Black Walnut Ice Cream
Homemade Black Walnut Ice Cream is a rich, creamy, French-style churned ice cream featuring the bold, nutty flavor of a special ingredient, wild black walnuts.
This black walnut ice cream recipe is naturally gluten free.
Pistachio Ice Cream is another classic flavor, perfect for you if you love black walnut ice cream. It’s one of our favorite recipes for ice cream with nuts.
Another seasonal flavor you can make at home is this Pumpkin Ice Cream.
WHY YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE THIS BLACK WALNUT ICE CREAM RECIPE
If you’re a fan and a lover of black walnuts already, then you know that this black walnut ice cream is going to taste amazing.
Otherwise, you’re in for a real treat.
Black walnuts, a bolder, more flavorful version of their plain walnut siblings, are famous in certain parts of the country, and generally a seasonal offering when it comes to packaged ice cream flavors.
It’s very possible that there are black walnuts growing wild near where you live, or that you can get them from a local farmer. Of course, you can buy them online as well!
This black walnut ice cream recipe is extra creamy due to the French style ice cream base using egg yolks and cream.
BLACK WALNUT ICE CREAM INGREDIENTS
Black Walnuts – Find fresh black walnuts locally, in season, or order them online. Regular walnuts can be used in this recipe, but note that the flavor will not be as bold. Nuts should be chopped.
Whole Milk – The first of our dairy items adds bulk and aids in getting the perfect creamy texture.
Brown Sugar – This is our first sweetener. Brown sugar adds a deeper flavor than white sugar and goes beautifully with the walnuts.
Granulated Sugar – The combination of both white and brown sugar gives the perfect flavor.
Egg Yolks– These create the base for our ice cream custard. We’ll gently heat the egg yolks to pasteurize them, but you can also purchase pasteurized eggs if you prefer.
Heavy Cream – A mix of both heavy cream and whole milk is what gives us the perfect creamy texture.
Vanilla Extract – a nice, high quality pure vanilla extract will give tons of warm vanilla flavor.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will get back to you.
HOW TO MAKE BLACK WALNUT ICE CREAM FROM SCRATCH
- Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the walnuts in a single layer on a small baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool. Add whole milk and brown sugar to a large saucepan and heat over medium. Add ½ cup of the black walnuts, reserving the rest for later. Stir to combine.
- Bring the milk mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and cover with a lid. Allow to steep for one hour. Strain the walnuts out of the mixture, pressing down as you strain to release as much flavor as possible.
- Return the flavored milk to the saucepan and again bring to a simmer. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
- 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 back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Heat the saucepan on low. Stirring constantly, cook until the base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Strain the mixture to remove any pieces of egg that may have cooked. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, making sure to have the plastic wrap touching the surface of the ice cream base. 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.
- In the last two minutes, add the remaining black walnut pieces and churn until they are evenly distributed.
- Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or 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.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions in this black walnut ice cream, please see the recipe below.
We’ve included this black walnut ice cream in our list of favorite Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipes.
CAN I USE REGULAT WALNUTS TO MAKE BLACK WALNUT ICE CREAM?
Yes, you can use regular walnuts if you can’t find black walnuts. The flavor won’t be quite as strong, but it will still be delicious.
HOW TO STORE BLACK WALNUT ICE CREAM
Store this Black Walnut 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 BLACK WALNUT ICE CREAM
Use quality ingredients – When making homemade ice cream, you’ll want to make sure you are using high quality ingredients for the best outcome.
For Great Flavor – All of the flavor of this ice cream comes from black walnuts. For this reason we’re toasting them and steeping them to get all of their flavor out. Nuts can be toasted in the oven or in a skillet on the stove top.
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 milks and creams 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 in ice cream.
NO CHURN BLACK WALNUT ICE CREAM
To make this black walnut ice cream without an ice cream maker, 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.
ICE CREAM ADD-INS
This black walnut ice cream is amazing as-is, but you can add additional things in to your homemade black walnut ice cream.
Dark chocolate, coffee, and caramel flavors all go very well with the flavor of black walnuts.
Try adding mini dark chocolate chips, a swirl of caramel sauce, or chopped dark chocolate covered espresso beans to black walnut ice cream for an extra special treat.
MORE HOMEMADE ICE CREAM RECIPES
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Black Walnut Ice Cream
Homemade Black Walnut Ice Cream is a creamy, French-style churned ice cream featuring the rich, bold flavor of this special ingredient, wild black walnuts.
Ingredients
- 1 cup black walnuts, roughly chopped, divided
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chill the ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the walnuts in a single layer on a small baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool.
- Add whole milk and brown sugar to a large saucepan and heat over medium. Add ½ cup of the black walnuts, reserving the rest for later. Stir to combine.
- Bring the milk mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from heat and cover with a lid. Allow to steep for 1 hour.
- Strain the walnuts out of the mixture, pressing down as you strain to release as much flavor as possible.
- Return the flavored milk to the saucepan and again bring to a simmer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until smooth and pale yellow in color.
- 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 back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
- 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 and vanilla extract. 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.
- In the last two minutes, add the remaining black walnut pieces and churn until they are evenly distributed.
- Spoon the ice cream into a shallow container or 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
- You want to make sure you press as much milk out of the black walnuts as possible when you are straining them.
- If you can’t find black walnuts, you can use regular walnuts in their place. They have a different flavor profile, but the ice cream will still be delicious.
- Toasting the black walnuts brings out the nutty, earthy flavor of the walnuts so I don’t recommend skipping this step. You can also toast the walnuts in a skillet on the stove top if you prefer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 521Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 228mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 29gProtein: 13g
Why would I hear water in the ice cream bowl ?
Hi Kathy,
When you freeze an ice cream bowl, it absorbs moisture from the air. If you let the bowl sit out sit too long, the water condensates in the bottom. I hope that helps.
Hello can I put more vanilla extract for a richer flavor?
Hi Shanika,
Yes, you can add a little more vanilla. For a rich vanilla flavor, might we suggest trying vanilla bean paste? It’s stronger in flavor and we love using it in ice cream.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
I really love black walnut ice cream. It is my favorite. I have not made this recipe but plan to do so very soon. What do you do with the walnuts from the milk mixture?
Hi Edna,
One idea is to spread the leftover walnut pulp onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake it in the oven to dry it out. You can then use it as an add-in to muffins, quick breads, or bread coating mixtures for main dishes.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
Thank you for your response. Can the leftover walnut pulp be added to the mixture as an add-in when adding the remaining walnuts?
Hi Edna,
We haven’t personally added it back to the ice cream, but if you decide to add it back, start with 1/4 cup.
Ice Cream From Scratch Team
Thank you. I will try it just to see how it works. I need to pick up some milk and heavy cream because I would like to make the ice cream for the 4th of July Holiday. Thanks. I will let you know how it turns out.
Make sure to chill your ice cream bowl at least 24 hours before you use it. Enjoy!
The Ice Cream from Scratch Team
Can I use a vanilla bean instead of extract? Should I steep it with the milk, brown sugar and walnuts?
Hi Robin,
Yes, you can use vanilla bean instead of the extract. Steeping it with the milk will help the flavors stand out.
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team
In regards to freezing bowl for 24 hours, I am making back to back batches of ice cream. When I wash out my bowl, it is still very cold. Do I need to still freeze for an additional 24 hours or something less can be fine.
Hi Kim,
It is best to refreeze it after the first use, but we have snuck a second batch in ourselves, and the second batch churned up nicely for us 😉
The Ice Cream From Scratch Team