Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream
Your regular vanilla ice cream but smoked. Turn your ice cream world upside down with this ultra unique smoked vanilla ice cream made with real vanilla beans, egg yolks, and smoked to perfection.
What is Used in Smoked Ice Cream
Why have regular vanilla ice cream for a summer dessert when you could have smoked vanilla ice cream!? Vanilla ice cream and other “plain” flavors are perfect vehicles for adding a smoked element. Creating a stove top smoker, if you don’t have a smoker, is relatively easy and not as intimidating as it sounds. The smokiness comes from soaked and heated wood chips enclosed in a pot with your ice cream base. This smoking technique doesn’t apply only to my smokey vanilla ice cream. This technique opens up a lot of doors for other smoked goodies such as nuts, honey or maple syrup, chocolate, you name it!
The Origin of Vanilla Ice Cream
Did you know that the vanilla bean is a member of the orchid family? Did you also know it is second to saffron as the most expensive spice in the world. Native to South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, the vanilla bean was introduced to Europe when Spaniard Cortez conquered the Aztecs. Then, vanilla accompanied choclatl and only accompanied chocolate until Queen Elizabeth I’s apothecary invented all vanilla treats.
France is the one who came up with the idea to use vanilla in their already invented ice cream, and it was Thomas Jefferson who brought the beloved treat to America after living in Paris. The first vanilla ice cream recipe came from the early 1800’s in “Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery,” and by the second half of the 1800’s, vanilla ice cream became the dominant ice cream flavor. Read more about vanilla and vanilla ice cream here!
Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream Ingredients
- Wood chips: Any type of wood chips will do.
- Vanilla Beans: Any type of vanilla beans will do for this smoked vanilla bean ice cream. If you don’t have vanilla beans you can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
- Ice cream stabilizer (optional): I use stabilizer for better texture and to let the ice cream melt at a slower rate. It is, however, completely optional. I used Kitchen Alchemy ice cream stabilizer which can be found online.
- Corn syrup: While I am not a fan of using corn syrup, it does help soften the ice cream without adding too much sweetness.
- Egg yolks: Unfortunately, you cannot buy just the yolks in stores so you will need to separate whole eggs. If you’re looking for something to bake with the whites, check out my egg white heavy desserts!
Major Allergens Present: Dairy, eggs
Equipment Needed
- Ice cream maker – whether you have an attachment for your KitchenAid, a “put the bowl in the freezer” machine, or a compressor ice cream machine, you need one. I’m not a fan of no-churn ice cream because that’s not what ice cream is. I own a compressor ice cream machine and I definitely think it’s worth the price.
- An, old, crappy pot – Unless you have a smoker, you’re going to be making one on your stovetop. And I would suggest using an old, crappy pot because you will scorch it which makes it tough to clean. Personally, mine is one where the nonstick sealing was starting to come off.
- An ice bath – You need to cool your ice cream base as soon as it’s ready. Prep this while you’re waiting for your dairy to boil (before you get the eggs in there). Take a large bowl and fill it halfway or less with equal parts ice and water. Place a smaller bowl inside. This smaller bowl will hold your base so make sure it is big enough!
How to Make Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream:
What is in smoked vanilla ice cream?
This smoked vanilla bean ice cream is made with an egg yolk base with milk and cream. Sugar is the main sweetener with added corn syrup to soften the base without adding too much sweetness. This classic twist of a recipe also uses whole vanilla beans, however, vanilla bean paste or extract can work in a pinch. To create the smokey flavor, we will be using wood chips and smoking it ourselves! I have yet to experiment with liquid smoke but would be interested in the results.
Make the Vanilla Ice Cream Base:
This ice cream base uses a classic creme anglaise base. A creme anglaise is boiling dairy, tempering into eggs, cooking until it coats the back of a spoon (called nappé) or until it is 170-180*F, and then cooling over an ice bath to prevent carryover cooking. Tempering is the act of slowly trying to match two different textures or temperatures to prevent shock. This is a classic technique for sauces and ice cream bases; know it well. After scraping the vanilla bean seeds out, you can throw the pods into the milk too for extra flavor. When your ice cream base is done, allow to cool completely before smoking.
