mg7%
Potassium 134mg4%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 1466IU29%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 122mg12%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any specific dietary concerns, please consult with your healthcare practitioner.

My favourite ice cream making products:

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Comments

  1. andy

    September 12, 2022 at 2:30 am

    can you make vegan ice cream? thank you
    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      September 18, 2022 at 7:11 pm

      Hi Andy, I've never made vegan ice cream, so I won't be much help!
      Reply
  2. Kim

    February 05, 2021 at 9:51 am

    Think I could use instant espresso granules?
    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      February 21, 2021 at 9:00 am

      Hi Kim, yes absolutely they would be delicious here!
      Reply
  3. Quinn

    July 01, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    Love this recipe but i left the coffee grounds in
    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      July 15, 2020 at 2:56 pm

      Thanks Quinn, glad you enjoyed it!
      Reply
  4. Amanda T.

    July 18, 2018 at 3:41 pm

    It's homemade coffee ice cream #EggcentricTV #LivingLouEggGiveaway
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Louisa Clements & welcome to Living Lou. I've been creating simple, fresh & flavorful recipes for the modern kitchen for 12 years.
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