Vanilla Ginger Custard Ice Cream

Jul 19, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

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

Scoops of vanilla ginger 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. Ginger adds flavor and texture. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); 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
¾ cup (150.0 g)granulated sugar
6.0 (108.0 g)large egg yolks
⅛ tsp (0.75 g)fine sea salt
½ (2.0 g)VanillaGoods vanilla bean, split and scraped

Flavor Accent

1.0 tsp (2.0 g)ground ginger

Make it at home

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Instructions

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean bowl. Warm the cream, milk, half of the sugar, and the vanilla in a saucepan until steaming. Small bubbles may appear around the edge, but the dairy should not boil.
Whisk the ground ginger 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. 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. Transfer to a shallow freezer container. 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.
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.
Best vanilla for this: Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla ginger 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?

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.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

338 Calories / serving

26.1g Fat

22.5g Carbs

4.6g Protein

22.1g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~2704 cal · 209g fat · 180g carbs · 37g protein · 177g sugar

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

Per serving · 338 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 64 min·3.7 mi·~7500 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 46 min·2.3 mi·~4600 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 55 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.