Best 20 Caramel Ice Cream Recipes

SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the sugar in a dry heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat the sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and swirl the pan so the sugar melts evenly, and continue cooking until it is a dark amber color.
• Carefully add the heavy cream (the mixture will splatter) and cook, stirring until all the caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and stir in the sea salt. Set the caramel mixture over a bowl filled with ice water and stir until chilled to room temperature. Combine the caramel mixture with the Ice Cream Base and add the vanilla.
• Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.
• Heat the milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.
• Prepare an ice bath by setting a 2-quart bowl over a larger bowl partially filled with ice water.
• Set a strainer over the smaller bowl and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow in color and the sugar has dissolved. Gradually pour the warmed milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the same saucepan you used to warm the milk. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Strain the custard into the top bowl of the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Add the heavy cream and stir over the ice bath until cool. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 3/4 cup sugar with 3 tablespoons water, swirling skillet frequently, until sugar turns mahogany brown in color (it should be almost but not quite black).
• Add heavy cream, milk, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the salt; simmer mixture until caramel melts and cream mixture is completely smooth. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.
• Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).
• Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Sprinkle flaky sea salt into base during the last 2 minutes of churning. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

CARAMEL ICE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the cream, water and corn syrup until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. , Stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted. Serve warm or cold over ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

CARAMEL APPLE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Cook apple in melted butter in large skillet over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in apple cider and apple pie spice; cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Whisk sweetened condensed milk and cream in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in apple mixture. Fill a large bowl about halfway with ice cubes and very cold water. Set the medium bowl containing the ice cream mixture inside the large bowl. Stir until very cold, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Spread in 8- or 9-inch square pan. Cover and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Scoop ice cream and mound in pan. Drizzle caramel topping over entire surface, allowing caramel to seep into ice cream. Pack ice cream back into pan. Cover and freeze until ready to serve.

SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.
• Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.
• Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.
• Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.

CARAMEL BANANA ICE CREAM PIE

Steps:

• Spread 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust. In a large bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Add ice cream; mix well. , Spoon into prepared crust. Top with whipped topping. Drizzle with remaining caramel topping; sprinkle with chopped candy bar., Cover and freeze for 2 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.

CARAMEL PECAN ICE CREAM DESSERT

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, pecans and brown sugar. Add butter; mix well. Spread in a thin layer in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Crumble while warm; cool., Press half of crumb mixture into a 13x9-in. dish. Drizzle with half of caramel sauce; spread with ice cream. Top with remaining caramel sauce and crumb mixture. Cover and freeze until firm. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.

PEANUT BRITTLE AND CARAMEL CRUNCH ICE CREAM PIE

Steps:

• For caramel sauce:
• Place cream in small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring just to simmer. Mix in butter and sea salt; set vanilla cream aside.
• Stir sugar, 1/3 cup water, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla cream (mixture will bubble). Set sauce aside.
• For pie:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 9-inch-diameter pie dish with foil. Finely grind graham crackers and brown sugar in processor. Add butter and vanilla; blend until moist crumbs form. Add nuts; blend just until finely chopped. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumbs firmly onto bottom and up sides of foil-lined pie dish. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake crust until brown, about 15 minutes. Freeze 1 hour. Using foil, lift crust from dish; carefully peel off foil. Return crust to pie dish. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over bottom of crust. Freeze 30 minutes. Spoon 1 1/2 pints ice cream into crust; smooth top. Drizzle 3 tablespoons peanut butter over, then 2 tablespoons sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup brittle. Freeze 1 hour. Spoon remaining 1 1/2 pints ice cream over; smooth top. Drizzle 2 tablespoons peanut butter over, then 2 tablespoons sauce. Sprinkle edge of pie with 1/2 cup brittle. Freeze 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Pie can be made 3 days ahead; tent with foil and freeze. Cover and chill remaining sauce.
• Cut pie into wedges. Rewarm sauce and pass separately.

CARAMEL MACCHIATO ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Whisk together milk, instant coffee granules, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream, then cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions until it reaches "soft-serve" consistency. Transfer half of the ice cream to a one- or two-quart lidded plastic container. Pour half of the caramel sauce over the top, then repeat the layers with the remaining ice cream and caramel. Swirl the caramel into the ice cream using a chopstick or knife. Cover surface with plastic wrap and seal. For best results, ice cream should ripen in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

PECAN CARAMEL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place caramel ice cream topping into a microwave-safe container and heat in microwave until slightly warmed and softened, 10 to 30 seconds.
• Whisk caramel topping, milk, sweetened condensed milk, instant vanilla pudding mix, vanilla extract and salt in a large mixing bowl until pudding mix has dissolved and batter is smooth.
• Cover bowl and chill batter thoroughly, at least 6 hours to overnight.
• Pour chilled batter into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions; stir pecans into soft ice cream at end of freezing time.
• Serve soft if desired. If a harder ice cream is preferred, pack pecan ice cream into a lidded container and freeze to desired consistency.

