Irish Coffee Iced Cream

Irish Coffee is a delicious hot coffee drink made with coffee (of course), Irish whiskey and brown sugar, which is topped with whipped cream before serving. It is said to have been invented at San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe, which is still serving them up to those very day. This Irish Coffee Iced Cream is inspired by the classic coffee drink, and this cool version is going to hit the spot better than a hot coffee drink on a warm afternoon!

This is a no-cook ice cream recipe – like many of the recipes in my recently-released ice cream cookbook – which means that it is very easy to mix up the base and make this ice cream on short notice. The coffee-flavored ice cream is made with a generous pour of Irish whiskey (I used Jameson, however other brands will also work) and sweetened with a blend of white and brown sugar. The resulting ice cream is a bit richer than the original recipe, but it captures the flavor of the drink well. It’s a delicious way to end a meal – especially if it’s an Irish-inspired meal to begin with!

You will need an ice cream maker to ensure that you get the best results in your finished ice cream. The texture is rich and creamy, but not quite as firm as some other ice creams. This is largely because of the whiskey added to the ice cream base, which lowers the freezing point of the mixture slightly and keeps it soft and scoopable. The ice cream will keep, in an airtight container, for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. That said, the ice cream is simply delicious and it probably won’t take you all that long to get through a fresh batch!

Irish Coffee Iced Cream
2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup Irish whiskey

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of heavy cream with sugar and instant coffee. Bring mixture just to a simmer, whisking gently until the sugar is completely dissolved and the coffee is well-incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and Irish whiskey. Combine coffee cream with remaining cream and milk. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.
Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s direction.
When ice cream maker is done churning, transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and chill for at least 2-3 hours, until firm.

Serves 6-8