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Prep time
6 hours
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Makes
about 1 quart
Author Notes
Store-bought beet juice does all the work here. (You can find it at more and more supermarkets, like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. But if you can’t find it, here’s a quickie guide on how to juice without a juicer.) The ice cream’s bright fuchsia color speaks for itself (just look at it!). And the flavor is just as eye-opening—earthy and juicy, but not so vegetal that you forget you’re eating dessert. While corn syrup doesn’t appear in most ice cream ingredient lists, if you ask me, it should. It sidesteps any crystallization, which is a fancy way of saying: Get ready for the creamiest ice cream of your life. (Frozen dessert Genius Max Falkowitz turned me on to this smart technique years ago and it’s been upping my summer game ever since.) Like any other flavor, beet ice cream is very good with hot fudge on top. But it’s just as good with a plop of tangy crème fraîche or sour cream, sweetened with a spoonful of sugar, or not. Assuming this makes you a vegetable ice cream convert (it will!), try these flavors next: carrot and corn. —Emma Laperruque
Ingredients
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2 cups
beet juice
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1 1/4 cups
heavy cream
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3/4 cup
light corn syrup
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3/4 cup
granulated sugar
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1 teaspoon
cider vinegar
Directions
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Plan ahead: Make sure the bowl of your ice cream machine is in the freezer for at least 24 hours before you churn.
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Combine the beet juice, heavy cream, corn syrup, sugar, and kosher salt in a blender. Process until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Chill in the fridge until completely cold.
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Right before churning, stir in the cider vinegar, and taste. Adjust the salt and vinegar as needed.
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Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then freeze for at least a few hours before serving.
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.
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