This peanut butter ice cream recipe is very simple, but make no mistake, it is packed with peanut flavor! If you don’t like peanuts and / or peanut butter, do not make this recipe. If you do happen to love peanut butter, or as in my case, live with someone who does, then this is a fantastic dessert to enjoy. The added fat from the peanut butter makes very rich and smooth, and the overnight infusion means this is as close to eating a spoon full of peanut butter you can get, without actually having a spoon full of peanut butter.
If you happen to make this, feel free to infuse a few additional flavors (coffee or chocolate could be delicious, or a swirl of your favorite jam to give a PB+J vibe). Or, you can mix up the mix-ins: when I served, I had some Oreo crumble on hand that I sprinkled over each bowl and spooned some homemade chocolate sauce over. A caramel sauce or peanut brittle would be incredible as well. That’s the best part of making your own ice cream, you can make it exactly the way you want it. I hope you enjoy!
I use a Sicilian gelato base (milk, cream, sugar, thickening starch), which means it comes together very quickly and there’s no hassle of making sure eggs are cooked through. The Sicilian style is my go-to ice cream base because of it’s convenience, and you’ll see that most of my ice cream / gelato recipes will mirror this one.
This recipe makes 1.5 quarts of ice cream.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 - 2/3 cup sugar (to taste)
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts (roughly chopped if whole)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons vodka
Directions
- Measure the cornstarch into a small bowl. Measure the milk into a 2 quart sauce pan and begin to warm on medium heat. Using 1-2 spoons of the warming milk, dissolve the corn starch in the small bowl and stir to make a smooth slurry
- Add the sugar and salt to the warming milk and use a whisk to combine. Continue whisking as the milk warms up but do not bring to a boil
- Once the milk is starting to steam, whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Keep on the heat for 2-3 more minutes, until the milk mixture has thickened
- Remove the milk from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter until smooth. If you have difficulties getting the peanut butter incorporated, you can use an immersion blender or normal blender, but usually the whisk will be enough. Then whisk in the heavy cream and add the peanuts. This is a good time to taste the mixture and check if you want to add more salt or sugar. Keep in mind that the peanut flavor will continue to develop as it infuses
- Let the ice cream base cool down, whisking occasionally. Transfer to a 4 cup or larger container (or my preference, a large measuring cup which makes pouring easier) and let the base infuse overnight, or up to 3 days
- When you’re ready to churn, set up the ice cream maker following the instructions from the manufacturer. Add the vanilla to the ice cream base and whisk together before pouring into the freezer bowl. Approximately 5 minutes into churning, add the vodka directly into the bowl as the ice cream is churning
- Once the ice cream is done churning (refer to your ice cream maker’s manufacturer instructions), transfer to a container and freeze for at least 2 hours, but preferably 5 hours, before serving
Notes
I use the Cuisinart ICE-21 ice cream maker which has a 1.5 quart capacity. If your ice cream maker has a smaller capacity, you may need to scale down the recipe or churn in batches. Keep in mind that if you make any adjustments to the recipe that increase the total volume, you may also need to churn in batches or reduce the total volume a different way. In general, I reduce the amount of milk by 1/4 cup and up to 1/2 cup as needed. Remember that churning times will also vary by the ice cream maker. Mine is usually done within 15 - 20 minutes, but be sure to check your manufacturer’s instructions. Lastly, remember to store your bowl in the freezer at least overnight. I always store mine in the freezer so I’m always ready to make ice cream!
This pairs perfectly with a homemade chocolate sauce or syrup. Do not, I repeat, do not use the store bought stuff on your beautiful homemade gelato! It barely tastes like chocolate and making a homemade sauce is quick and easy. I served this gelato with Jeni’s runny chocolate sauce and while it tasted fantastic and had a deep chocolate flavor, I’m still on the hunt for the perfect recipe. I’ll let you know when I find it!