Brown Butter Ice Cream (Rich & Nutty Flavor) is a creamy, nostalgic dessert with a deep, caramelized, nutty taste.
This ice cream brings back a very specific memory for me.
That rich, slightly nutty flavor of browned butter is something you don’t forget. It’s simple, but at the same time very distinctive. When butter turns golden and aromatic, it creates a depth of flavor that works perfectly in a creamy ice cream base.
You can play with it—add fruit, chocolate, or even rum-soaked raisins—but honestly, I like it best just as it is. That pure brown butter flavor is enough.
How to choose the best ingredients for Brown Butter Ice Cream
Heavy cream: Use fresh cream with a clean, neutral taste—it shouldn’t be sour or bitter. You can adjust fat content, but higher fat gives a richer, smoother ice cream
Egg yolks: Use very fresh eggs since they’re only gently heated (to about 85°C / 185°F). A quick water test helps check freshness
Butter: Use real butter only—this is key to the flavor. Substitutes won’t give the same nutty, caramelized taste
Milk: Any milk works, but full-fat gives the creamiest result. Lower-fat versions are fine if you want a lighter option
Powdered sugar: Use powdered sugar so it dissolves smoothly. You can use alternatives like erythritol—just remember you may need a bit more for the same sweetness
Top Tip for Success
- To cool the mixture quickly, place the bowl over ice water—this helps it chill faster and improves the final texture
- A well-chilled base freezes better, especially if you’re using an ice cream maker with a pre-frozen bowl
- This method lets you make more than one batch in a day without waiting for the container to freeze again
- If you replace sugar with a sweetener, you can turn this into a keto-friendly ice cream—just use a powdered version so it dissolves smoothly
- Stir the mixture while cooling to prevent a skin from forming
- Don’t rush the chilling step—the colder the base, the creamier the ice cream
No Waste Idea
- Leftover egg whites? Use them for meringues or sponge cake
- You can freeze egg whites for up to 3 months
- After thawing, they actually whip even better—perfect for desserts
More Frozen Treats I Love
Rum Raisin Ice Cream with White Chocolate
Banana and Strawberry Sorbet No sugar
Brown Butter Ice Cream
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the butter into pieces and put it in a saucepan with a light bottom. Heat the butter over low heat until it turns golden (be careful not to burn the butter)
- When the butter is ready, pour it into a cold vessel. This is an important activity because in a preheated pot, and butter can burn all the time.)
- Heat the cream and milk to about 85 degrees C (185 degrees F)
- Beat the yolks with powdered sugar to a fluffy mass, and then add the cooled milk with cream. Add vanilla extract and mix them.
- Add butter to the prepared mass and heat everything until the mass thickens, stirring all the time.
- Cool the slightly thick mass in cold water.
- Then we pour it into the ice cream machine, and depending on the machine, the ice cream will be made for 3-4.5 hours.
- If you do not have an ice cream machine, put the chilled mass into a container (the container should preferably be larger, up to ⅔ of its height, so that the power can be mixed freely during freezing). Liquids increase their courage during freezing, and it is a good idea to pay attention to the fact that the ice cream does not flow out of the container.
- During freezing, the ice cream is mixed on average every 1-1.5 hours, depending on what temperature the freezer is set to. Ice cream will need 4.5-5 hours to freeze completely.
James says
I love burnt butter! Thank you Daria for sharing this recipe. I think
Lisa says
Today, I made them im an ice cream maker and decided to add chopped pecans at the end for extra crunchy. They turned out great!
Daria says
Fantastic idea Lisa! Pecans will go perfectly with ice cream because burnt butter also has a nutty flavor for which I love it.
Carol says
Daria, what do you think, will this ice cream go well with hot fudge brownie? I feel like making it because I also like the taste of burnt butter and I just thought that chocolate and brown butter ice cream would be ok.
Daria says
I've never eaten this combination but I think this ice cream will go perfectly. You can also try my other ice creams https://mytastywall.com/rum-raisin-ice-cream/ that will also go well with hot fudge browie.