CARAMEL-MOCHA ICE CREAM DESSERT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange crackers in a single layer in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in pecans. Pour over crackers; spread to cover crackers., Bake 8-10 minutes or until bubbly. Cool completely on a wire rack., Crush cracker mixture into coarse crumbs; sprinkle half into an ungreased 13x9-in. dish. Spread with dulce de leche ice cream. Cover and freeze for 1 hour or until firm., Drizzle with ice cream topping and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Cover and freeze 30 minutes or until ice cream topping is set., Spread with coffee ice cream; freeze. In a small bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in coffee liqueur. Spread over top of dessert. Cover and freeze 4 hours or until firm., Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with chocolate curls.

ORANGE CARAMEL ICE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook and stir brown sugar and cream over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil; cook until mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in milk and orange extract. Cover and refrigerate. , Just before serving, warm over low heat. Serve with ice cream or dessert of choice.

NUTTY CARAMEL ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press 2 cups onto bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Spoon half of ice cream into prepared pan. Freeze for 20 minutes. , Repeat layers with remaining cookie crumbs and ice cream. Spread with whipped topping. Sprinkle with almonds and toffee bits. Freeze, covered, overnight or until firm. May be frozen up to 2 months., To use frozen cake: Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with syrup.

COFFEE CARAMEL SWIRL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Make caramel swirl:
• In a 3-quart heavy saucepan boil sugar, corn syrup, water, and a pinch salt over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Boil mixture, without stirring, gently swirling pan, until a deep golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and carefully pour cream and vanilla down side of pan (mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden). Simmer mixture, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and cool caramel. Caramel swirl may be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered. Bring caramel swirl to room temperature before using. (If caramel swirl is too stiff to pour, heat slightly.)
• Make custard:
• In a dry 5-quart heavy kettle cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, gently swirling kettle, until deep golden. Remove kettle from heat and carefully pour cream and milk down side of kettle (mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden). Simmer mixture, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.
• In a large bowl lightly beat eggs. Add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into kettle. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170°F. (Do not let boil.) Whisk in espresso powder and vanilla until espresso powder is dissolved. Pour custard through a fine sieve into another large bowl and cool. Chill custard, its surface covered with wax paper, until cold, at least 3 hours, and up to 2 days.
• Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker, in 2 batches if necessary. Transfer one third ice cream to a 2-quart airtight container and drizzle one third caramel swirl over it. Repeat layering with remaining ice cream and caramel swirl. Freeze ice cream until hard, at least 8 hours, and up to 1 week.

SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place sugar in a deep, heavy saucepan set over medium heat. Stir continuously and break up any lumps of sugar-this will help the sugar caramelize evenly. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring with a spatula to dissolve the sugar, then simmer, without stirring, until the caramel turns the color of a copper penny (or an Irish setter), about 4 minutes. If, while the caramel cooks, any sugar crystallizes on the sides of the pan, brush down the sides with a clean, wet pastry brush. Reduce the heat to low, and slowly add 1/2 cup of the cream (the caramel will rise and bubble and might spit, so be careful). Stir until the cream is well incorporated into the caramel. Remove from the heat and stir in salt. Should the caramel seize and harden, return the mixture to the heat and stir until it softens. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set another bowl over it. Set aside.Pour the milk and remaining 1 1/2 cups cream into a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water). Add the vanilla bean seeds and pod and warm the mixture until you see steam rising from the top.Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, with a kitchen towel underneath it to prevent slipping, whisk together the egg yolks until uniform. While whisking, add a splash of the hot dairy mixture to the yolks. Continue to add the dairy mixture, whisking it in bit by bit, until you've added about half. Add the yolk mixture to the remaining dairy mixture in the double boiler, and stir in the caramel. Set the heat under the double boiler to medium and cook the custard, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat to medium-low as necessary, until steam begins to rise from the surface and the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Hold the spoon horizontally and run your finger through the custard. If the trail left by your finger stays separated, the custard is ready to be cooled.Strain the custard into the bowl sitting over the prepared ice bath and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the custard has cooled. Transfer the custard to a quart-sized container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, preferably, overnight.Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker, add the salted caramel, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place the container in which you refrigerated the custard in the freezer so you can use it to store the finished ice cream. Churn the ice cream until the texture resembles "soft serve." Transfer the ice cream to the chilled storage container and freeze until hardened to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately-it will be the consistency of gelato. The ice cream will keep, frozen, for up to 7 days.

