Black Licorice Ice Cream

You are going to love this recipe for Black Licorice Ice Cream – It’s made for all of the lovers of black licorice and black jelly beans out there!

A rich, French-style ice cream base made with egg yolks makes this licorice-flavored ice cream silky smooth and decadent.

This recipe for black licorice ice cream is naturally gluten-free and nut free.

We have so many delicious ice cream flavors here! Some are for classic favorites like vanilla bean ice cream and mint chocolate chip.

But the really fun part about having an ice cream machine and making ice cream at home is being able to make unique, gourmet ice cream recipes like this one for Black Licorice Ice Cream!

Ice cream does not have to be boring! You can make any flavor you can dream up.

Sage Ice Cream, Matcha Ice Cream, and Melon Ice Cream are just a few of the other hard-to-find ice cream flavors that you can make from scratch.

Why You’re Going to Love this Black Licorice Ice Cream Recipe

This Amazing Inky Black Color! Have you ever seen ice cream that looks like this? A bit of black gel food coloring makes it extra dark and pigmented.

A Truly Unique Ice Cream Flavor. You won’t find black licorice ice cream at the store, probably because it’s a flavor that won’t sell well. You probably know that this distinct flavor isn’t for everybody. But if you are one of many black licorice fans out there, you are going to love this gourmet ice cream recipe so much!

Ingredients in Homemade Black Licorice Ice Cream

Black Licorice Candy – Choose any kind of soft black licorice candy to make ice cream with. You’ll need about 4 ounces of it, chopped roughly into small pieces so it will dissolve easily.

Water – We will cook the licorice with water to extract the flavor from it.

Egg Yolks – These create the base for our ice cream custard. We’ll gently heat the egg yolks to cook them into a creamy egg yolk ice cream base.

Granulated Sugar – For sweetness and amazing ice cream texture, plain, white, granulated sugar is the perfect choice.

Whole Milk – Hot milk is used to temper the egg yolks.

Kosher Salt – Just a bit of salt balances the sweetness and makes everything taste a bit brighter.

Heavy Cream – Making ice cream with both heavy cream and whole milk is what gives us the best creamy texture.

Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is a must for almost all of our ice cream recipes, but it is especially important in this one. It elevates the simple flavors of milk, sugar, and cream, and softens the black licorice flavor just the right amount.

Black Food Coloring – Food coloring is optional in this recipe, but you will find that different black licorice candy has different amounts of food coloring already in it. If you use dye-free black licorice, the resulting ice cream will be more of a brown color.

How to Make Black Licorice Ice Cream from Scratch

Start the day before by making sure that the bowl for your ice cream maker has at least 24 hours to freeze solid.

1. Cook the black licorice with 1 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the candy has melted. If needed, add additional water if it has all cooked out. It’s normal for some small particles of black licorice to be left. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Whisk the egg yolks with granulated sugar in a medium bowl until smooth and pale yellow in color.
3. Add the milk and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the milk to a simmer and then remove it from the heat, being sure not to let it boil. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined. 
4. Add the tempered egg mixture and the black licorice syrup back into the saucepan. Heat on low, stirring constantly, until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that might have cooked or leftover bits of licorice. Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and black food coloring and stir to combine. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, making sure that the plastic is touching the surface of the ice cream base, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
6. Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions, until it’s thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Mine took about 20 minutes.
7. Spoon the ice cream into a loaf pan. Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid. 
8. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving. This will make it easier to scoop.

These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.

How to Store Black Licorice Ice Cream

Store this homemade Black Licorice Ice Cream in the freezer in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper pressed on top for up to one month.

Tips for Making This Black Licorice Ice Cream Recipe

Use quality ingredients – When making homemade ice cream, you’ll want to make sure you are using high-quality ingredients for the best outcome.

Don’t burn the licorice – There are many variables when it comes to licorice candy, so some will cook down more quickly than others. It’s important to keep an eye on the licorice while cooking it and stir it to keep it from burning. If you find that the liquid has mostly evaporated, add more water as needed. When you’re finished cooking it, you should have about 1 cup of black licorice syrup.

Chill out – If possible, always start with chilled ingredients. This is important for homemade no-churn ice cream recipes and ice cream maker recipes.

Don’t skimp on the fat – High-fat milk and cream are essential when making homemade ice cream. Opting for a low-fat option often leads to icy ice creams and inconsistency in the texture.

