Butterscotch ice cream is luxuriously thick, creamy, and easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. It starts with a rich buttery brown sugar custard that's folded with whipped cream for a light, mousse-like consistency. This recipe works great with or without an ice cream maker and is delicious topped with homemade butterscotch sauce!
If you've ever wondered whether you can make homemade ice cream that is just as good as anything store-bought, the answer is YES! This recipe for butterscotch ice cream is incredibly easy, and you don't need any fancy equipment to make it!
BUTTERSCOTCH VS. CARAMEL
Butterscotch and caramel are both made from melted sugar and are pretty similar in taste and appearance. However, there are a few main differences that set the two apart!
- Cooking method: For caramel, sugar is cooked by itself to a very high temperature until it turns golden brown, then the cooking is stopped just before the sugar is about to burn. For butterscotch, sugar and butter are cooked together until melted.
- Ingredients: Caramel can be made with granulated or brown sugar and contains little to no butter. Butterscotch is always made with brown sugar and uses a larger amount of butter. The addition of cream transforms both caramel and butterscotch into a sauce that can be used for dipping or drizzling.
- Color and taste: Caramel is usually darker in color and has a complex, slightly bitter flavor. Butterscotch is lighter in color and is sweeter and creamier from the butter. Unless you're making salted caramel, butterscotch is typically saltier since originally it was only made with salted butter.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BUTTERSCOTCH ICE CREAM
- Egg yolks: This ice cream starts with a custard base made with egg yolks, milk, and sugar. The protein and fat in the yolks provide structure, stability, and flavor to the custard, and give the ice cream a superior taste and texture. Egg yolks also contain emulsifiers that bind the liquid and fat molecules so the ice cream freezes softer and creamier!
- Brown sugar: Along with adding sweetness, sugar also plays an important role in the texture of the ice cream! It lowers the freezing point of water so the ice cream is more scoopable straight from the freezer! Using brown sugar adds depth of flavor that is key for butterscotch!
- Whole milk: When making ice cream I highly recommend using full-fat dairy for the best texture! Dairy with less fat has more water which can make the ice cream icy.
- Salt
- Butter: Mandatory for butterscotch! I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt is in the ice cream, but if all you have is salted butter that's fine, too!
- Heavy whipping cream: Folding whipped cream into the custard base gives the ice cream an incredibly light, fluffy, mousse-like texture!
HOMEMADE BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
Of course, you can use store-bought butterscotch sauce for topping the ice cream, but homemade tastes SO much better!! Plus making it at home is really easy and only takes a couple of minutes.
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar: Light or dark, packed.
- Corn syrup: Adding a little corn syrup prevents the sugar from crystallizing and keeps the butterscotch from turning grainy as it cools. If you don't have corn syrup, honey or another sugar syrup can also be used.
- Salt: Leave out the added salt if your butter is salted.
- Heavy cream: Helps the sauce come together and thickens it. If you don't have heavy cream evaporated milk will work in a pinch!
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERSCOTCH ICE CREAM
1. Add the egg yolks and brown sugar to a large bowl and vigorously whisk or mix with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. In a saucepan, add the whole milk and salt. Heat to a gentle simmer, but do not let the milk boil.
3. Pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking or mixing with an electric mixer so the yolks don't curdle.
4. Transfer everything back into the saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 170°F on a digital thermometer. Turn the heat to low and stir in the unsalted butter until melted.
5. Strain the custard through a sieve and into a bowl. Cover the top with plastic wrap and press the top of the plastic wrap to the surface of the custard to prevent a film from forming. Allow the custard to cool completely for several hours or overnight. To speed up cooling time, vigorously whisk the custard or mix with an electric mixer to get rid of the heat, and/or place the bowl over an ice bath.
6. Add the cold heavy whipping cream to a clean, large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until thick and fluffy. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard.
If making with an ice cream maker: Churn the ice cream as instructed by your ice cream maker until thick with a consistency of soft serve. Transfer the ice cream to a bowl or a 9 x 5" loaf pan and cover the top with plastic wrap. Freeze for 1-3 hours or until frozen to your desired consistency.
If making without an ice cream maker: Transfer the ice cream to a bowl or a 9 x5" loaf pan and cover the top with plastic wrap. Touch the plastic wrap to the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
1. Add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and butter are melted and the sugar is no longer grainy.
2. Add the heavy cream and stir until the butterscotch is smooth. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
TEMPERING EGG YOLKS FOR ICE CREAM
Heating the milk separately and then adding it to the yolks while whisking is a process called tempering. The purpose is to jump-start the cooking of the yolks, which makes them less likely to curdle when added to the saucepan.
If mixing the yolk mixture while slowly pouring in hot milk seems difficult, you can also use a blender to mix the yolks and sugar. Then, pour the warm milk in with the blender running.
Another option is to add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk them over a double boiler until the temperature reaches 170°F on a digital thermometer. The only downside to this method is that it can take a lot longer.
HOW TO STORE BUTTERSCOTCH ICE CREAM
Keep the ice cream in a freezer-safe container covered with a lid or plastic wrap. A 9 x 5" loaf pan is the perfect size for the amount of ice cream this recipe makes.
If you plan on freezing the ice cream for an extended period of time, store it in an airtight plastic container with a lid for the best results.
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📖 RECIPE
Butterscotch Ice Cream
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Digital thermometer (see notes)
- Ice cream maker (optional)
Ingredients
Butterscotch Ice Cream:
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 and ¼ cups light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
Homemade Butterscotch Sauce:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon light or dark corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Add the egg yolks and brown sugar to a large bowl. Whisk vigorously or mix with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- In a medium saucepan, add the whole milk and salt. Heat to a gentle simmer, but do not boil.
- Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking or mixing with an electric mixer so the yolks don't curdle.
- Add everything back in the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 170°F on a digital instant thermometer*. Make sure you are stirring the entire time or it may curdle.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the butter until melted.
- Strain the custard through a sieve and into a bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight*. To speed up cooling time, vigorously whisk the custard or beat with an electric mixer to get rid of the heat, and place the bowl over an ice bath.
- Add the cold heavy whipping cream to a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until thick and fluffy. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard.
- If making with an ice cream maker: Churn the ice cream as instructed by your ice cream maker until thick with a consistency of soft serve. Transfer the ice cream to a bowl or a 9 x 5" loaf pan and cover the top with plastic wrap. Freeze for 1-3 hours or until frozen to your desired consistency.
- If making without an ice cream maker: Transfer the ice cream to a bowl or a 9 x5" loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic wrap to the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
Homemade Butterscotch Sauce:
- Add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a medium saucepan. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter and sugar are melted and the sugar isn't grainy.
- Stir in the heavy cream over low heat until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and transfer to a glass container to cool.
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