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READY IN 4+ hrs

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream

Read Reviews (54)

"This is the best homemade vanilla ice cream I've ever had. The honey and brown sugar give it a rich, buttery taste that can't be beat." — M. McCarthy

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Original recipe makes 1.5 quarts Change Servings

2 cups milk
1 (7 inch) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 egg yolks
1 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream

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Directions

In a medium pan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to simmering. Do not boil. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, honey, and salt until light colored and frothy. While whisking constantly, slowly combine the hot milk with the egg mixture. Transfer the mixture back to the sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until mixture reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius) when tested with a candy thermometer, or becomes thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat.
Remove the vanilla bean from the mixture and reserve. Strain custard into a large bowl. Scrape seeds from the vanilla bean into the custard. (Vanilla bean pod may be used again.) Stir the heavy cream into the custard. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
When cold, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 4 hrs 15 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 4 hrs 30 mins

Footnotes

You can substitute 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract if you don't have a vanilla bean in your pantry. Add the vanilla extract to the custard mixture with the heavy cream.

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This is a creamy, smooth, rich and not too sweet custard-style vanilla ice cream with a delicate, but perfect hint of honey and brown sugar (I have to disagree with those who compared this to Butter Pecan ice cream--this is an entirely different flavor, the only similarity being the brown sugar used in both.) This is an unusual and creative twist on vanilla ice cream that really works. Great recipe!

—naples34102

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 23, 2010

I didn't even see this ice cream--bf made it then ate it all before I could say a word. He said he didn't like it that much--didn't like the brown sugar or the taste of the yolks. He did, however, really like the vanilla flavor. I'm a bit bemused that he says he didn't like it much yet ate it all in two days, but what do I know . . . .anyway, sounds like it could be tweaked to his tastes by eliminating the brown sugar and decreasing the yolks, but next time I'll have to be faster to even try a bite. Thanks for the recipe!

—pomplemousse

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66 Ratings

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Jul 03, 2008

I thought this recipe was excellent. I made just a few changes, which was to cut back on the cream by one cup and replace it with whole milk (cut back on some of the fat.) Just before adding everything to the ice cream maker I whipped it with an electric mixer to "fluff" it up. I also cut back on the sugar by a little more than 1/4 cup but increased the honey by 2-3 tablespoons (I love honey.) The result was a very creamy - and honey tasting - ice cream. Topped with some granola it made a great treat. I will make this one again and again.

—Jean

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Jun 04, 2007

Loved this recipe! A few families got together and had our version of "Iron Chef" this past Memorial Day. Ice cream was determined to the what the contest would be based on. I saw this recipe and decided that I would use it because I decided that the less complex the recipe the better. Needless to say, I won the contest by the votes of multitudes of people at the celebration. I doubled the recipe to fit my ice cream maker. It had a very rich vanilla flavor and the combination of honey and brown sugar added a deeper dimension of sweetness to it. Almost caramel-like. It had a really smooth creamy texture that was unlike any of the other contestants. It was almost fluffy. Thank you for the recipe. I will be using it again.

—StaceyMOM

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Mar 16, 2009

Great taste and consistancy but way too sweet! Would reduce the brown sugar by half next time.

—Hot Chilli

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May 06, 2008

I have tried many ice cream recipes with no luck, but this one is AWESOME!!!! I made it for a dinner party this past weekend and it got RAVE reviews!! They were all lovin' the flavor the honey added and it was so thick and creamy. To top it all off, this recipe is just the righ amount to fit into my Cuisinart ice cream maker so it was perfect! I will make again and again.

—kayla

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May 14, 2007

This is a fantastic recipe! I'd never made ice cream before and recently bought a KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment for my stand mixer. This recipe looked better than the one in the KitchenAid booklet so I decided to try it. It turned out very rich, sweet and buttery tasting and reminded me somewhat of butter pecan flavor. I didn't have a thermometer to measure the temperature while cooking and wasn't sure how "thick" the egg/milk mixture was supposed to get. I cooked the mixture about 10-15 minutes and it became quite frothy on the top so I thought it must be done at that point. It wasn't what I would call "thick" but it did seem like the texture was slightly different than when it started. I tried another Honey Vanilla recipe since making this one and it didn't have sugar but a lot more honey (3/4 cup). It didn't turn out as tasty as this recipe so I imagine this one is hard to beat! The only downside is how fattening it is....which I wouldn't worry about when making for a party/other guests but for just us at home will have to make lower fat gelato & sorbet recipes so we don't balloon up!

—AJB

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Mar 09, 2009

I wanted something different from the traditional vanilla ice cream and this fit the bill perfectly! I wasn't sure what to expect. But what I got, was an ice cream turned out so creamy and delicious, with a subtle honey taste while you indulge but the honey taste really kicks in afterwards. What a wonderful way to enjoy each bite of your ice cream! I knew this ice cream would turn out creamy when it said to strain the custard. This technique is usually used in a gelato recipe that I absolutely love! Always turns out smooth and extra creamy! I used vanilla extract since I didn't have vanilla beans on hand and there was a very small "bite" of "too much sweetness" in the ice cream, but nothing too noticeable. I think reducing the sugar just a smidgen would work fine. Otherwise, if you want an alternative to plain vanilla...This Is It!

—Roxanne J.R.

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Nutrition

Calories
277 kcal
14%

Carbohydrates
27.7 g
9%

Cholesterol
160 mg
53%

Fat
17.7 g
27%

Fiber
0 g
< 1%

Protein
3.5 g
7%

Sodium
90 mg
4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 277
Calories from Fat: 159

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17.7g 27 %
Saturated Fat 10.4g 52 %
Cholesterol 160mg 53 %
Sodium 90mg 4 %
** Potassium 127mg 4 %
Total Carbohydrates 27.7g 9 %
Dietary Fiber 0g < 1 %
Protein 3.5g 7 %
Sugars 26.2g
** Vitamin A 16 %
** Vitamin C < 1 %
** Calcium 12 %
** Iron 4 %
** Thiamin 4 %
** Niacin 6 %
** Vitamin B6 4 %
** Magnesium 3 %
** Folate 9 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.