sweet corn ice cream

Sweet corn ice cream tastes like pure summer! Rich cream, fresh corn, and a splash of vanilla are churned up into an ultra-smooth and creamy treat.

Why I love it:

I’ve been captivated by the idea of corn ice cream for ages. After recently spotting it on a restaurant menu, I finally decided to test my hand at a homemade version, and boy is it good.

The ice cream is filled with the delicate flavors of cream, sweet corn, and rich vanilla. It’s ultra-creamy (thanks to a few key ingredients), and so fun. It’s a foodie ice cream, for sure. Keep an open mind and stretch your idea of what ice cream can be-- I think you’ll be delighted to discover the interplay of flavors and textures. It’s pure summer.

I decided to keep this ice cream eggless so the subtleness of fresh corn could shine on the blank canvas of creamy dairy. I also had to work to keep the flavor on the sweet, fresh corn end of the spectrum and away from the cooked canned corn.

As a former winemaker, I just can’t get past the off-note mentality of cooked corn (a sulfur compound found in reduced wines). It gets extra weird in ice cream. 

The workaround here is to infuse the custard with fresh corn overnight, rather than cooking the corn in the custard. The flavor is clean, sweet, fresh summer corn!

Keep reading for tips and serving suggestions (like a salted caramel drizzle!).

Ingredients for sweet corn ice cream:

How to make corn ice cream:

1. Combine sugar and milk powder; set aside. Whisk together cornstarch and a splash of milk; set aside.
2. Bring remaining milk, cream, corn syrup and salt to a boil.
3. Whisk in milk powder/ sugar mixture and boil for 2 minutes.
4. Whisk in cornstarch slurry and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes
5. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in vanilla and corn kernels. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.
6. Strain out corn and churn in an ice cream maker until a soft-serve consistency.
7. Transfer to loaf pan and freeze until firm.
8. Enjoy!

What makes this the best corn ice cream:

Fresh corn: We don’t cook the corn, which is crucial in ice cream. Cooked corn has a particular flavor that is not great here. Instead, we infuse the custard with fresh corn kernels for a sweet and delicate taste.

24-hour soak: This gives the fresh corn plenty of time to infuse into the custard. It’s also important to completely chill the base so it can “cure” and churn up to the creamiest and most luscious frozen texture.

The dairy mix: Half milk and half cream is my favorite ratio for homemade ice cream. The fat from the heavy cream keeps the ice cream soft and creamy when frozen. The same amount of milk prevents the ice cream from getting too rich.

Eggless: We want the delicate corn flavor to be the focus. Custard ice cream bases, while delicious, detract from the flavor here.

The extras: The corn syrup, cornstarch, and dry milk all play important roles in eggless ice cream. Corn syrup lowers the freezer point and makes a soft, scoopable consistency. Cornstarch is a stabilizer: it soaks up water and forms a gel when cooked, so the water molecules stay in place (small, separate, “stabilized”). This means extra-smooth ice cream with no big ice crystals. Dry milk powder is an emulsifier, and adding extra will help bind up water and fat so that when the ice cream is frozen, the ice crystals stay small and imperceptible on your tongue (translation = ultra-creamy ice cream).

Take this recipe to the next level:

• Drizzle with salted caramel 
• Add a pinch of ground cinnamon
• Serve with fresh mango or pineapple
• Roll it in cornflakes and deep-fry
• Sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes
• Drizzle with hot honey
• Go bold with a drizzle of chili crisp
• Dip in a butterscotch magic shell
• Infuse a teaspoon of dried lavender in the base
• Corn ice cream sandwich: serve a scoop between two vanilla sugar cookies
• Sprinkle with spiced pecans
• Drizzle with a shot of espresso (corn ice cream affogato!)
• Top with crunchy caramel corn
• Scoop into a glass and top with cold cream soda for a totally nostalgic ice cream float

more ice cream recipes to try!

black walnut ice cream

buttermilk ice cream

cookie butter ice cream

lavender ice cream

mint chocolate chip ice cream

no-churn oatmeal ice cream

pistachio ice cream

pumpkin ice cream

stracciatella ice cream

rum raisin ice cream

toasted coconut ice cream

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