Homemade salted caramel ice cream is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, making it delicious on its own or with another dessert.

Another day, another homemade ice cream recipe. From vanilla bean ice cream to strawberry ice cream to peppermint ice cream. So many possibilities!
Who says it has to be warm out to enjoy ice cream? Our family has ice cream year round, so why not you? And if you're looking for one that is super delicious, look no further than this salted caramel ice cream.
Caramel ice cream is one of those flavors that you'll always see at the ice cream shop and for good reason. I mean who doesn't love caramel? The touch of salt balances out the sweetness giving you that lovely salty-sweet combination.
Homemade caramel can be quite scary to make, but by adding water to the sugar, you take away some of the trickiness of it. You just want the caramel to become an amber color before adding the cream.
I actually made this to go with the spice cake I made for my mom's birthday. I honestly can't tell you which I enjoyed more. It has just the right amount of salt to go along with the creamy caramel flavor. You won't be able to stop after just one scoop of this caramel ice cream.
And if you love chocolate and caramel, you could always drizzle some homemade chocolate syrup on top!
Jump to:
- Recipe Ingredients
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- What Ice Cream Maker Do You Use?
- Why Use Xanthan Gum in Ice Cream?
- Why Do I Have to Heat Up the Cream Mixture?
- Can You Make Ice Cream with Half-and-Half Instead of Heavy Cream?
- My Caramel Turned Hard
- Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Other Ice Cream Recipes
- Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Recipe Ingredients
- Granulated sugar - used to make caramel. Can also use light brown sugar if you want even deeper color.
- Heavy cream - high fat content creates the creamy texture you expect.
- Whole Milk - whole milk is just as important for the fat.
- Sea salt - gives a slight saltiness to the caramel ice cream.
- Xanthan gum - helps reduce crystals when ice cream freezes.
- Eggs - gives extra richness and stabilizes the homemade ice cream.
- Vanilla extract - enhances the flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 1 cup sugar with 3 tablespoons water
- Swirl pot frequently, until sugar turns dark amber in color.
- Slowly add heavy cream, milk, remaining ¼ cup sugar, salt and xanthan gum. Simmer the mixture until the caramel melts and the cream is smooth.
- While the milk mixture is heating, whisk the egg yolks together until smooth in a heatproof bowl. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring the hot milk mixture while whisking constantly.
- Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, on low heat to a temperature of 170°F. The mixture should be slightly thickened, enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not come to a boil.
- Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl in an ice bath to cool the mixture completely, stirring constantly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the custard from the refrigerator and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn for about 20 minutes (follow your ice cream maker directions).
- Transfer ice cream to airtight container and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
What Ice Cream Maker Do You Use?
It may be the cheapest one available, but the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker is super simple to use and makes the best ice cream at home.
Why Use Xanthan Gum in Ice Cream?
So this was actually something new I learned by watching the Tasty video. Xanthan gum helps stabilize the ice cream and prevents ice crystals from forming.
The usual problem with homemade ice cream is it will only lasts a couple of days before ice crystals form. But the xanthan gum helps battle this.
Why Do I Have to Heat Up the Cream Mixture?
When using eggs you need to kill the risk of salmonella, so by bringing up to 170°F you kill the bacteria.
Can You Make Ice Cream with Half-and-Half Instead of Heavy Cream?
You can although I highly recommend trying to use whole milk and heavy cream as the high fat content creates the creamy texture when the caramel ice cream is cooled.
Nearly any type of milk will work, and you can substitute half-and-half for the cream. But just keep in mind, it won't be as creamy and could get icy.
My Caramel Turned Hard
Not to worry. Sometimes it can happen if you pour your liquid too quickly with this homemade ice cream. Just continue to cook and the caramel will melt into the texture you want.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use the Best Ingredients - when making ice cream you want to use the best ingredients possible so use free-range eggs and organic milk and cream. Also use high quality products when it comes to added flavorings like vanilla or chocolate. Never use imitation vanilla.
- Don't Cut the Fat and Calories - ice cream is not the dessert that you should be cutting the fat. It depends on the high-fat content to create a creamy texture. If you go lower fat, it will cause an icy ice cream. If you're on a diet, just have a smaller scoop!
- Add Extract at Right Time - if you add an extract or alcohol while the custard is too hot, you won't get the actual flavor as it will cook out slightly. Just wait until right before you pour the custard into the ice cream maker to add it.
- Chill the Custard - you don't necessarily need to chill the custard overnight, but you want to chill until it is as cold as possible.
- Use Frozen Bowl - make sure your ice cream bowl has been frozen for at least 24 hours, otherwise you aren't giving the ice cream a great chance of freeze.
- Start Ice Cream Motor First - do not pour the custard in the frozen bowl before starting the ice cream maker. It will start freezing upon contact. You want the motor running and slowly pour the custard in.
- Don't Overchurn - always error on the side of caution when it comes to churning your caramel ice cream. You do not want it to be hard. Remember it will continue to freeze once you place in the freezer.
- Keep It Creamy - homemade ice cream can turn hard as we don't add preservatives, however xanthan gum or a couple tablespoon of vodka will help keep it creamy.
Other Ice Cream Recipes
- Malted Cookie Dough Ice Cream
- S'mores Ice Cream
- Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
- Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
- Oreo Ice Cream
- Graham Cracker Ice Cream
If you’ve tried this salted caramel ice cream or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! Ps if you love these flavors, which I'm sure you do, you can't go wrong with a salted caramel martini. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 1 cup sugar with 3 tablespoons water, swirling pot frequently, until sugar turns dark amber in color.
- Slowly add heavy cream, milk, remaining ¼ cup sugar, salt and xanthan gum. Simmer the mixture until the caramel melts and the cream is smooth.
- While the milk mixture is heating, whisk the egg yolks together until smooth in a heatproof bowl. Temper the egg yolks by very slowly pouring the hot milk mixture while whisking constantly. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, on low heat to a temperature of 170°F. The mixture should be slightly thickened, enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not come to a boil.
- Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl in an ice bath to cool the mixture completely, stirring constantly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the custard from the refrigerator and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn for about 20 minutes (follow your ice cream maker directions).
- Transfer ice cream to airtight container and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Notes
- Use the Best Ingredients - when making ice cream you want to use the best ingredients possible so use free-range eggs and organic milk and cream. Also use high quality products when it comes to added flavorings like vanilla or chocolate. Never use imitation vanilla.
- Don't Cut the Fat and Calories - salted caramel ice cream is not the dessert that you should be cutting the fat. It depends on the high-fat content to create a creamy texture. If you go lower fat, it will cause an icy ice cream. If you're on a diet, just have a smaller scoop!
- Add Extract at Right Time - if you add an extract or alcohol while the custard is too hot, you won't get the actual flavor as it will cook out slightly. Just wait until right before you pour the custard into the ice cream maker to add it.
- Chill the Custard - you don't necessarily need to chill the custard overnight, but you want to chill until it is as cold as possible.
- Use Frozen Bowl - make sure your ice cream bowl has been frozen for at least 24 hours, otherwise you aren't giving the ice cream a great chance of freeze.
- Start Ice Cream Motor First - do not pour the custard in the frozen bowl before starting the ice cream maker. It will start freezing upon contact. You want the motor running and slowly pour the custard in.
- Don't Overchurn - always error on the side of caution when it comes to churning your salted caramel ice cream. You do not want it to be hard. Remember it will continue to freeze once you place in the freezer.
- Keep It Creamy - homemade ice cream can turn hard as we don't add preservatives, however Xanthan gum or a couple tablespoon of vodka will help keep it creamy.
Chris says
Ice cream!