Go Back
Sweet Corn Ice Cream Recipe

Sweet Corn Ice Cream Recipe

This sweet corn ice cream recipe turns fresh summer corn into a rich, creamy, and surprisingly elegant dessert. I infuse milk and cream with sweet corn kernels and cobs, then blend, strain, and cook it into a smooth custard base. After chilling and churning, it transforms into a silky ice cream with a subtle, natural sweetness and a hint of earthy corn flavor. It’s perfect for pairing with fruit pies, drizzling with caramel, or enjoying on its own. Every scoop feels like summer captured in a bowl.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 293

Ingredients
  

  • 3 –4 ears fresh sweet corn kernels + broken cobs
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar divided
  • 4 –6 large egg yolks depending on richness preference
  • ½ –1 teaspoon kosher or table salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Equipment

  • Blender or food processor
  • Medium saucepan
  • Fine-mesh sieve or strainer
  • Mixing bowls (including an ice bath)
  • Ice cream maker (or loaf pan + freezer if no-machine)

Method
 

Infuse Corn Flavor
  1. Cut kernels off the cobs, then break the cobs in half. In a saucepan, combine corn kernels, cobs, milk, cream, and half the sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer, stir, then turn off heat and let everything steep for ~1 hour to deepen corn flavor.
Strain and Puree
  1. Remove and discard cobs, then blend or mash the corn-milk mixture until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve back into the saucepan, pressing to extract every drop of flavor.
Temper Eggs
  1. In a bowl, whisk remaining sugar, egg yolks, and salt. Slowly drizzle in some hot corn-infused cream, whisking to temper. Then return everything to the saucepan.
Cook the Custard
  1. Gently heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon or registers ~170 °F.
Chill the Base

    Notes

    If you don’t have an ice cream machine, don’t sweat it. You can freeze the base in a shallow pan and processor every hour until set—it works surprisingly well.