If you’re craving a rich, indulgent frozen treat, this salted caramel ice cream recipe delivers the perfect balance of sweet and salty! Homemade caramel and flaky salt take it to the next level.
Homemade ice cream is one of my absolute favorite desserts, so we almost always have a batch in the freezer. I am always on the lookout for new flavors to try, and this caramel ice cream was an instant hit with my family!
I actually first tried salted caramel ice cream at one of my favorite ice cream shops, and was sorely disappointed. It didn’t have caramel swirls, and the salt was just added to the caramel base.
It simply tasted like salty ice cream. Very salty. I let my daughter try it, and she almost gagged. It was terrible – and the first time I remember actually throwing away a dish of ice cream.
So I set out to find a better way to make ice cream with flakes of salt that don’t overpower the ice cream. Sprinkling flaky salt on top of the caramel is the key!
Why You’ll Love This Salted Caramel Ice Cream
- The homemade caramel – seriously, it is so incredible you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful! (And it’s easy – no tricky melting sugar!)
- Flaky sea salt (or fleur de sel). You layer it on top of the caramel, so you get salted caramel instead of salty ice cream. Plus, the large flakes add a bit of crunch to the ice cream.
- It doesn’t contain egg yolks, so you don’t need to cook the ice cream base.
- Brown sugar gives the ice cream an unbeatable rich flavor.
- A bit of corn syrup keeps the ice cream soft and scoopable, and prevents ice crystals.
How to Make Salted Caramel Ice Cream
- MAKE THE CARAMEL – Bring the butter, sugars, corn syrup, heavy cream, and salt to a roiling boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Turn to medium-low heat and boil for 5-8 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool. (You don’t want to add hot caramel to your ice cream.)
- ICE CREAM BASE – Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl with a spout and place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or until very cold.
- CHURN – Pour the ice cream mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until soft-serve consistency.
- ASSEMBLE & RIPEN – In a freezer safe ice cream container, layer 1/3 of the ice cream, 1/4 of the caramel, and 1/3 of the salt.
Repeat 2 times. Cover and freeze for 4-8 hours, or until firm. - SERVE – Scoop the ice cream and drizzle with the reserved caramel if desired.
PRO TIPS:
- For best results, you must use flaky sea salt. Regular table salt tends to just give you salty caramel ice cream, which is not the same as salted caramel!
- If your caramel isn’t cooling fast enough, you can pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. But don’t let it get cold, or it will be too firm to spread on the soft ice cream.
- Because the caramel isn’t cold, it melts the ice cream in the container. Plan on extra freezing time to allow the ice cream to firm up.
Flavor Variations You Can Try:
- For caramel cashew ice cream, stir a cup of frozen roasted cashews into the churned ice cream.
- Mix in about 1/2 cup of crushed pretzels for salted caramel pretzel ice cream.
- Love chocolate? Add brownie bits or mini chocolate chips.
- Honestly, you can try any of your favorite blend-ins: crushed chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, graham cracker bits, or chopped pecans.
More ice cream recipes:
- Nutella Ice Cream Recipe
- Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe without Eggs
- Almond Joy Ice Cream
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe (no eggs)
- Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Recipe
- Biscoff Ice Cream Recipe
This great recipe for ice cream is inspired by Our Best Bites.
Salted Caramel Ice Cream Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Caramel
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 dash salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Ice Cream Base
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp corn syrup
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Flaky Salt
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt (or more if you want)
Instructions
Caramel Sauce
- In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the butter, sugars, corn syrup, heavy cream, and salt. Bring to a roiling boil over medium heat. Turn to medium-low heat and boil for 5-8 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Let the caramel cool to room temperature while you prepare the ice cream.
Ice Cream Base
- Whisk together the milk, cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla. Place in the freezer for an hour until it is very cold. (Or chill it in the fridge for 3 -4 hours.)
- Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It should be soft serve consistency.
- In a freezer safe airtight container, quickly layer about a third of the ice cream, a fourth of the caramel, and a third of the salt. Repeat layers 2 more times. (You will have some caramel left over; save it for drizzling on top of the ice cream when you serve it.)
- Place the ice cream in the freezer for 4-6 hours, or until it is firm enough to scoop. Serve with the caramel sauce on the side.
Notes
- Flaky sea salt is the secret to this ice cream, so I highly recommend that you buy it. Regular table salt just doesn’t work as well. In a pinch, you can use high quality sea salt.
- A bit of corn syrup helps make softer, creamy ice cream and prevents ice crystals from forming. But if you prefer, you can leave it out.
- The caramel can’t be chilled, or it is too firm to spread on the ice cream. But because it is at room temperature, it does take longer for this ice cream to firm up in the freezer than most ice cream recipes.
Nutrition
With a creamy texture and plenty of caramel swirls, this creamy homemade salted caramel ice cream is the ultimate summer treat, and the perfect blend of sweet and salty!
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Just enter your email and get it sent right to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Leave a Reply