Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream (Printable version)
Creamy frozen dessert featuring strong Vietnamese coffee and sweetened condensed milk for an indulgent treat.
# What You’ll 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 Make It:
01 - Combine whole milk, heavy cream, half the sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming, but do not boil.
02 - Whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar in a separate bowl until mixture becomes pale and thickened.
03 - Slowly pour approximately 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into yolks while whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
04 - Return yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with wooden spoon until custard thickens and coats spoon back (170–175°F), approximately 4–6 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in brewed coffee, espresso powder if using, and sweetened condensed milk until completely blended.
06 - Pour custard through fine-mesh sieve into clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, minimum 4 hours or overnight.
07 - Process chilled custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until consistency reaches soft-serve stage.
08 - Transfer churned ice cream to airtight container. Freeze for minimum 2 hours before serving to achieve firmer texture.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The condensed milk creates an unbelievably smooth texture that store bought versions never achieve
- You can control exactly how intense the coffee flavor gets by adjusting the brew strength
02 -
- Never skip the chilling step or you will end up with icy crystals instead of creamy perfection
- The custard is done when it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear line when you run your finger through it
03 -
- Use room temperature egg yolks to prevent shocking them when you add the hot milk
- A teaspoon of vanilla extract added with the coffee rounds out the flavor beautifully