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A waffle cone with two scoops of salted caramel ice cream that has been inserted into a metal holder with two other cones in the background.

Creamy Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Homemade Ice Cream, how to make caramel ice cream
Prep Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Chill, Churn, and Freeze Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 11 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 596kcal
This Creamy Salted Caramel Ice Cream is so decadently divine. The caramel is just slightly bitter and balances perfectly with the sweet custard. And the finishing salt puts it over the top. Amazing!
Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • cups heavy cream divided
  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt or finishing salt, such as Maldon
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup toffee bits for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Heat the sugar and water in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until starts to bubble. Stop stirring and continue to cook, swirling the skillet periodically. Continue this process (without stirring) until it is deep amber in color, about another 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • Meanwhile, warm 1¼ cup of the heavy cream.
  • Add the butter and the warmed cream into the sugar mixture, and stir constantly until smooth (it will bubble vigorously for a minute, but will calm down).
  • Transfer to a bowl and stir in the salt and vanilla.
  • Chill until no longer warm, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring milk, the remaining cup of cream, and the maple syrup to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and then add half of the hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly.
  • Pour all of the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats the back of the spoon, 4 - 5 minutes. (Don't let come to a boil). If it starts to scramble, take off the heat and stir continuously until smooth and thickened.
  • Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.
  • Refrigerate the custard for 3 hours, or overnight.
  • Freeze custard in an ice cream maker (it will be soft), then transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer until firm, 4 hours, or overnight.
  • Serve with toffee bits sprinkled on top, if desired.

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
The caramel sauce may seem a little thin. Once you chill it in the fridge, it will thicken somewhat. It's not as thick as jarred caramel sauce. 
We love adding in our favorite add-ins during the last 10 minutes of churning. Our favorites are toffee bits, Heath Bar bits, butterscotch morsels, or chocolate chips. 
The ice cream can be frozen for up to several weeks. If it melts slightly, simply re-freeze and it will still be delicious. 

Nutrition

Calories: 596kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 398mg | Potassium: 183mg | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 1597IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1mg