Vanilla Cherry Cardamom Custard Ice Cream

Aug 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Ice cream frozen desserts Origin: Tahitian Vanilla: Extract Medium

Scoops of vanilla cherry cardamom custard ice cream in a ceramic bowl

This French-style ice cream uses an egg-yolk custard for a rich, smooth texture and a long vanilla finish. Real cherries add bright, tangy fruit flavor that stands up to the rich vanilla. Cardamom adds flavor and texture. Best with Tahitian vanilla (floral, cherry, anise); any pure vanilla works.

Prep 25 min

Cook 15 min

Chill 8 hr

Total 8 hr 40 min

Servings 8

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (480.0 ml)heavy cream
1.0 cup (240.0 ml)whole milk
10.0 tbsp (120.0 g)granulated sugar
6.0 (108.0 g)large egg yolks
⅛ tsp (0.75 g)fine sea salt
2 ¼ tsp (11.25 ml)VanillaGoods vanilla extract
2.0 cups (260.0 g)pitted fresh or frozen cherries, chopped
2.0 tbsp (30.0 g)granulated sugar for cherry compote
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)fresh lemon juice

Flavor Accent

¾ tsp (1.5 g)ground cardamom

Make it at home

As an Amazon Associate, VanillaGoods earns from qualifying purchases. We only suggest tools that fit this recipe.

Instructions

Combine the cherries, the 30 g sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the cherries soften and their juices reduce to a loose, glossy compote, about 8 to 10 minutes. Mash about half the fruit, leaving some pieces intact, then cool and refrigerate the compote until completely cold.
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean bowl. Warm the cream, milk, and half of the sugar in a saucepan until steaming. Small bubbles may appear around the edge, but the dairy should not boil.
Whisk the ground cardamom into the warm dairy until evenly dispersed before tempering the yolks. The accent should be evenly distributed with no visible pockets.
Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and salt until the mixture is smooth and slightly lighter in color.
Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the hot dairy into the yolks. Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. The custard is ready at about 170°F (77°C), when it lightly coats the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through it leaves a clean path.
Immediately strain the custard into the clean bowl and stir in the vanilla. Set the bowl over an ice bath and stir until the custard is no longer hot. Cooling it quickly protects the texture and shortens the time it spends warm.
Cover and refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until completely cold.
Churn in an ice cream maker according to the machine's instructions. During the final minute of churning, add about two-thirds of the cold cherry compote. Transfer to the freezer container in layers with the remaining compote, giving only one or two gentle swirls so the vanilla custard and cherry remain distinct. Stop churning when the ice cream is thick and holds soft ridges like soft serve.
Freeze for at least 4 hours before scooping. For easier scooping, let the container stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips

Optional add-in: fold 95 g toasted almonds, pecans or pistachios (cooled and chopped) into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional add-in, cacao nibs: fold 95 g cacao nibs into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Optional finish, cocoa dusting (1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder): sift the finishing cocoa through a fine sieve in a light, even cocoa dusting over the frozen scoops just before serving. The finish should stay on the surface without melting into the dessert.
Optional add-in, toasted coconut: fold 95 g unsweetened toasted coconut flakes, cooled into the finished dough or batter just until evenly distributed.
Vanilla bean paste swaps 1:1 for the extract and adds visible vanilla seeds; for a whole bean, use the seeds of 1 bean in place of 2 teaspoons of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Tahitian (floral, cherry, anise), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla cherry cardamom custard ice cream?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 8 hours to rest, chill, or cool. It makes 1 quart.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Vanilla bean paste swaps 1:1 for the extract and adds visible vanilla seeds; for a whole bean, use the seeds of 1 bean in place of 2 teaspoons of extract.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

362 Calories / serving

26.1g Fat

28.0g Carbs

5.0g Protein

26.5g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~2896 cal · 209g fat · 224g carbs · 40g protein · 212g sugar

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

Per serving · 362 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 68 min·4.0 mi·~7950 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 49 min·2.5 mi·~4900 steps
Moderate cycling 37 min·7.4 mi
Swimming laps 51 min
Jogging 35 min·2.9 mi·~5600 steps
Stair climbing 33 min·~2950 steps
Dancing 59 min
Bodyweight circuit training 37 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 84 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.