Freeze

Carrot Ice Cream

June 24, 2019
4.7
3 Ratings
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Prep time 4 hours
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Makes about 6 cups
Author Notes

Carrots usually show up in savory situations, but their sweet, creamy flavor is great in desserts, too. (Just ask carrot cake.) In this thoroughly modern ice cream, carrots get simmered in a mixture of cream, milk, and brown sugar until they’re fork-tender, then blended into a bright-orange ice cream base. A splash of cider vinegar seems out of place, but it keeps the end result balanced and bright, like summer should be. Assuming this makes you a vegetable ice cream convert (it will!), try these flavors next: beet and corn. —Emma Laperruque

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Ingredients
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Directions
  1. Plan ahead: Make sure the bowl of your ice cream machine is in the freezer for at least 24 hours before you churn.
  2. Combine the cream, milk, sugars, and salt in a saucepan set over low heat. Whisk until smooth. Add the carrots and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are fork-tender.
  3. Cool the mixture at room temperature for a little while, then chill in the fridge completely.
  4. After it’s chilled, add to a blender, and blend at high speed until completely smooth. Add the vinegar, and taste. Adjust the vinegar and salt as needed.
  5. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then freeze for at least a few hours before serving.

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Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

3 Reviews

Annabelle July 1, 2019
Could we get a carrot weight? There’s quite a bit of size variation!
Emma L. July 8, 2019
Hi Annabelle! Estimate about 3 ounces per carrot (so, about 12 ounces total).
Olivia N. July 21, 2019
I had very small carrots, so preferred to follow the weight given here. My ice cream came out lacking carrot flavor and was also much less orange than the ice cream in the photo. I think next time I would try using between 18-24 oz of carrots.