Butterscotch Ice Cream

This Butterscotch Ice Cream is rich in butterscotch flavor and smooth in texture. Made with tempered egg yolks, cream, dark brown sugar and vanilla extract, the butterscotch flavor is made from scratch — no extracts or melted butterscotch chips here! By making the delicious butterscotch flavor into the ice cream, we get a rich, smooth and dreamy dessert! 

I’m so excited you are making this recipe! It’s one of my all-time favorites. And although it is crazy yummy on its own, I highly recommend making my Salted Butterscotch Sauce to drizzle on top! It really brings the entire butterscotch ice cream experience over the top! More of a shake person? Try my Butterscotch Shake! Cake fan? We have a Butterscotch Cake recipe too!

Why This Recipe Works

• Bold butterscotch flavor. This butterscotch ice cream has a bold butterscotch flavor! And the best part is there is no artificial flavoring, no extract, no melted butterscotch chips. It’s all homemade! This is thanks to the dark brown sugar, which is a key ingredient in making butterscotch sauce. Paired with the vanilla and the cream, you have the building blocks of delicious butterscotch! 
• Smooth and creamy texture. This homemade butterscotch ice cream recipe is made with heavy cream, whole milk and tempered egg yolks. These ingredients and the tempering of the eggs produce a smooth, custard ice cream base. 
• Uses an ice cream maker. The key to getting an ultra smooth consistency in the ice cream is the ice cream maker! The gentle churning of the cream mixture helps to keep the ice crystals smaller, therefore ensuring the texture is smooth and not crystalized. 

Ingredient Notes

• Egg Yolks: The egg yolks and cream create a custard base for the butterscotch ice cream. The eggs are cooked through the tempering process. There are no raw eggs in this butterscotch ice cream recipe.
• Dark Brown Sugar: The dark brown sugar is the important difference in making this ice cream the butterscotch flavor. You’ll want dark brown sugar over light brown sugar because it is deeper in color and richer in flavor.
• Salt: The touch of salt gives this a perfect salted butterscotch ice cream flavor. It also helps enhance the flavor and is a key part of the butterscotch flavoring.
• Heavy Cream: You will definitely need heavy cream. Heavy whipping cream is the same thing. Do not use half and half. The heavy cream has a higher fat content which is important for us to get the appropriate texture for the butterscotch ice cream. 
• Whole Milk: Use whole milk! It has a higher fat content than 1% or 2% milk. When it comes to making homemade butterscotch ice cream, it’s all about the high cream content. 
• Vanilla Extract: The vanilla extract is another of the key ingredients in making butterscotch flavoring.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix the egg yolks. Add the egg yolks to a medium bowl and mix until smooth. 
2. Make the cream mixture. Add the brown sugar, salt, heavy cream and whole milk to a saucepan over medium low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until bubbles form on the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. 
3. Temper the egg yolks. Take 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture and slowly pour it into the bowl with the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Once combined, slowly pour egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture, always stirring. 

4. Thicken the mixture. Heat the saucepan on low heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes). The butterscotch mixture should coat the back of a spoon. The mixture should reach 170°F. Do not boil. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract.
5. Strain the mixture. Using a fine strainer over a large bowl, pour the butterscotch ice cream mixture through to remove any clumps. Cover and chill for 4-24 hours or until COLD. 

6. Let freeze in an ice cream machine. Once the hot cream mixture is very cold, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and church according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately with Butterscotch Sauce!

Recipe Tips

If you want the ice cream to be a harder and more firm consistency, place it in an airtight container, cover, and freeze until ready to serve.

The longer you let the cream and brown sugar mixture chill in the fridge, the thicker the ice cream consistency will be and the quicker it will freeze in the ice cream maker. I would recommend chilling it for 4 hours at the bare minimum but ideally 12-24 hours. 

Tempering the egg yolks slowly cooks the eggs without scrambling them. You want to slowly bring the eggs temperature up. The more abrupt the temperature changes, the greater risk of scrambling the eggs. 

If you don’t have dark brown sugar at home, I recommend buying it! It will make a difference in the flavor. However, if that isn’t convenient for you, this recipe will turn out perfectly with light brown sugar. Just note that the flavor will be slightly affected and the color may be a bit lighter, too. 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

You definitely want to make this butterscotch ice cream recipe ahead of time! A traditional ice cream maker bowl needs to be frozen. (Some manufacturers instruct you to freeze the bowl for up to 3 days.) Plus the butterscotch cream mixture needs to chill in the fridge until super cold (up to 24 hours). 

Store the homemade ice cream in the freezer for a few hours prior to serving if you want a harder ice cream texture. If you serve right out of the maker you’ll have more of a soft serve consistency. 

Store the homemade butterscotch ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. The airtight container can help prevent freezer burn. 

Recipe FAQs

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