Chai Ice Cream

5 from 1 vote

Warm spices steeped in honey-sweetened cream, then churned into a fall-inspired, delightfully rich ice cream.

Prep Time25

Cook Time10

Additional Time4

Total Time4 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chai ice cream

Servings: Servings

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.

If you have difficulty finding all the whole spices in your grocery store, you can alternatively use 3 to 4 of your favorite chai tea bags from the store.
Taste your mixture as it steeps so you know when it has reached your desired level of chai flavoring.
Quickly freezing the ice cream to the correct temperature will be the key to how smooth and creamy your final product will be.
Ensure your ice cream machine canister is completely frozen before using it. Your custard mixture also needs to be fully chilled before churning.
Honey is not only a better sweetener option than white sugar for the nutritional benefits, but it also gives a creamier texture to the ice cream and pairs well with the flavors of chai.