How To Make Honey Ice Cream

The Perfect Celebration of Fall Flavors

If you’re craving refined sugar-free sweet treats, this honey ice cream is for you! It’s a great way to use that honey harvest, is perfect for hot days, and is absolutely delicious served over homemade apple pie! Even people who say they don’t like honey will enjoy this recipe. You’ll want to make this fabulous dessert anytime you’re craving homemade fresh ice cream!

Why Use Honey in Ice Cream?

Lots of people want to eat less refined sugar. Did you know the average American eats almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year?! Eating less refined sugar is a great goal, and honey has a lot of benefits over sugar.

• Honey is an antioxidant powerhouse that may help to prevent heart disease.
• Honey also has a lower glycemic index than sugar, so it raises the body’s blood sugar levels more slowly.
• Honey is sweeter than sugar so you can use less sweetener.
• Honey is full of complex and varied flavors – it’s so much more delicious than sugar!

Interesting Ice Cream Facts

Although some sources say ice cream originated in Persia around 550 BCE, Roman Emperor Nero is often credited for first creating a sorbet-like ice cream by traveling to the Italian Alps for ice that he had mixed with honey and wine. Ice cream has been a favorite treat for a long time!

• Ice cream must have some type of sweetener: either sugar, honey, or maple syrup. Which one you use is your personal preference. Some people think cane sugar is the best sweetener, but people who enjoy honey and maple syrup flavors also really like ice cream sweetened without refined sugar. Just keep in mind that if you use honey or maple syrup, you will notice a hint of those flavors in the finished product.
• The best homemade ice cream recipes call for eggs or egg yolks. They act as an emulsifying agent, add texture, and improve the ice cream’s whipping ability.
• Air is the secret hidden ingredient in ice cream! If your ice cream didn’t have air, it would be a solid block of ice. That doesn’t sound too appetizing, does it? My favorite store-bought ice cream, Ben & Jerry’s, claims to have 20% air in their ice cream. The legal limit of air in commercial ice cream is 50% air – which means every spoonful is half air and half ice cream.
• To control the amount of air in your homemade ice cream, change how full you fill your ice cream making canister. Filling the canister fuller will result in less air.

Let’s make honey ice cream!

Making honey ice cream isn’t difficult, but it does take a little planning. There’s a small amount of cooking involved, and it also needs to chill overnight before you put it in the ice cream maker. Also, do remember that honey should not be given to children under one year of age.

Tools to Make Honey Ice Cream

• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Bowls – try this stoneware batter bowl
• Strainer – a jelly strainer works well if you don’t have a fine mesh strainer
• An ice cream maker

I love my Stoneware Honey Pot for keeping honey on the table! If you have dairy animals on the farm, you might also love the matching Stoneware Butter Churn!

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 ½ cups whole milk
• ½ cup raw honey
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Whisk the egg yolks in a small mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Heat the whipping cream, whole milk, honey, and salt in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Heat it just to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3. Add ½ cup heated milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from cooking.
4. Now pour the egg mixture in the saucepan, again whisking constantly as you pour. Turn the temperature on to medium-low and cook for 10-12 minutes, whisking often. You should notice the mixture thicken quite a bit.
5. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any cooked egg pieces, then add vanilla and stir well.
6. Cover and chill in your refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
7. Transfer the cream mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the ice cream maker’s instructions.

The greatest thing about this recipe is it makes a great base for all sorts of flavors! Don’t be afraid to add fruit or any of your other favorite mix-ins as well!

About The Author

Michelle Marine is an Eastern Iowa based writer and content creator focusing on eco-conscious family living and travel. Simplify, Live, Love encourages busy families to lead healthier lives and to focus on what matters – good food, fun memories, and dear family and friends.