BROWN SUGAR ICE CREAM WITH A GINGER-CARAMEL SWIRL

Steps:

• Make the base
• 1. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up, then whisk in half of the brown sugar (1/4 cup). Set aside.
• 2. In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, salt, and the remaining brown sugar (1/4 cup) and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.
• 3. Carefully scoop out about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture and, whisking the eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the bowl with the yolks. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir the cream in the saucepan as you slowly pour the egg-and-cream mixture from the bowl into the pan.
• 4. Cook the mixture carefully over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, coats the back of a spatula, and holds a clear path when you run your finger across the spatula, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• 5. Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Set the container into an ice-water bath, wash your spatula, and use it to stir the base occasionally until it is cool. Remove the container from the ice-water bath, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the base for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• While the ice cream base cools, make the swirl
• 6. Set the cream by the stove so it's at hand when you need it. Put 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a heavy nonreactive saucepan, and put the pan over medium-high heat. When the sugar is melted around the edges and starts turn amber in places (about 2 minutes), stir the mixture gently and add another 2 tablespoons sugar to the pan.
• 7. Continue to add the remaining sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring frequently and allowing most of the sugar to melt before you add more. Watch carefully as the sugar darkens, stirring gently to help it melt evenly.
• Tip: Keep in mind that the flavor of the ice cream hinges on how dark you take the caramel. We take ours to a very dark, almost reddish, stage, which produces our intense signature flavor.
• 8. When the caramel becomes a dark mahogany color, remove the pan from the heat and immediately but slowly pour the cream into the pan. (The mixture will steam and bubble up, so wear oven mitts and be very careful to avoid splatters and steam burns.) When the bubbling subsides, gently stir to completely blend the cream into the caramel. If you have lumps of hardened caramel in your pan, simply put the pan over low heat and stir until the caramel is melted.
• 9. Stir in the ginger paste and salt and let cool. (You can make the swirl up to 2 weeks ahead of time. Keep it refrigerated, but let it come to room temperature before using.)
• Freeze the ice cream
• 10. When the base is completely chilled, freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the ice cream is churning, put the container you'll use to store the ice cream into the freezer.
• 11. As you transfer the ice cream to the storage container, drizzle in the caramel after every few scoopfuls, using about 6 tablespoons of the caramel (or more if you like). When all the ice cream is in the container, use a chopstick or butter knife to gently swirl the mixture. Enjoy right away or, for a firmer ice cream, freeze for at least 4 hours.
• Tip: The swirl recipe makes more than you need (the recipe won't work in smaller quantities). You can thin the leftovers with a little cream and use as a sundae topping, or you can enjoy it right off the spoon!

CREAMY CARAMEL-PEAR ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Cook pears, 2 tablespoons white sugar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat until pears are soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat; cool pear mixture for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender. Puree pear mixture and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.
• Whisk egg yolks and 1 cup white sugar in a bowl. Heat 2 1/2 cups cream and milk in a large saucepan over medium-low heat just until bubbles appear at the edge; do not boil. Remove cream and milk from heat and whisk egg yolk mixture into cream and milk by small amounts until all egg yolk mixture is incorporated. Return to medium heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Stir strained pear mixture into custard. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill in refrigerator overnight.
• Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, unsalted butter, and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt in a heavy saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and stir until smooth; bring to a low boil. Stirring constantly, cook caramel until thickened and light golden brown, about 3 minutes; remove from heat, and let caramel cool for 5 minutes. Whisk 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream into caramel. Transfer caramel to a bowl, cover, and chill overnight.
• Pour custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. When ice cream is softly frozen, lightly mix about 1 cup caramel into ice cream to make caramel swirls. Transfer ice cream to a bowl, cover, and freeze overnight.

CARAMEL PECAN ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In med bowl, place all ingredients except pecans. Whisk until well blended and pudding is dissolved.
• Cover and chill for at least 6 hours.
• Follow instructions for your ice cream maker.
• Add nuts when they suggest.

ICE CREAM SUNDAE WITH HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Spoon two large scoops of ice cream into each of four dessert bowls. Divide the chopped peanuts between the bowls; then sprinkle each with some cookie crumbs, drizzle with some caramel sauce, and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Serve.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the sandwich cookies to a food processor and pulse to coarse crumbs. Spread the crumbs out evenly on a baking sheet and drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Use crumbs as an ice cream topping, for crunch.
• Combine the brown sugar, butter, cream and salt in a medium saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the mixture is smooth and saucy, about 5 minutes.

BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM PIE WITH CARAMEL TOPPING

Steps:

• Coarsely shop nuts in processor. Set aside 1/4 cup nuts for garnish. Add graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar to remaining nuts in processor and blend until nuts are finely ground. Add melted butter and process until moist clumps form. Press nut mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie dish. Freeze crust 15 minutes.
• Spoon ice cream into crust, packing firmly and mounding in center. Freeze pie until ice cream is firm, about 1 hour.
• Drizzle some caramel topping over pie. Sprinkle with reserved chopped nuts. Serve pie immediately or cover and freeze up to 2 days