This rich and creamy white chocolate ice cream is what dreams are made of. Smooth scoops, easy enough prep, and only 6 ingredients make this recipe a winner!
Why this recipe works
This white chocolate ice cream recipe involves the use of an ice cream mixer to create dreamy, creamy scoops of white chocolate bliss which is a nice switch up from your classic everyday chocolate ice cream.
I stumbled upon this recipe from David Lebovitz’s Perfect Scoop and knew immediately I had to give it a try myself. Mind you, that was back in 2009 and I still reach for this recipe to this day – that’s how much we love it around here.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CHOCOLATE – You don’t have to use fancy white chocolate for this recipe, but you certainly can if you want. I used white chocolate baker’s squares and it came out beautifully.
HEAVY CREAM – Ice cream gets its creamy texture from its fat content. Therefore, if you substitute milk for the heavy cream, the texture of the finished ice cream will be less smooth and rich. I would suggest sticking to heavy cream for this recipe, but you can experiment if you wish.
How to Make White Chocolate Ice Cream
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Put the white chocolate pieces in a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top.
- Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
- Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.
- Pour the custard through the strainer over the white chocolate. Stir until the white chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, then stir in the cream.
- Stir until cool over an ice bath.
- Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
White chocolate ice cream is milky sweet and creamy in texture. It’s similar to vanilla ice cream but has more of a milky taste to it. If you enjoy white chocolate-coated goodies, you’ll love the flavor of this ice cream.
Homemade white chocolate ice cream will last for up to 2 weeks if stored properly in an air-tight container kept in the freezer. The shelf life of homemade ice cream is shorter compared to store-bought because there are no preservatives.
Serving Suggestions
White chocolate ice cream is the perfect base for a plethora of additions or toppings. It would be fantastic with a drizzle of strawberry, raspberry, or cherry syrup as well as fresh fruit like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. More tasty toppings include mini chocolate chips, crushed wafers, or crumbled cake or brownie bits.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- No Churn Ice Cream
- Rocky Road Ice Cream
- Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
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White Chocolate Ice Cream
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 8 ounces white chocolate finely chopped
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Ice cream gets its creamy texture from its fat content. Therefore, if you substitute milk for the heavy cream, the texture of the finished ice cream will be less smooth and rich. I would suggest sticking to heavy cream for this recipe, but you can experiment if you wish.
- Homemade white chocolate ice cream will last for up to 2 weeks if stored properly in an air-tight container kept in the freezer. The shelf life of homemade ice cream is shorter compared to store-bought because there are no preservatives.
- You don’t have to use fancy white chocolate for this recipe, but you certainly can if you want. I used white chocolate baker’s squares and it came out beautifully.
Instructions
- Put the chocolate pieces in a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top.
- Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks.
- Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
- Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.
- Pour the custard through the strainer over the white chocolate. Stir until the white chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, then stir in the cream. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
- Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Sep. 17th, 2009 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips. You may know this recipe from the photo below.
Amanda Davis
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Dan says
This is a great recipe. I follow it exactly. I also have used it to make a great vanilla ice cream simply by omitting the white chocolate and adding the scraped beans from a fresh vanilla bean plus a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste – keeping all other measurements the same. My wife says it is the best ice cream she has ever had.
Richard S says
This recipe is outstanding! It’s the smoothest ice cream I’ve made so far! I’m a coffee lover, so I took 1/4 lb of whole coffee beans and added them to the milk and sugar when warming it up. I let them steep for about an hour at room temperature, then warmed it back up before starting the tempering/thickening process, then strained them out when pouring over the chocolate. The result was a white chocolate coffee ice cream that is divine!
Beth says
This recipe was EXCELLENT! I bought a single 4.4 oz white chocolate bar so I halved-ish the recipe. Did 3 egg yolks since the eggs were on the smaller side. This ice cream was sooooo smooth and flavorful. It was great on its own and with some homemade berry swirled in (just heated up some frozen mixed berries on the stove and reduced till thick and syrupy). Will definitely make this again!
Katy says
So easy and delicious. I don’t even like white chocolate but it was requested for Father’s Day. Served it with strawberry pie and everyone raved. Saving to make again.
Abbie says
Can’t wait to try this! Our favorite small batch ice cream shop in Hawaii served a white chocolate/ginger ice cream that I want to try to recreate…I’ll be adding white chocolate chips and candied ginger pieces to this!!!
Irene says
I don’t have an ice cream maker – could I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook to mix?
Irene says
I think I just found out my own answer and will get an ice cream maker. Any input on a good one? Trying to save space in my kitchen for storing appliances.
Bridget Smith says
Easy and oh, so delicious. Try it. So good I’ve printed the recipe.
Heidi says
Hi Amanda,
I really wanted to comment on your recipe because it’s simply amazing! I was looking for a classic custard ice cream but needed something to work with ruby chocolate. It has a low cacao content so I thought I’d try this one. I changed the milk ratios to 1 1/2 cups for both the whole milk and heavy cream and it came out beautifully :) The idea of pouring the hot cream over the chocolate, like a ganache, is brilliant because it comes out so smooth. I hope many more will make this ice cream too, thank you!!
Heidi
Fran says
Yum!!! Perfect texture! Looking forward to trying your other recipes!
Amanda Formaro says
Hooray, so glad you liked it, thanks Fran!
Brogan says
my mum calls this the best ice cream she’s ever had. It has the most delicious creamy texture. 5 stars
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks so much!! We love it too :)
Belinda says
If you don’t have a ice cream maker can you put in the freezer?
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Belinda. You can, but if you do that I would stir it every half hour or so to help it along, until it gets to the point where it can’t be stirred any longer. It will probably need to freeze over night. The churning in the ice cream maker helps to keep the ice cream homogenous so that ingredients don’t settle and freeze separately.
kristi says
I made this ice cream this weekend and it literally was the best ice cream i have ever tasted. Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you liked it Kristi, it’s one of my favorites too!
A Busy Nest says
I used the white chocolate ice cream to fill profiteroles and served it with a raspberry coulis. It was a big hit!
Amanda says
Hi Robert :) Don't know that I could pick one favorite, but among them are Mexican Chocolate, Rich Chocolate, Cinnamon Ice Cream and the Oreo one :) Looking forward to hearing your results!
Robert says
I might have to give another one a go! Which one is your favorite?
Amanda says
Hi Robert! How fun, so glad you liked it! Yes, there are more ice cream recipes here https://amandascookin.com/search/label/ice%20cream Let me know if you try any others!
Robert says
Hey,
I am an 18 year old guy that doesn't know a thing about cooking. I received an ice cream maker as a graduation present, and made my first batch using the recipe book that came with the machine. It was OK, but I wanted more. I love white chocolate, so I Googled some recipes. I stumbled upon this one, noticed I had most of the ingredients, and gave it a go. The ice cream turned out great! I added some white chocolate chips at the end to add a little crunch, and my family loved it! Do you have any other ice cream recipes? Thanks for the fantastic recipe (cool blog too!)!
-Robert
Amanda says
Anonymous – So glad that you liked it! Glad you reminded me, I need to make some more of this! :)
Anonymous says
I tried out this recipe and my family and I LOVED it! It was soo rich and creamy and easy to scoop. I suggest you use Ghiradelli white chocolate baking squares like I did. They melted quickly and flavored the recipe well. I am keeping this recipe for myself :-) Five stars!