Smoke Your Ice Cream Base:
First, check out my tips below on making a stovetop smoker. Second, grab an old pot you don’t care too much about since the pot will get scorched and be difficult to clean afterwards. Soak the wood chips for at least 10-15 minutes. This will help get it smoky, and you will use tinfoil as a barrier between the chips and the bowl of ice cream base. Once soaked, drain and dump the wood chips into the pot, and turn on the heat to medium. Allow the steam to dissipate first then once it starts smoking place the tinfoil barrier then the ice cream base, then cover with tinfoil to smoke.
Make sure to stir every couple minutes to evenly distribute the smoke flavor. Taste test after about five minutes, but before you do, drink some water and smell your arm to neutralize your senses of the smoke smell. If it needs more smoke flavor keep the heat on. If it’s smoky enough turn the heat off, and allow the smoke to dissipate before removing the tin foil. Now, it is time to churn!
Churn Your Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream:
Churn your smoked vanilla ice cream base in your ice cream machine until it is smooth in texture and not too firm. Ice cream machines pulverizes the ice crystals that form as well as incorporates small amounts of air creating a creamy and dreamy texture. Ice cream does 2/3 of its freezing in the ice cream machine and 1/3 of its freezing in the freezer. You can allow to freeze in as little as 6 hours but I always prefer overnight. Protip: this smoked vanilla ice cream tastes better with a small sprinkle of flaky salt on top.
Help Making Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream
How to Make a Stovetop Smoker:
- Soak your wood chips for about 10-15 minutes at least and make sure to open your windows, turn on the oven vent, and you may want to do something about your smoke detectors.
- You will need an old pot you don’t mind getting scorched and a small container to fit inside that is shorter than the rim. This container should be heat resistant and preferably stainless steal. It will hold the ice cream base to be smoked.
- Drain your wood chips and dump into the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat on high. First steam will come out since the chips are wet then smoke.
- Once smoking put a folded up square of tinfoil on top of the wood chips followed by the container that contains whatever you’re smoking. Cover with tinfoil and allow to smoke on low heat until the desired level of smoke flavor. Smoke should not be seeping out the sides.
- Be careful removing since it will be hot!
How to Split Vanilla Beans:
- I always have a container with my vanilla beans with some water. This will allow the beans to soak up some water and plump them up which make it much easier to split and scrape.
- Use a small cutting board and a small, sharp paring knife. Dig into the top of one side but only split one side and do not split all the way through. Place your finger above the incision and drag your knife down the length of the bean splitting it open. Peel the two sides apart and scrape the seeds out of both sides dragging the knife down.
- You can throw the pod in with the milk or you can use it to flavor something else like homemade extract, vanilla sugar, or vanilla oil.
How to Churn Ice Cream in Your Ice Cream Machine:
- The amount of time it takes depends on how cold your base is to begin with. The warmer it is, the longer it will take, and the colder it is, the short it will take.
- If you’re using a “put the bowl in the freezer” ice cream maker, then I would suggest chilling your base until cold before churning since you only have a certain amount of time the frozen bowl is good for. Always make sure to freeze your bowl well in advanced.
- When churning you want to watch out for overchurning. As the ice cream churns it will start to freeze and you will notice it start to ball up. If those balls are still rolling then we’re still good. However, if those balls stop rolling and are just being pushed, then we are on our way to overchurned ice cream The perfect spot is when those balls are moving rather lethargically.
- To test, spoon a little out. If it is smooth, holds it shape, and a very small amount of liquid sorbet base forms around the edge then it’s good. If it doesn’t hold it’s shape and shpools out, then it needs more time. And if it you spoon it out and it’s more chunky instead of smooth with no liquid, then it’s a overchurned.
- There’s nothing totally wrong with overchurned ice cream. It will just be a little icy and more solid. With ice cream and sorbet you want 2/3’s of the base to freeze in the machine and 1/3rd to freeze in the freezer. However, you can melt down your base and try again if you overchurned.
How to Make Creme Anglaise
- Always prep all of your ingredients beforehand and have them at arms length while cooking your anglaise which includes a thermometer.
- Combine the dairy with your sugar and any flavors, and bring to a boil on high heat. While you’re waiting, prepare your ice bath by filling a bowl with one part water and three parts ice. Place a smaller bowl inside and top with a fine mesh strainer. Have that close by and at the ready.
- Slowly pour a small amount of your boiling dairy into your egg yolks while you whisk constantly. The technical term for this process is tempering. Switch to spatula for the next parts.
