Black sesame ice cream is a rich egg-custard ice cream colored deep gray by freshly toasted, ground black sesame seeds. It tastes nutty, roasted and faintly bitter, like a cross between peanut butter and dark caramel. Makes 8 servings in about 8 hr 5 min.
Prep20 min
Cook15 min
Cooling7 hr 30 min
Total
8 hr 5 min
Servings
8
DietGluten free
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Half or one-and-a-half batches fit most 1.5-2 quart ice cream makers; churn in batches if yours is small.
7 tbsp (60 g)black sesame seeds
1 tbsp (20 g)honey
1 ¼ cups (300 ml)whole milk
1 ⅔ cups (400 ml)heavy cream, divided: 200 ml and 200 ml cold
Toast the black sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and starting to pop, 3 to 4 minutes. Spread on a plate and cool for 10 minutes.
Grind the seeds in a spice grinder in short pulses until they turn into a damp, clumpy paste, then mix in the honey. Set aside.
Heat the whole milk, 200 ml of the heavy cream, 60 g of the sugar and the fine salt in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming, about 5 minutes.
Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 60 g sugar until pale. Slowly whisk in half the hot milk mixture, then pour everything back into the pan.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula and reaches 170 to 175°F (77 to 80°C), 6 to 8 minutes. Do not let it boil.
Strain the custard into a bowl containing the remaining 200 ml cold heavy cream, then whisk in the sesame paste. Set the bowl in ice water and stir until cool, about 20 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Churn in an ice cream maker until it looks like thick soft-serve, 20 to 25 minutes. Pack into the freezer container and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
Tips
Watch the seeds closely; black sesame burns fast and turns bitter, and you cannot see it darken.
For a smoother ice cream, blend the cooled custard with the sesame paste for 30 seconds before chilling.
Let the ice cream stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping.
Cook the custard to at least 160°F (71°C); 170 to 175°F (77 to 80°C) on an instant-read thermometer gives the right thickness.
Made this?
Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.
How long does it take to make black sesame ice cream?
Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 7 hours 30 minutes to chill, freeze and rest. The recipe makes 8 servings.
How should I store black sesame ice cream?
Freeze in an airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed on the surface, up to 2 weeks.
Can I make black sesame ice cream ahead?
Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.
Black sesame is one of the best-loved dessert flavors in Taiwan, used in soups, mochi and ice cream; this custard version is made with freshly toasted and ground seeds. Serve it with hot oolong tea.
Variations
Black sesame swirl: churn the custard plain and stir the sesame paste, loosened with 15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil, through it in the last 30 seconds of churning. Time unchanged.
Black sesame and peanut: replace 20 g of the black sesame seeds with 20 g (2 1/2 tbsp) roasted peanuts, ground with the seeds.
Mochi bits: fold 80 g (1/2 cup) small cooked and cooled mochi pieces into the ice cream as you pack it.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.
337Calories / serving
25.9gFat
22.4gCarbs
5.6gProtein
20.5gSugar
Whole recipe (8 servings):
~2696 cal ·
207g fat ·
179g carbs ·
45g protein ·
164g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Recipe Rating
0 commentsNo comments yet — be the first to share how this turned out for you.
Leave a comment