You’re going to love this delicious Rhubarb Ice Cream recipe. It’s creamy ice cream with the tartness of the rhubarb puree cooked into the vanilla ice cream base and swirled throughout the ice cream to create a delicious and refreshing treat that’s full of rhubarb flavor.
Jump to:
- Ingredients for this Ice Cream Recipe
- How to Make This Delicious Homemade Ice Cream
- How to Make the Rhubarb Jam
- How to Make the Ice Cream Base
- How to Serve the Ice Cream
- Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe Safety Tips
- If You Love Homemade Ice Cream Try These Flavors
- Rhubarb Ice Cream
This rhubarb ice cream recipe is inspired by a trip to Salt ‘n’ Straw and my love of rhubarb. If you’re a rhubarb lover like I am then you know that rhubarb season is short and you try to take advantage of using it whenever you can. Also, check out my recipes for Rhubarb Hand Pies and Rhubarb Crumb Cake.
Ingredients for this Ice Cream Recipe
Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make this absolutely delicious rhubarb ice cream.
- Fresh Rhubarb. Fresh rhubarb is the major flavor component. It’s used to create a simple jam to flavor the ice cream base and as a swirl, once the ice cream is churned
- Granulated Sugar. The sugar sweetens both the rhubarb jam and the ice cream base
- Egg Yolks. Use large egg yolks for this recipe which weigh about 20 grams each. Egg yolks are used to create the ice cream base custard and provide a creamy, satisfying mouth feel when eating ice cream.
- Orange Zest. The orange zest provides a subtle floral, citrusy flavor to the jam.
- Heavy Cream. The high-fat content in heavy cream coats ice crystals, preventing them from enlarging which leads to the creamy texture we associate with ice cream.
- Whole Milk. Whole milk in combination with the heavy cream creates a smooth creamy texture. Whole milk is also good a trapping air when the ice cream is churned.
- Corn Syrup. Just a little corn syrup helps slow the formation of ice crystals, which results in smoother ice cream.
- Vanilla Extract. Is a delicious flavor that compliments both the rhubarb and ice cream base. It’s added after the custard has been cooked so the flavor is not reduced by the heat from cooking the custard.
How to Make This Delicious Homemade Ice Cream
This ice cream was inspired by a trip Salt 'n' Straw. I ordered their rhubarb ice cream after tasting a sample, but unfortunately, my scoop didn’t have any swirls of rhubarb jam in it. That’s right, I got the one scoop of ice cream without swirls of jam after having a sample that had a nice big swirl. So I decided to make my own. The recipe has two components - the Rhubarb Jam and the Ice Cream Base.
How to Make the Rhubarb Jam
This delicious ice cream starts by making simple rhubarb jam. Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and orange zest and then let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. This step will create enough liquid to cook the rhubarb with without adding additional water.
Start out by cooking the jam over medium-high heat then reduce it to medium and cook the rhubarb until the rhubarb is completely broken down and easy to mash with the back of a large spoon or with a potato masher.
Pour the jam into a large bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
How to Make the Ice Cream Base
Combine the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, corn syrup, and egg yolks into a 4-quart medium saucepan and whisk together the ingredients until smooth. Add a portion of the rhubarb jam and whisk into the custard base
Cook the base over medium heat until it reached 175 degrees F. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. This step removes any large pieces of rhubarb and bits of cooked egg. We want a smooth texture for our base.
Immediately cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 6 hours or overnight until the base is about 45 degrees F. The ice cream base needs to be thoroughly chilled to work in the ice cream maker.
Once the base is chilled churn the rhubarb custard in the ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions for your model. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe storage container in 3 layers, alternating with dollops of remaining jam. Use a small spoon or spatula to swirl the jam into the cream with just two or three turns of the spoon.
If you’re using an open container like a loaf pan cover the surface of the ice with two layers of plastic wrap then a large piece of foil and place it on a level surface in the freezer for at least 4 hours. If using an ice cream container, like the Tovola, fill the container to the top and cover with the provided lid.
