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chai ice cream in white bowls with spoons. Red fall leaves are set on the table
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Chai Ice Cream

Homemade chai ice cream is a delightful, creamy, fall-inspired ice cream. It blends the orange, clove, cinnamon, and fennel flavors from your favorite tea and yields a rich, frozen dessert.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword chai ice cream
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 218kcal
Author Lisa Bass

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 5 large egg yolks large eggs
  • 2 black tea bags
  • zest of one orange or lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole fennel
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
  • 1 whole nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cardamom
  • Half a cinnamon stick

Instructions

  • Begin by crushing the cloves, fennel, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon stick in a mortar and pestle.

    Combine whole milk, cream, honey, black pepper, lemon (or orange) zest, tea bags and crushed spices in a medium saucepan.
  • Bring mixture to a gentle simmer and stir well to ensure honey is melted and all ingredients are combined. Remove from heat and allow chai spices to steep in the mixture for 10-15 minutes. Taste the mixture while it steeps until it reaches the strength of chai flavor you desire. Strain the crushed spices from the mixture and return the mixture to the clean pot.
  • Whisk egg yolks separately in a small bowl. Gradually whisk 1⁄2 cup warm cream mixture to the egg yolks to temper the egg yolks. Then, whisk to combine yolk mixture into the remaining cream mixture in the medium saucepan.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, around ten minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Pour custard through a fine, wire-mesh strainer into a bowl.
  • Place the bowl in the fridge to cool for several hours before churning in the ice cream maker, OR place the bowl over an ice bath and stir until the custard is very cold.
  • Pour the cold custard into the ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Once ice cream is churned, pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze for a minimum of 4 hours.

Notes

  • If you have difficulty finding all the whole spices in your grocery store, you can alternatively use 3-4 tea bags of your favorite brand of store bought chai.
  • Taste your mixture as it steeps so you know when it has reached your desired level of chai flavoring.

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 691IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 0.4mg