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Coffee and donuts…ice cream! Whaaat?!?
You read that correctly – this is ice cream made with coffee and donuts. And it’s really good…
This is another recipe inspired by a night of watching television at home! The Food Network featured a food truck in Los Angeles, California called The Lake Street Creamery and their most popular flavor was donut ice cream. After hearing their customers rave about how delicious the donut ice cream was, Jack and I took one look at each other and said, “Let’s try making it!”
And so we did – we started with the custard base from our vanilla ice cream recipe and – just like we saw them do on the Food Network – poured it into a blender along with some plain cake donuts (don’t use the lighter yeast donuts) and pureed the mixture! It tasted pretty darn good (those folks from The Lake Street Creamery are geniuses!) – but really sweet. So Jack and I – almost at the exact same moment – thought, “Let’s add some coffee to the ice cream mixture!”
This coffee and donuts ice cream is a real winner! It’s a perfect balance of the flavors from the coffee and that distinctive sweet nutmeg flavor of a cake donut – just like dipping a donut into your coffee, but cold and creamy instead! The donut pureed into the custard gives it some extra thickness and body, resulting in a super creamy ice cream!
This coffee and donuts ice cream is a really fun and delicious variation on your standard frozen treat – and we’re already thinking of some other great donut flavors that would be a great addition to ice cream!
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Coffee and Donuts Ice Cream
If you’d prefer, you can cut the donuts into bite-sized chunks rather than pulverizing them in the blender with the custard mixture.
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brewed espresso or double-strength brewed coffee, cooled
- 4 plain cake donuts
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat milk, heavy cream and sugar, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. (This will take less than 5 minutes – do not bring to a simmer or boil.) Remove from the heat.
- Take about a cup of the hot mixture and very slowly drizzle it into the bowl with the egg yolks – constantly whisking while you add the hot mixture. (A slow drizzle will prevent the eggs from cooking as you add the hot cream mixture.)
- Once your egg mixture is smooth, slowly pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the hot cream mixture.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens a bit and coats the back of a spoon. (This will take less than 5 minutes as well, and again, do not bring the mixture to a simmer or boil, or it will curdle.)
- Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl (a large measuring bowl like this one
works great because you’ll have a spout for pouring the cooled custard into the ice cream maker once it has cooled). Add the cooled espresso or coffee and stir to mix. - Place the donuts into a blender. Then pour the custard mixture into the blender, over the donuts. Puree until completely mixed.
- Pour the mixture back into the bowl, and cover with a large piece of plastic wrap, pushing the plastic down to touch the top of the custard. (This will prevent a skin from forming on the custard as it cools.) Refrigerate overnight.
- Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. After churning, freeze again for 4-6 hours before serving.
works great because you’ll have a spout for pouring the cooled custard into the ice cream maker once it has cooled). Add the cooled espresso or coffee and stir to mix.Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
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I love it, Martha! This is a perfect ice cream flavor. Pinned!
Thanks Julie!
You two are a couple of geniuses! I love this is ice cream! Coffee and donuts are the perfect pair!
Thanks Tanya!
Several years ago I submitted an original recipe to Taste of the South magazine and won! The recipe was titled “Cop Stop Ice Cream” and was exactly like your recipe, except I used chocolate-covered donuts.
It has been a family and summer favorite!
I bet your version is fabulous!! Thanks for writing to us!