Recipes 4 min read
Creamy Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Recipe – Homemade Argentine Flavor
Dulce de leche ice cream is a deeply indulgent caramel-flavored ice cream with glossy ribbons of dulce de leche folded through it. It’s the kind of dessert you might secretly stash in the back of the freezer so you can savor the last bites alone.
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
If you’ve visited Foodie with Family before, you might know one of my sons is a professional ballet dancer and I sometimes photograph at the conservatory where he studied. Each summer the program brings several students from Argentina, and this year Ximena, a thoughtful chaperone, gifted me a jar of authentic Argentinian Chimbote dulce de leche.
As tempting as it was to eat the jar straight from the spoon, I resisted. My first impulse was to pour it over plain ice cream, but then I remembered the little pints of dulce de leche ice cream from premium brands. Why top the ice cream when you can swirl the dulce de leche into the base and make it part of the ice cream itself?
Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream
I use a simple egg-free ice cream base and melt most of my jar of dulce de leche into one cup of the cream, along with a pinch of kosher salt. A small amount of salt is key when working with caramel: it enhances sweetness and deepens flavor without making the dessert taste salty.
Salt increases the responsiveness of sweet-sensitive taste cells, so adding just a little lifts the caramel notes and makes the overall flavor feel richer. If you like a touch of finishing salt, a few flakes of a good sea salt over the scoop are a lovely contrast.
If you don’t have an imported jar from a friend of the family, you can buy genuine Argentinian dulce de leche or make a close equivalent at home. Extra jars are a welcome problem to have and keep the churn full of possibilities.
How to Make Ice Cream with an Ice Cream Maker
Ice cream machines vary. I use a compressor-style maker that never needs a pre-frozen bowl. It’s convenient when you make several flavors in a row and even accepts a warm base to chill before churning. Other popular options include pre-frozen bowl machines that you chill in the freezer a few hours beforehand, including models compatible with stand mixers. These take up less counter space but require freezer room for the bowl. For larger batches or a traditional feel, electric or hand-crank machines are still reliable choices.
My salted dulce de leche ice cream recipe works well in compressor machines, frozen-bowl machines, and classic churns alike.
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups dulce de leche divided
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
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Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream and 1 cup of the dulce de leche into a saucepan with the sugar. Gently warm over low heat and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining heavy cream, the milk, salt, and vanilla until combined. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or until very cold, or chill overnight.
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Freeze the chilled base in your ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s directions. When churning is complete, spoon in the remaining 1/2 cup dulce de leche in spoonfuls and gently ripple it through the ice cream. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least two hours, or until firm.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the exact ingredients you use if needed.
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