- Return your egg mixture into your pot of dairy, and reduce the heat to medium low so the cooking doesn’t go too fast. While it cooks, you’ll want to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot with your spatula so you don’t curdle those areas that are usually in direct contact with the heat source. Once it coats the back of your spoon or reaches 170*F, immediately remove from heat and pour into your strainer over the ice bath. Stir on occasion so you distribute the coldness evenly.
How to Store and Freeze Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream:
- Store churned ice cream in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Store ice cream base in the fridge for up to 5 days before churning.
- You can let your ice cream sit out and melt and re-churn for whatever reason.
Troubleshooting Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream:
- My ice cream base has lumps in it! You cooked the eggs by either not tempering properly or you cooked the entire base past 180*F (called nappe). You will need to start over unfortunately. Keep an eye on that temperature; I find I do not need to cook for long after adding the yolks.
- I can’t taste the smoky flavor! You didn’t let the ice cream base smoke for long enough, you did not neutralize your senses before tasting, or you did not stir enough. Allow to smoke for longer, stir a little more frequently, and drink water/smell your arm to neutralize your senses. Smelling your arm can be crucial. The smell of smoke hits your olfactory bulbs when you remove the tin foil for a tasting sample; this tricks you into thinking it is smoky when it’s not. Turning away from the smoking pot and smelling something neutral like your arm will give you a better taste test.
- My ice cream is super firm in the machine! You overchurned it! Only churn until it holds its shape smoothly and rolls inside the ice cream machine. But never fear! Simply let it sit out until melted and rechurn. No harm, no foul.
Something else going wrong? Reach out and we will troubleshoot together!
Smoked Vanilla Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ice cream maker
- Tall pot
Ingredients
- 188 g Heavy cream
- 188 g Whole milk
- 188 g Heavy cream
- 112 g Granulated sugar
- 45 g Corn syrup
- 1 ea Vanilla beans
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- ¼ g Ice cream stabilizer optional
- 4 ea Egg yolks
- 1 cup Woodchips soaked in water
Instructions
To prepare the ice cream base:
- Make sure if you're using a "bowl in the freezer" machine that your bowl has been placed in the freezer well in advanced.
- Prepare an ice bath and weigh out the first measurement of cream into a heat safe bowl (stainless steel is best). Your entire ice cream base will end up in this container to be smoked. Set aside.
- Combine the milk, second measurement of cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a pot. Scrape out your vanilla bean seeds and add to the pot with the salt.
- On high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, whisk in the stabilizer if using, remove from heat, and temper into the yolks by whisking a small amount into your egg yolks.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture back into your pot while whisking and turn the heat to medium-low. Stir constantly with a spatula while scraping the bottom and sides until the mixture coats the back of your spatula or is 180℉ (nappe). Do not allow to come to a boil.
- Immediately strain into your first measurement of cream and immediately place into your ice bath until cold. Stir occasionally. In the meantime, soak your wood chips in water and let sit.
To smoke and churn your ice cream base:
- Once your base has chilled prepare your stovetop smoker. Drain the water from your woodchips and place in a tall, old pot. Take a large piece of tin foil and fashion into a rough 4"x4" square. Turn the heat on high.
- Once it starts smoking (not steaming) put your tinfoil square on top of the wood chips followed by the bowl of ice cream base. Cover with tinfoil and allow to smoke for 10-15 minutes or until smoky stirring every 3-5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and keep covered for another 5-10 minutes.
- Place into your ice cream maker and churn for 45-60 minutes depending on how cool your base is. The colder your base the shorter the time and vice versa. You know your ice cream is done when it is rolling like a ball around in the machine and holds a smooth shape when spooned out.
- Allow to freeze in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight (preferred).
Nutrition
Love the smoky flavor; made plain old vanilla ice cream 100x better!
Always does 🙂 thank you for trying!
Yummmm! The smokiest really comes through!
Doesn’t it! Thank you for making them 🙂
Hot damn, or should I say holy smokes. This was such a fantastic upgrade to my vanilla ice cream. Everyone at my ice cream party absolutely loved it!
I’m so glad you absolutely loved it!
With all the flavors out there vanilla is still my favorite, and this recipe adds an extra pizzazz of enjoyment. Yum!!!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the extra pizzazz!
Soooooooo good! I would never think to smoke ice cream, but it’s amazing!
Yay! I’m glad it was new and exciting for you 🙂
Hands down the best ice cream I’ve ever made/eaten. I’ve kept a pint of this in my freezer at all times since stumbling on this recipe!