How to Serve the Ice Cream
Since the corn syrup keeps the ice cream soft, you can serve this ice cream immediately, no need to let it sit on the counter to soften The ice cream tastes great all by itself, but you can serve it topped with strawberry sauce, rhubarb compote, or streusel crumb topping.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Add any flavorings like vanilla extract after the ice cream base (the custard) has cooked.
- Thoroughly chill the custard to ensure it's cold as possible before churning it. I recommend refrigerating the ice cream overnight to ensure the best results
- Don't skip the addition of corn syrup. The corn syrup helps ensure the cake doesn't freeze as hard.
- If you're using an ice cream maker that requires the bowl to be frozen before using, freeze the bowl for at least 24 hours before using.
- When making the custard don't walk away from the stove and don't let the temperature gove above 175F to prevent the curdling of the eggs.
Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
The ice cream will last 2-3 weeks in the freezer. After this time, the ice cream starts to develop ice crystals which can affect the taste.
Let the ice cream sit on the counter for about 10-15 minutes (less on a warm day) to let it soften. You can also run the ice cream scoop under hot water, dry it off and use it to scoop the ice cream.
The ice cream may be grainy because the custard was cooked to too high a temperature and slightly curdled the eggs.
Recipe Safety Tips
While rhubarb tastes great in a variety of desserts, the leaves of the plant are poisonous, so do not eat the leaves and make sure they are completely cut off or removed from the rhubarb stalk before using it in this or any other recipe.
If You Love Homemade Ice Cream Try These Flavors
I hope you try this incredibly yummy, tart, and delicious ice cream. If you do make it please rate the recipe below. And please SUBSCRIBE to the baking newsletter and CONNECT with me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST
Rhubarb Ice Cream
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (236 ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 6 large (120 grams) egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) corn syrup
Rhubarb Jam
- 1 pound (454 grams) rhubarb
- 1-1/4 cups (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Rhubarb Jam
- Cut off any green parts on the rhubarb stalks and wash the rhubarb. Cut the rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces and place them in a large saucepan. Add the sugar and toss to combine the sugar and the rhubarb. Let it sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes there should be some liquid in the bowl.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the rhubarb to simmer (little bubbles appear to the side and steam is rising from the liquid). Reduce the heat to medium and cook the rhubarb while stirring continuously until the rhubarb becomes soft and starts to break down. Once it becomes soft use the back of a large spoon to smash the rhubarb. Continue cooking until it is thick like jam.
- Pour the rhubarb into a measuring cup. There should be about 1-2/3 cups of rhubarb jam. Let the jam cool to room temperature, about 75-80 degrees F.
- Clean the saucepan so it can be used to make the ice cream base.
Make the Ice Cream Base
- Place the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, egg yolks, and corn syrup in the 4-quart saucepan and whisk until the ingredient are combined and milk is slightly yellow from the egg yolks.
- Place a large bowl with a fine mesh strainer next to the stove.
- Add about 3/4 cup of the rhubarb jam to the cream mixture and whisk to combine. Place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly until the ice cream base reaches 175 degrees F. Don’t let the mixture boil or will curdle.
- Pour the ice cream base through the strainer to remove the pieces of rhubarb and any bits of cooked egg. Press the rhubarb with the back of a large spoon to get as much liquid as possible into the bowl.
- Stir in the vanilla extract. Chill the base for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Once the base is chilled churn the rhubarb custard in the ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions for your model. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe storage container or some type of airtight container. Add the ice cream in three layers and alternate the ice cream with dollops of remaining jam. Use a small spoon or spatula to swirl the jam into the cream with just two or three turns of the spoon.
- If you’re using an open container like a loaf pan cover the surface of the ice with two layers of plastic wrap then a large piece of foil and place it on a level surface in the freezer for at least 4 hours. If using an ice cream container, like the Tovolo, fill the container to the top and cover with the provided lid.
- Freeze the ice cream for at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve the ice cream, let it sit on the counter for 10-15 if it’s hard.
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