THE FRENCH-STYLE ICE CREAM
With hazelnut butter, milk, heavy cream, sugar, and egg yolks.
Custard-based ice cream is all about richness and texture—and it all starts with egg yolks. When done properly, they create a base that’s velvety, full-bodied, and indulgent. The result is ice cream with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and that unmistakable custard-style creaminess.
Worried about an eggy taste? Don’t be. After a proper rest in the fridge and time to set in the freezer, the flavour is clean and balanced—no egginess, just deep, roasted hazelnut.
In this version, the egg yolks and pure hazelnut butter work together to create a full-flavoured, luxurious base. It’s rich, refined, and finishes smooth, with a dense but silky scoop.
Personally, this is my favourite hazelnut ice cream to make during the colder months. It’s rich and comforting, with a warmer mouthfeel compared to the other ways of making ice cream (link coming soon). If you appreciate depth, balance, and texture you can actually feel on the spoon—this one’s for you.
More to explore:
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
When making ice cream, it’s best to weigh all your ingredients—even the liquids. We also recommend weighing liquids directly into your bowl or pan as you follow the recipe, rather than measuring them in a separate container and transferring them. This helps avoid small but unnecessary losses during transfer.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use the following guidelines:
• 1 cup (US) = 237 ml
• 1 tablespoon = 15 ml
Sugar: Measuring sugar by tablespoons is more accurate than using cups. Use a proper 15 ml measuring tablespoon—not a regular spoon. One level tablespoon equals about 13 grams of sugar. To measure accurately, level off each scoop with the flat side of a knife.
Milk and heavy cream: When measuring liquids by volume, always use a rubber spatula to thoroughly scrape any residue left in the measuring cup. This ensures you’re using the full amount.
Please note: the metric, imperial, and volume measurements provided in our recipes
Here are a few simple ways to deepen the flavour of your Hazelnut Ice Cream, enhance the texture, and add a personal twist:
✨ Use Raw Cane Sugar
Enhance the flavour by replacing regular white sugar with high-quality raw cane sugar like Demerara or Turbinado. Their gentle caramel notes pair beautifully with the roasted richness of hazelnut, adding warmth and depth to the ice cream.
✨ Add Citrus Peel
For a subtle lift, add a small piece of citrus peel to the mixture during the chilling stage (Step 2), then remove it before churning:
Orange peel gives a classic, cozy feel.
Mandarin adds a soft, floral sweetness.
Lemon zest brightens the base.
Bergamot (or a little Earl Grey) brings a refined, floral citrus note.
✨ A Touch of Vanilla
Half a teaspoon of vanilla paste or the seeds from half a vanilla bean adds warmth and rounds out the flavour without overpowering the hazelnut.
✨ Add a Pinch of Sea Salt
Just a tiny pinch makes a huge difference. It enhances the nuttiness and balances the sweetness—especially if your hazelnut butter is unsalted.
✨ Boost with Coffee
1–2 teaspoons of espresso or strong cold brew bring out the roasted notes and add a rich, mocha-like depth to the ice cream.
✨ A Splash of Frangelico
For an adult-friendly twist, stir in a tablespoon of hazelnut liqueur before churning. It adds flavour and helps keep the ice cream smooth and scoopable straight from the freezer.
✨ Add Crunchy Bits
For extra texture, fold in 150g (5.3 oz) of unsalted, roasted hazelnuts, lightly crushed. Add them during the last few minutes of churning, or mix them in by hand after churning. You can also try cocoa nibs or dark chocolate shards for added contrast and a touch of indulgence.
A rubber spatula isn’t just for scraping—it’s your best tool for stirring ice cream bases the right way.
Use it for:
✔ Scraping the bottom of the saucepan when heating milk or sugar
✔ Mixing evenly, especially when combining thick ingredients like hazelnut butter
✔ Getting every last bit out of bowls, pans, and blenders—no waste, no shortcuts
⚠️ Inadequate stirring = uneven mixture = poor texture after churning.
Good stirring gives you a smooth, even base—and better ice cream.
Don’t have a spatula?
Get a heat-resistant, flexible rubber spatula. It’s a small tool that makes a big difference—and you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without it.
The ice cream mixture needs to cool completely and hydrate before churning, so prepare it in advance (approx. 8 hours before) to give it time to chill in the refrigerator.
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
Prepare the egg yolks: Place the egg yolks (100 g / 3.5 oz) in a large heatproof bowl. Whisk lightly until smooth and leave the whisk in the bowl—you’ll need it again soon.
Heat the milk and sugar: In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk (425 g / 15 oz) and sugar (190 g / 6.7 oz). Heat over medium heat, stirring often with a rubber spatula, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the milk is hot and steamy. Do not boil.
Temper the egg yolks: While whisking the egg yolks continuously, slowly pour in the hot milk mixture in a steady stream. Whisk until fully combined.
Cook the custard: Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Stir continuously with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan as you go. Cook until the custard thickens slightly and coats the spatula.
The custard is ready when it reaches 82°C / 180°F. Do not let it boil.
Add the cold heavy cream: Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the cold heavy cream (350 g / 12.3 oz) to stop the cooking.
