Brown butter ice cream? Absolutely, and here’s why you should dive into this amazing flavor. Browning the butter brings a deep, nutty richness that transforms your typical ice cream into something extraordinary. Paired with the sweetness of toffee bits, it creates a complex and absolutely addictive dessert.

Two scoops of brown butter ice cream with toffee bits on a sugar cone.

Here is Why This Recipe Works

Deep, Nutty Flavor: The toasted caramelized butter solids add a rich, nutty depth that takes your ice cream to the next level. By the way, it’s not just for ice cream. Try it in our brown butter chocolate chip cookies or our peach bourbon pie!

Crunchy Toffee Bits: Every bite includes a delightful crunch from the English toffee bits, making it a textural delight.

Creamy Perfection: The egg yolks and optional corn syrup work together to create a smooth, creamy texture and prevent pesky ice crystals from forming.

Bonus: You’ll end up with some clarified butter that you can use in other recipes, adding clean, rich flavor to your cooking.

The Ingredients

Alright, let’s talk ingredients for this custard-based ice cream recipe. We’re pulling out all the stops with a rich blend of dairy goodness, pantry staples, and a couple of special extras.

Dairy: Butter, whole milk, heavy cream
Pantry: Brown sugar, corn syrup (optional), salt, vanilla extract
Other: Egg yolks, English toffee bits

Pouring the clarified butter off the browned milk solids. — separating the clarified butter from the milk solids

Separating the brown milk solids from the clarified butter after making brown butter. — separating the clarified butter from the milk solids

Variations

Toasted Almond and Caramel Swirl: Mix in 1/2 cup of toasted almond slices and swirl in 1/4 cup of caramel sauce during the last few minutes of churning.

Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt: Toss in 1/2 cup of chopped dark chocolate chunks and a sprinkle of sea salt to the ice cream just before transferring it to the freezer.

Pecan Praline Brown Butter Ice Cream: Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped pecans and 1/2 cup of praline pieces during the final stage of churning.

Espresso and Chocolate Chip: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder in the milk mixture and fold in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips before freezing.

Tempering egg yolks for butter ice cream. — tempering the egg yolks

Pouring tempered egg yolks into brown butter ice cream mixture. — tempering the egg yolks

Tips for Success

Use a light-colored pan: This helps you easily see when the butter solids begin to brown, preventing burning.
Cut the butter into small cubes to help with even melting and browning.
Temper the eggs: Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly to avoid curdling.
Strain the mixture: Pour through a strainer to remove any cooked egg bits for a smooth ice cream base.
Chill thoroughly: Make sure the mixture is well-chilled before churning to get the creamiest texture possible.
Fold in the toffee bits or other add-ins after you see a thick soft serve texture. If you blend them in too soon, they will sink to the bottom.

Straining butter ice cream custard through a metal strainer. — straining the browned butter ice cream mixture

Adding cream and vanilla extract to butter ice cream mixture. — straining the browned butter ice cream mixture

Storage

Transfer the ice cream to an airtight, freezer-safe container. A bread pan works well for easy scooping, but make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap or a lid.

Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming.

Store in the coldest part of your freezer for up to 2 months for the best quality.

Churning browned butter ice cream in a Cuisinart ice cream maker.

Brown butter ice cream spread in a bread pan and ready for the freezer.

If you love fun ice cream flavors, try our chocolate marshmallow ice cream or our strawberry goat cheese ice cream.

Two scoops of browned butter ice cream with chocolate toffee bits.

You have to try making this brown butter ice cream. It’s seriously my new obsession! The rich, nutty flavor from the brown butter is out of this world, and when you mix in those crunchy toffee bits, it is perfection.

Plus, you’ll end up with some amazing clarified butter for other recipes, which is a nice little bonus. Trust me, once you taste this, you’ll wonder why you ever settled for plain old vanilla.

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Two scoops of ice cream on a sugar cone.

Brown Butter Ice Cream

Brown butter gives this ice cream a rich, nutty flavor and caramel-like complexity. I went all out and used 1 cup of butter to get plenty of those delicious browned bits—because more is always better, right? Just toss those magical brown butter solids into the ice cream and save the clarified butter for some other use like drizzling over popcorn. Trust me, nothing’s going to waste here!

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 16

Freezing time: 4

Servings: servings

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

1 cup butter (16 tablespoons)
1-½ cups whole milk
⅔ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons corn syrup (optional)
5 egg yolks
1-½ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-½ cups English toffee bits

Instructions

Add the butter to a large skillet or saucepan (a light colored pan works best so you can watch the butter solids brown). Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until it turns golden brown. It will take about 8 minutes and it will foam and sizzle. Push the foam aside occasionally to check the color.
Carefully pour the clear liquid (clarified butter) into a bowl and save for another use.
Transfer the browned bits to a saucepan. It is ok if a few tablespoons of the clarified butter gets mixed in but too much will make the ice cream have a greasy feel in your mouth. The extra flavor comes from the browned bits of milk solids and you will use these in the ice cream.
Pour the milk, brown sugar, salt, and corn syrup (if using) into the pan with the browned butter bits. Heat over medium heat until the mixture is hot and comes to a gentle simmer.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks well. Then, while constantly whisking, slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper them.
Now, slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the pot with the hot milk, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
The mixture should reach 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer, the mixture should be steamy hot (but not boiling) and thick enough to leave a trail when you run your finger across the back of a spatula.
Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl. Stir in the cream and vanilla extract then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until chilled.
Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers directions for churning ice cream.
Once the ice cream has the consistency of soft serve, add the toffee bits.
Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. I prefer using a bread pan because its rectangular shape makes scooping easy.
Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Notes

Cut the butter into small cubes to ensure even melting.
Use a light-colored skillet so you can easily see when the butter solids begin to turn brown.
You can use the reserved clarified butter as you would regular butter, except it is better. It has a nuttier flavor and higher smoke point so it doesn’t burn as easily.
The corn syrup is optional but I like to add it because it helps prevent ice crystals from forming in the ice cream and gives it a smoother, creamier texture.