New Zealand Hokey Pokey Ice Cream
New Zealand's most iconic ice cream flavor, featuring creamy vanilla ice cream studded with crunchy pieces of homemade honeycomb toffee (hokey pokey).
🧂 Ingredients
- 500 ml Double cream
- 250 ml Whole milk
- 125 g Granulated sugar(for ice cream base)
- 4 large Egg yolks
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract or paste
- 2 tbsp Golden syrup (or light corn syrup)(for honeycomb)
- 5 tbsp Granulated sugar(for honeycomb)
- 1 tsp Baking soda(for honeycomb)
- 100 g Honeycomb toffee (hokey pokey)(crushed, for mixing into ice cream)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Make the ice cream base: In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, 125g sugar, and vanilla. Heat gently until steaming but not boiling. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks until pale. Temper the egg yolks by slowly whisking in about half of the hot cream mixture. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan.
⏱️ 10 minutes - 2
Cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (do not boil). Strain into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight.
⏱️ 2-3 hours minimum - 3
Make the honeycomb: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a saucepan, combine 5 tbsp sugar and golden syrup. Heat over medium heat, stirring until melted. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes until it turns a rich amber color. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda – the mixture will foam up dramatically.
⏱️ 5-7 minutes - 4
Immediately pour the honeycomb mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Let it cool completely until hard, about 30 minutes. Once cool, break into small pieces.
⏱️ 30 minutes - 5
Churn the ice cream: Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
⏱️ 20-30 minutes - 6
Gently fold in most of the crushed honeycomb pieces into the churned ice cream. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, layering with any remaining honeycomb. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
⏱️ 4 hours minimum
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ensure the custard is completely chilled before churning for the best texture.
- ✓Work quickly when making the honeycomb, as it sets fast.
- ✓Save some larger pieces of honeycomb for topping.
🔄 Variations
- Use a good quality vanilla ice cream base.
- For a no-churn version, whip the chilled custard base until fluffy, then fold in the honeycomb and freeze, stirring every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours.