Brown Butter Ice Cream

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The delicious toasty flavor of brown butter in creamy ice cream.

Brown Butter Ice Cream

Brown butter adds a sweet, toasty flavor to so many amazing baked goods like cookies, brownies, and cakes. My goal with this recipe was make an ice cream that had that same delicious brown butter flavor. The problem: using actual brown butter in ice cream tends to create a greasy mouth-feel, which is less-than-ideal. The solution: milk powder.

Before I explain how to use milk powder to create this brown butter ice cream, I first want to explain what brown butter is. Brown butter is created when butter is cooked to the point where it melts down and the milk solids separate out and toast. [If you’re interested in learning more about it or want to use brown butter in other recipes, I have a how-to post: How to Brown Butter.] The toasted milk solids are what gives brown butter that extra depth and toasty flavor that regular butter just doesn’t have.

When I first started creating and testing this recipe, I was using actual brown butter, but it resulted in an ice cream that, while tasty, had a bit of a greasy feel, which was not ideal. That problem led me to what you see in the recipe – milk powder. Since toasted milk solids give brown butter that toasty flavor that we know and love, why not try to use milk powder to create that same flavor without the greasiness? That’s exactly what I did. With this recipe, we take milk powder and gently toast it in a pan until golden brown. The toasted milk powder is then added to the ice cream base to provide that lovely brown butter flavor.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Whole Milk – foundation of the ice cream base; keeps it from being dense

Heavy Cream – foundation of the ice cream base; adds creaminess and richness

Sugar – sweetens the ice cream

Egg Yolks – helps thicken the ice cream, acts as an emulsifier, and makes it rich and creamy

Vanilla Extract – adds and enhances flavor

Salt – enhances flavor

Milk Powder (toasted) – toasted milk powder adds the signature brown butter flavor

FAQ

What is milk powder?

Milk powder (also called dry milk) is simply milk that has been dehydrated, resulting in a dry, shelf-stable powder.

Where can I find milk powder/dry milk?

Milk powder can be found in the grocery store (often in the baking or tea/coffee section), but it can also be found on Amazon by brands like Anthony’s and Swiss Miss.

Why is there no butter in this recipe? Isn’t this a brown butter ice cream recipe?

Using actual brown butter in ice cream can create a greasy mouth-feel, which is less-than-ideal. Using toasted milk powder creates the same toasted flavor of brown butter, but without the greasiness.

Why are egg yolks used in this recipe?

This is a custard-style ice cream. Custard-style ice creams use egg yolks as an emulsifier to create a smooth and creamy texture that holds up well in the freezer. It also adds some richness to the flavor.

Check out These Brown Butter Recipes:

Other Ice Cream Flavors to Try:

Equipment

I use an ice cream maker to churn this ice cream. The one I currently use, and some other options, are linked below:

• Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker (the one I currently use)
• Kitchen Aid Mixer Ice Cream Attachment
• Bosch Mixer Ice Cream Attachment
• Dash Ice Cream Machine

Don’t have an ice cream machine or not ready to buy one? Check out my post: How to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine.

If you try out this brown butter ice cream recipe, I’d love to know what you think! Please leave a comment with a rating below and share a photo of your creation on Instagram using the hashtag #BrooksideKitchen and tag @BrooksideKitchen