Don’t go crazy with the add-ins – If you’re adding in additional ingredients, pick one or two and make sure they are chopped into pieces no larger than a blueberry or pea.

Don’t skimp on the sugar – Sugar not only adds sweetness to homemade ice creams, it also helps with the texture. Sugar is essential for the creamy texture of ice cream.

Does Black Licorice Ice Cream Exist?

Well, it will certainly exist after you’ve made this homemade ice cream recipe!

You won’t find black licorice ice cream sold in the regular grocery store. You may be able to find it at your local creamery, or I have seen a black licorice flavor ice cream from a Minnesota company, Bridgemans, that is sold online.

It’s certainly going to be easier and less expensive to make your own black licorice ice cream at home.

What Gives Black Licorice its Flavor?

Black licorice can be flavored with two different things. The first is an extract from the root of a licorice plant (scientific name: Glycyrrhiza). The other is anise seed oil, which has a similar flavor and is used as a substitute.

Commercially sold licorice candy is often made with anise, as it is less expensive than licorice root, and some candies are flavored both with licorice extract and anise.

When making black licorice ice cream, you can use any type of licorice candy, but I suggest looking for licorice that is flavored at least partially with licorice root for the most intense flavor.

No Churn Black Licorice Ice Cream Directions

Chill a shallow container or a loaf pan in the freezer while you mix the ice cream ingredients.

Pour the ice cream mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for 3-4 hours. Stir the ice cream every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours to help add air. This will help create a creamy, smooth texture.

Black Licorice Ice Cream Add-Ins

I’m not sure I would want to add anything to this black licorice-flavored ice cream. It’s already perfectly flavored, and there aren’t many things that “go” with black licorice.

If you want to really get culinarily creative, you can try pairing the flavor of black licorice with raspberries, ginger, or mint.

Try turning your ice cream into a black licorice milkshake, or use it to make an ice cream sundae topped with raspberry compote and whipped cream.

More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

• Lemon Custard Ice Cream
• Frozen Yogurt
• Cinnamon Ice Cream
• Orange Ice Cream
• Butterscotch Ice Cream

Our Favorite Ice Cream Making Tools:

• Cuisinart 2QT Ice Cream Maker – Works with ice cream, sorbets, and frozen yogurt.
• Ice Cream Scoop – Make sure you have a good ice cream scoop. This is one of our favorites.
• Ice Cream Containers – We love keeping a couple of ice cream containers on hand for when we make homemade ice cream.

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Black Licorice Ice Cream

Ice Cream From Scratch

You are going to love this recipe for Black Licorice Ice Cream – A gourmet recipe for all of the lovers of black licorice and black jelly beans out there!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Chilling/Freezing Time 7 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs

Course Ice Cream Recipes

Cuisine Dessert

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 465 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 oz black licorice candy roughly chopped
• 1-2 cups water
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• black food coloring optional

Instructions

 

• Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours or until solid. You should not hear any water sloshing around when you shake the bowl. Add the black licorice and 1 cup of water to a saucepan. Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the black licorice has melted down, about 15 minutes. If the water evaporates, add additional water. You should finish with about 1 cup of licorice syrup. There may still be some small particles of black licorice left. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
• Add the milk and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the milk to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Be sure not to boil. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk constantly until combined. 
• Then, add the tempered egg mixture and the black licorice syrup back into the saucepan. Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, heat until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take a few minutes. 
• Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked. Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and black food coloring and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. This will help keep it from forming a skin while chilling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until cold. 
• Churn the ice cream mixture in the bowl of your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer’s instructions (mine took about 20 minutes), until it is thick and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.
• Spoon the ice cream into a loaf pan. Press plastic wrap or wax paper to the surface of the ice cream. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid. 
• Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Depending on what type of black licorice you use, it may melt more quickly than 15 minutes. Be sure to keep stirring the black licorice occasionally so that it does not burn on the bottom of the pan. 

If the black licorice takes longer to melt, the water may evaporate more quickly and you will need to add more water to the pan. Start with 1 cup of water. If the water evaporates, add an additional ¼-½ cup at a time until the black licorice has melted down. 

There may be some small pieces of black licorice in your syrup, which is okay. You will strain it out when you strain the custard through the fine mesh strainer later. 

You don’t have to use black food coloring, but I like to in order to get the full effect. When it melts down, black licorice that has not been artificially colored turns brown. If your black licorice already has some artificial coloring in it, you may not need to add black food coloring. 

Keyword Black Licorice Ice Cream, Black Licorice Ice Cream Recipe