Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients

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• 3/4 cup granulated sugar Shop
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 cups heavy cream, warmed
• 1 cup whole milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Shop

Instructions

1. 1 Have an ice bath ready in a large bowl, with a smaller bowl and a fine-mesh sieve set in it.
2. 2 Put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook without stirring, swirling the pan, until the sugar melts and turns deep amber, 8-10 minutes.
3. 3 Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the warm cream; it will bubble up and steam hard, so stand back. Return to low heat and stir until any hardened caramel dissolves. Stir in the milk.
4. 4 Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the hot caramel cream, then pour it all back into the pan.
5. 5 Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the spoon. Cook the custard to 170-175°F (77-80°C), which thickens it and heats the yolks well past the 160°F food-safety point. Do not let it boil.
6. 6 Strain into the bowl over the ice bath, stir in the salt and vanilla, and stir until cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. 7 Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions, then freeze for 1-2 hours until firm enough to scoop. Taste and sprinkle with a little more flaky salt to serve.

Tips & Notes

• Cook the caramel to a deep amber, the color of an old penny. Pale caramel makes the salted caramel ice cream taste only sweet.
• Warm the cream before adding it to the caramel. Cold cream makes the hot sugar seize and splatter more.
• Add the salt after cooking and taste the cold base before churning. Salted caramel ice cream should taste a little too salty at this stage, since freezing dulls flavors.

Common questions