Homemade Coffee Ice Cream Recipe
Posted Aug 06, 2021, Updated Feb 04, 2025
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Rich, ultra-creamy, with a bold coffee flavor — this is the best homemade coffee ice cream recipe! It’s easy to make with only 7 ingredients and is better than store-bought or ice cream parlor varieties.
We love using our ice cream maker to create the best versions of our favorite flavors in the comfort of our own home.
I created this coffee ice cream for my son! He has always been my coffee kid, the first time I gave him a sip of my black coffee he loved it. Well, on vacation a few years ago he tried coffee ice cream and declared it was his all-time favorite flavor. So naturally, we had to create the best coffee ice cream recipe so we could make it and enjoy it whenever the craving strikes.
This recipe is rich, ultra-creamy, and has a bold coffee flavor. It’s easy to make with only 7 ingredients and is better than any store-bought variety! Plus, you can use decaf instant coffee to make it caffeine-free if you’re making it for coffee-loving kids like my son!
Coffee Ice Cream: Ingredients
Here are a few notes about the ingredients and possible substitutions in this coffee ice cream recipe.
- Half and half/heavy cream. This recipe calls for 3 cups of liquid dairy. You can change the ratios of half and half : cream if desired, as long as the total amount equals 3 cups. You could also substitute some of the liquid with whole milk.
- Granulated sugar. Organic cane sugar works well in place of white granulated sugar.
- Fine sea salt. if using iodized salt, reduce the amount by half.
- Pure vanilla extract. I don’t recommend using imitation vanilla. However vanilla bean paste is a good substitute.
- Instant Coffee. High quality instant coffee is worth purchasing to make this recipe. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated work well.
How to Make Coffee Ice Cream
This coffee ice cream involves making a custard, straining it and then chilling the mixture for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight). So make sure to begin the process the day before you want to enjoy it!
Make the Custard
To begin, warm the half and half, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking to dissolve sugar.
Then, in a separate bowl beat the egg yolks. Add ½ cup of the warm mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
Next, add the warm egg mixture to the half and half on the stovetop and whisk in the coffee granulates until dissolved.
Cook the custard over medium-low heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly – just barely sticking to the back of a spatula or until it reaches 170 degrees F.
Once thickened, put the heavy cream into a bowl with a fine mesh strainer on top of the bowl. Strain the custard into the heavy cream and discard what is left on the strainer. Add vanilla extract, stir to combine.
Chill
Transfer the coffee ice cream mixture into an airtight container and cool completely in the fridge (preferably overnight).
Churn
Pour the coffee ice cream mixture into an ice cream maker and churn until frozen (about 30-40 minutes).
If desired, add mix-ins like chocolate chunks, a chocolates swirl, or even crumbled coffee cookies (YUM)!
Freeze
Transfer the homemade coffee ice cream to an airtight container and freeze completely, about 4 hours.
Serve
Enjoy this coffee ice cream with a dollop of homemade whipped cream for an extra special treat! Or, serve on top of coffee brownies.
I have also made ice cream cookie sandwiches using coffee cookies and coffee ice cream – to die for! Or, use it as one of the layers in this ice cream cake recipe!
Store
This homemade coffee ice cream can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Ice Cream Making Tools
- Ice cream maker: I have this Cuisinart Ice Cream maker. I bought it at a garage sale and got a great deal on it! This summer I purchased a new one, this Cuisinart Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker because it’s bigger and has a few other more desirable features.
- Storage container: I store our homemade ice cream in a glass tupperware with a lid. There are also great containers that are made for storing ice cream, like these 1-quart storage tubs and this jumbo 2.5 quart container (for larger batches).
- Ice cream scoop: I have a little collection of ice cream scoops! I like using a large cookie scoop because it makes pretty, round servings of ice cream due to the shape and release feature. The shape of this scoop makes it easy to serve ice cream!
Coffee Ice Cream Recipe FAQs
Follow this recipe! It’s so easy!
I do not recommend doing this. Use brewed coffee or instant coffee granules (as called for in this recipe) to make the best coffee ice cream.
You can use espresso powder in place of instant coffee.
If you use caffeinated coffee you definitely run the risk of it effecting your ability to fall asleep. To avoid this, use decaffeinated instant coffee.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Best Coffee Ice Cream Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 to 1 ½ Tablespoons instant coffee (decaf or regular)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Warm half and half, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking to dissolve sugar.
- Beat egg yolks in a small mixing bowl, add ½ cup of the warm mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Then add that mixture to the half and half on the stovetop.
- Whisk in coffee granulates until dissolved.
- Cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly – just barely sticking to the back of a spatula or until it reaches 170 degrees F.
- Place the heavy cream into a bowl with a fine mesh strainer on top of the bowl.
- Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Discard what is left on the strainer.
- Add vanilla extract, stir to combine.
- Transfer to an airtight container and cool completely in the fridge (preferably overnight).
- Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and churn until frozen (about 30-40 minutes).
- Transfer to an airtight container and freeze completely, about 4 hours.
Video
Notes
- Half and half/heavy cream. This recipe calls for 3 cups of liquid dairy. You can change the ratios of half and half : cream if desired, as long as the total amount equals 3 cups. You could also substitute some of the liquid with whole milk.
- Granulated sugar. Organic cane sugar works well in place of white granulated sugar.
- Fine sea salt. if using iodized salt, reduce the amount by half.
- Pure vanilla extract. I don’t recommend using imitation vanilla. However vanilla bean paste is a good substitute.
- Instant Coffee. High quality instant coffee is worth purchasing to make this recipe. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated work well.
- glass tupperware with a lid.
- these 1-quart storage tubs
- and this jumbo 2.5 quart container (for larger batches).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent recipe. I have done this without straining and it’s no problem. I also have used two egg yolks and one whole egg without any noticeable difference.
Thank you, Lyndon!
I can’t wait to try this! I suspect this will surpass my all-time favorite, Häagen-Dazs coffee flavor. (5 ingredients!)
I have everything on hand except for the instant coffee. Can I substitute ground organic med roast if I grind it super fine in a food processor or coffee grinder and make sure it dissolves?
One other question regarding David’s comment from Feb; Did he brew the espresso and add the liquid to the base? Surely not! Water in ice-cream? 😵
Thank you Laura!
I love this recipe!! I added a bit of vanilla bean paste and some crushed up Oreos and it was just like the Starbucks Mud Pie ice cream from years ago. The nostalgia is real with this recipe. Thank you so much for this!🩷
Oh my goodness your mix ins sound delicious!!!
This was excellent as-is (if perhaps a bit too sweet for my palate). I also tried a version where I tweaked the recipe a bit to eliminate the white sugar and also tone down the sweetness a bit. I also added in a few flavors that were inspired by a coffee treat that I had recently at a 5 star Dominican resort, which incorporated orange peel, anise, and cinnamon into an affogato.
Basically I did everything in this recipe except instead of 1 cup sugar I used 1/3 cup monkfruit sweetener and 1/4 cup Vermont maple syrup. I added in 1/2 tsp of orange zest, 1/4 tsp anise extract, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. It was delicious! I encourage you to give it a try!
Thank you Ben! I’m glad you were able to make it exactly how you like it!
Happy groundhog day (or not since the OG Punxsutawney Phil said 6 more weeks of winter lol). It’s been a minute! Had to clean out some of the other awesome flavors thanks to the recipes here before giving this one a review.
Another knock out of the park! The link to the coffee suggested wasn’t working (amazon had it unavailable with no restock date), so I went to my local grocery in an attempt to find something better than Folgers or Sanka. I came across this brand called Ferrara and marked as “instant espresso coffee.” It called to me. Into the cart it went! The instructions on the coffee said a rounded teaspoon per 3oz of water if you use it as instructed. My guess/hope was that there would be enough liquid to mellow it out for ice cream. When I made it I split the difference in the range listed and gave it a go.
I have to admit when I had just finished making the base and gave it a taste, to me it tasted quite sweet. The better half agreed but had a pearl of wisdom: “Maybe its because you’re used to drinking your coffee with just cream?” Agreeing with the logic and trusting the process (the other recipes here didn’t let me down!) I went ahead with the ice cream maker.
OH. MY. WORD! When the base is cold the sweetness mellows out SO nicely and the coffee really is the superstar! I never thought instant coffee could taste so good! I’ll admit I had my doubts on this one, but the coffee comes through! It’s absolutely delicious! I mean, I take my coffee with just cream and I jones when I look at the container in the freezer while deciding if I should have more. I can only imagine what those who take cream and sugar will do after they try this ice cream!
One thing I’ve noticed in the recipes here is the cream to half and half ratio results in such a luscious, creamy base that carries the flavor so well its downright ADDICTING! Not a word of a lie the family here has gone through about 2.5 gallons of ice cream since finding these recipes. Definitely superior to the 50/50 ratio I was using!
To everyone out there: If you haven’t given this flavor a go, you’re missing out!
Once again, thank you for such a thorough review David! I feel like we’d be good friends in real life! 😉 I’m so happy that you trusted the process and love this recipe as well (running to check that broken link right now)!
You’re welcome Laura! I would tend to agree with you. Pastry and desserts are my favorites to make (though I have some savory skills as well 😉 ). Off to the kitchen to make more of this (just ran out last night)!
Have you tried my chocolate chip cookies? If not – you should definitely add them to the top of your list!