Prepare the hazelnut butter: Place the hazelnut butter (120 g / 4.2 oz) in a large bowl. With the whisk in the bowl, gradually pour the warm custard over the hazelnut butter, a little at a time, whisking to create a smooth, even mixture.
Scrape and whisk thoroughly: Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Whisk again to make sure everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
Blend the base: Blend the mixture with an immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender) until fully homogenised.
Strain: Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and back into the bowl. Scrape down any remaining residue with the spatula. Give the mixture a final stir, making sure everything is fully combined and smooth.
Cool the mixture with an ice bath: Transfer the ice cream mixture to a clean, heatproof bowl. Nest this bowl inside a larger one and fill the empty space around it with ice cubes and cold water to create an ice bath. A standard ice cube tray—about 200 g / 7 oz of ice—is enough to cool down the mixture sufficiently.
Let the mixture cool in the ice bath for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to help it cool evenly.
Chill in the fridge overnight: Once the mixture is no longer warm, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days. The base should be fridge-cold before churning.
Check if the ice cream mixture is cold before churning it: below 12ºC / 54ºF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your (clean) finger into it.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Blend: Give the ice cream mixture a nice, thorough stirring, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, then give it a quick blitz with the immersion blender, pausing once to scrape off residues from the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Churn: With the machine running, pour the ice cream mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker. Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-70 minutes.
This ice cream mixture expands and becomes airy as it churns. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks smooth, creamy, and slightly wavy—similar to soft-serve ice cream. Churning time varies depending on your machine and can take anywhere from 30 to 70 minutes.
To check the texture, lift a spoonful. It should be thick enough to stay on the spoon, but still soft. If it looks too thin or starts melting immediately, it needs more time.
If you’re unsure, let it churn for 10 more minutes. Keep in mind that it won’t look like store-bought ice cream at this point—it will still be soft. It only becomes firm and scoopable after a few hours in the freezer.
Stop the machine once the mixture is thick and creamy. If you continue churning beyond that point, the mixture can start losing the air it has built up and may seize, resulting in a dense, heavy texture.
One important note: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop automatically after a fixed time, but that doesn’t always mean the ice cream is ready. If your machine stops and the mixture still looks too soft, simply restart it and continue churning until the texture improves.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· place it in the freezer, uncovered
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The setting time depends on the type of ice cream maker you’re using. Here are the general guidelines:
3–5 hours for machines with removable freezer bowls (these bowls must be pre-frozen before churning)
Under 1 hour for machines with built-in compressors and aluminum bowls
⚠️ Important: Ice cream in aluminum bowls sets quickly. Do not leave it for too long—once fully frozen, it can become extremely hard and difficult to remove without risking scratches to the bowl. Always monitor it closely.
To check if the ice cream is ready, aim for an internal temperature of –11°C (12°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, use this simple test:
Insert a round-tip knife all the way to the bottom of the ice cream:
✔ If it goes in smoothly but meets gentle resistance, it’s ready
✖ If it feels hard on top but soft underneath, it needs more time
✖ If it’s too firm to insert the knife, it’s over-frozen and likely too hard to scoop
If it’s over-frozen, don’t worry—head to the next section for how to bring it back to scoopable.
If the ice cream sits in the freezer in the removable freezer bowl for too long after it has set, it can become too hard to scoop or remove.
To make it scoopable again:
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the ice cream to soften gradually.
Here’s how long that may take:
4–10 hours for removable freezer bowls (pre-freeze models)
1–2 hours for aluminum bowls (from compressor ice cream makers)
Note: These times are approximate and may vary depending on your fridge and the amount of ice cream. Check the texture occasionally as it softens.
Once the ice cream is soft enough to scoop—or its internal temperature reads approximately –11°C (12°F)—you can:
✔ Transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer
✔ Or serve it directly from the bowl
Just be sure to avoid digging into an over-frozen bowl with hard utensils, especially if using a nonstick-coated or aluminum bowl.
Storing: Transfer the finished ice cream to a lidded container and store it in the freezer for up to one month.
Cover it well to protect it from absorbing any unwanted freezer smells.
Scooping: Like all artisanal-style ice creams, this one freezes hard over time.
To make it scoopable again, place the container in the refrigerator for 45–60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about –11°C (12°F).
Once softened, it’ll scoop cleanly and serve beautifully.
2 Responses
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe as it sounds very delicious! I am curious about two steps: 1) why not pour the churned ice cream into an insulated ice cream container immediately after churning? 2) what’s the reason for not covering the removable freezer bowl when it’s put in the freezer after churning with the ice cream mixture still in it? Thanks v much
Thank you so much, I’m glad you’re excited to try it! Great questions:
1. Freshly churned ice cream has the texture of soft serve, so it melts as soon as it touches another surface. If you transfer it straight into a container, you’ll get partial melting before it sets again. That’s why I recommend letting it firm up first in the freezer—about 2–3 hours if you’re using a removable freezer bowl, or around 45 minutes if you’re using a compressor machine (since the aluminum bowl releases the ice cream more easily). If you do want to transfer it right away, make sure the storage container has been frozen overnight so it doesn’t melt on contact.
2. If you cover the bowl while it’s still setting, you trap out the cold and it actually slows down the freezing process a little. Leaving it uncovered helps it set faster.
Note that you should keep an eye on it—if left too long, it will freeze too hard and need thawing before scooping.