Belgian Speculoos Ice Cream
A delightful homemade ice cream infused with the warm, spiced flavors of Belgian speculoos cookies and speculoos spread. This recipe creates a rich, creamy, and intensely flavored dessert perfect for any occasion.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole milk
- 1.5 cups Heavy cream
- 0.5 cup Light brown sugar
- 0.25 cup Granulated sugar
- 6 large Egg yolks
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 0.25 tsp Ground cloves
- 0.25 tsp Ground nutmeg
- 0.25 tsp Ground ginger
- 0.25 tsp Ground cardamom
- 0.25 tsp Salt
- 8 oz Speculoos cookies(about 1.5 cups crumbs, crushed)
- 0.66 cup Speculoos spread(such as Biscoff or Lotus spread)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and heavy cream over medium heat until just simmering. Do not boil.
💡 Tip: Heating the dairy gently helps to infuse flavors and prepare for tempering. - 2
In a separate bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and all the ground spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom) and salt until well combined.
💡 Tip: Whisking the sugars with the yolks helps prevent a grainy texture. - 3
Slowly temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks. Then, pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.
💡 Tip: Tempering is crucial to prevent the eggs from scrambling. - 4
Cook the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 170-175°F or 77-79°C). Do not let it boil.
⏱️ 8-10 minutes💡 Tip: A thermometer is helpful for accuracy, but the 'coat the spoon' test is reliable. - 5
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits of egg. Stir in the crushed speculoos cookies.
💡 Tip: Straining ensures a silky smooth ice cream base. - 6
Cover the custard with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
⏱️ 4 hours minimum - 7
Once the base is well chilled, churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. About 5 minutes before churning is complete, gradually add the speculoos spread, allowing it to swirl into the ice cream.
💡 Tip: If you don't have an ice cream maker, freeze the base in a shallow container, stirring vigorously every 30-45 minutes until frozen. - 8
Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2-4 hours to firm up before serving.
⏱️ 2-4 hours
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use good quality speculoos cookies and spread for the best flavor.
- ✓Ensure the custard is completely chilled before churning for optimal texture.
- ✓For a more intense speculoos flavor, add a few whole crushed cookies during the last few minutes of churning.
🔄 Variations
- Add a tablespoon of bourbon or dark rum to the custard base for an adult twist.
- Swirl in some melted dark chocolate along with the speculoos spread.
- For a coffee-speculoos flavor, steep coffee beans in the milk and cream mixture.