Salted Caramel Vanilla Ice Cream

Aug 5, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

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

Salted caramel vanilla ice cream made with Madagascar vanilla

Salted caramel 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: Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic), or Indonesian (deep, woody, savory). 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
0.33 cup (80.0 ml)salted caramel sauce

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.
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.
Spoon the churned ice cream into a freezer container in layers, drizzling salted caramel between each layer, then freeze for at least 4 hours, until firm enough to scoop.

Tips

Warm the caramel for 10 seconds in the microwave so it drizzles in thin, even ribbons.
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: Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic) suits this recipe best; Indonesian (deep, woody, savory) 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.

375 Calories / serving

26.8g Fat

30.6g Carbs

4.6g Protein

28.5g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~3000 cal · 214g fat · 245g carbs · 37g protein · 228g sugar

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

Per serving · 375 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 71 min·4.1 mi·~8300 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 51 min·2.6 mi·~5100 steps
Moderate cycling 38 min·7.6 mi
Swimming laps 53 min
Jogging 37 min·3.1 mi·~5900 steps
Stair climbing 35 min·~3150 steps
Dancing 61 min
Bodyweight circuit training 38 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 87 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.