Espresso Vanilla Ice Cream

Aug 18, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Ice cream frozen desserts Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Beans Medium

Espresso vanilla ice cream made with Mexican vanilla

Espresso ice cream flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An intermediate recipe: 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus chilling and freezing; serves 8. Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Chill & Freeze 8 hr

Total 8 hr 35 min

Servings 8

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (480.0 ml)heavy cream
1.0 cup (240.0 ml)whole milk
¾ cup (150.0 g)granulated sugar
6.0large egg yolks
⅛ tspfine sea salt
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped
1.0 tsp (2.0 g)espresso powder

Make it at home

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Instructions

Warm the cream, milk, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until it steams and small bubbles form at the edges, about 5 minutes. Don't let it boil.
Whisk the espresso powder into the warm cream mixture until fully dissolved.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until the mixture turns pale yellow and thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
Slowly pour about a cup of the hot cream into the yolks while whisking constantly, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook gently, stirring, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170°F/77°C).
Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl, then chill until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions until thick, with a soft-serve consistency.
Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 4 hours, until firm enough to scoop.

Tips

Espresso powder deepens vanilla without making it taste like coffee; add more only if you want a true coffee flavor.
Don't toss the scraped pods: tuck them into a jar of sugar for homemade vanilla sugar.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Choosing vanilla: Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky) suits this recipe best; Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla ice cream?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 8 hr chill & freeze. The recipe makes 8 servings.

How should I store vanilla ice cream?

Keep it in an airtight container in the freezer with plastic wrap pressed on the surface; it tastes best within 2 weeks.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This version uses 1 split vanilla bean. You can swap in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead; they're interchangeable at these amounts. Beans give the most visible specks and the fullest aroma.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

334 Calories / serving

25.5g Fat

22.4g Carbs

4.6g Protein

21.9g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~2672 cal · 204g fat · 179g carbs · 37g protein · 175g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 334 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 63 min·3.7 mi·~7350 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 45 min·2.3 mi·~4500 steps
Moderate cycling 34 min·6.8 mi
Swimming laps 47 min
Jogging 33 min·2.8 mi·~5300 steps
Stair climbing 31 min·~2800 steps
Dancing 54 min
Bodyweight circuit training 34 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 78 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.