Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream (Print Version)
Rich, creamy ice cream featuring bold Vietnamese coffee and sweetened condensed milk for an indulgent frozen treat.
# What You Need:
→ Ice Cream Base
01 - 1 ½ cups whole milk
02 - 1 ½ cups heavy cream
03 - ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
04 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
05 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Coffee Components
06 - ½ cup very strong brewed Vietnamese coffee or espresso
07 - 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
→ Egg Mixture
08 - 5 large egg yolks
# How-To Steps:
01 - Combine whole milk, heavy cream, half the sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until just steaming, being careful not to boil the mixture.
02 - Whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar in a separate bowl until the mixture becomes pale and thick in texture.
03 - Slowly pour approximately 1 cup of hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to gradually raise the temperature without curdling.
04 - Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, reaching 170–175°F, approximately 4–6 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat and stir in brewed coffee, instant espresso powder if using, and sweetened condensed milk until completely blended.
06 - Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, minimum 4 hours or preferably overnight.
07 - Process the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until the desired consistency is achieved.
08 - Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving to achieve a firmer, scoopable texture.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sweetened condensed milk creates this incredible velvety texture that you cant get from regular ice cream recipes
- Its got that perfect bitter-sweet balance that Vietnamese coffee is famous for, but frozen into something you can eat with a spoon
02 -
- Dont skip the straining step—tiny bits of cooked egg will ruin the silky texture youre aiming for
- The custard needs to be completely cold before churning or your ice cream maker will struggle and the texture will suffer
03 -
- Toast some sweetened condensed milk in a pan until it turns golden and swirl it into the nearly frozen ice cream for a caramel ribbon effect
- The alcohol in a splash of coffee liqueur lowers the freezing point, making the ice cream softer and easier to scoop straight from the freezer