Peanut Butter Ice Cream

This no-churn, extra-creamy peanut butter ice cream will make an ideal treat for a sunny day. Full of rich, nutty flavour with a hint of buttery caramel from Lyle's Golden Syrup. It takes 10 minutes to make and you don't need an ice-cream machine or any fancy equipment to make them!

It's made with only a handful of ingredients, and unlike many recipes out there, this one doesn't require any condensed milk or bananas! If frozen desserts are your thing, then you are going to love this ice cream!

Jump to:

• Why you would love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Method
• Optional extras and serving suggestions
• Storing
• Frequently asked questions
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why you would love this recipe

Peanut butter is one of my all-time favourite ingredients and this ice cream recipe is bursting with that very flavour. The richness of thick and creamy peanut butter combined with mild, buttery and almost caramel-like golden syrup creates match made in heaven!

It's a no-churn recipe, meaning that you do not require an ice cream machine or an ice cream maker. Unlike many homemade peanut butter ice cream recipes out there, this one doesn't use sweetened condensed milk. Instead, this ice cream is made using golden syrup.

If you love peanut butter as much as I do, make sure to check out my other recipes, like these 3-ingredient peanut butter energy bites or chocolate brownies with peanut butter frosting.

Ingredients

As mentioned above, there is only a handful of ingredients needed to make this peanut butter flavor ice cream. Let's have a closer look at them:

• Egg yolks - 4 large egg yolks are needed in this recipe. The egg yolks add richness to the texture and also leverage the fat already present in the ice cream base (the butterfat in the double cream) and make it into an even creamier texture.
• Lyle's Golden Syrup - The secret weapon of this recipe! Used instead of sugar, this delicious and versatile baking ingredient adds body, creaminess and stability to your ice cream. It also creates an additional depth of flavour, adding these buttery, caramel notes.
• Double/ heavy cream - The base of most of ice creams (often used together with whole milk). The fat in cream contributes to several important roles in ice cream. It provides smooth and creamy texture, it adds its own flavor and it helps to make the ice cream creamier. It also slows down the melting, by stabilising the air bubbles. Double/ heavy cream will work best, due to its higher fat content. Ice cream made with higher fat will be richer and creamier with a long aftertaste.
• Peanut butter - Not only it adds the main flavour to this recipe, but it also adds more fat. As we discovered above, the higher the fat content, the creamier and more stabilised your ice cream will be. You can use smooth or crunchy peanut butter. Homemade peanut butter will be even better!
• Vanilla extract - Optional, but a dash of vanilla adds a subtle flavour and enhances the peanut butter flavour even more.

Method

If you are planning on making your own peanut butter ice cream, I would recommend to start a day ahead. The ice cream will need a minimum of 6 hours in the freezer, or ideally an overnight freeze.

If you would like, you can watch this video on my Instagram Reels to see how easy it is to make this ice cream.

Start by whisking the egg yolks for 2-3 minutes until they are pale and fluffy. Once done, add Lyle's Golden Syrup and whisk both again.

Pour in the double cream into egg yolks mixture and beat all the ingredients together. Place the bowl with the egg yolk and cream mixture over the saucepan with simmering water. Continue to whisk for 5 minutes, until it becomes frothy and bubbly.

You know the mixture is ready, when it coats the back of the spoon or spatula. You are looking for a thin custard consistency. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set it aside, allowing the mixture to cool just a little.

Stir in the melted peanut butter and whisk all of the ingredients once more, until you have a thick and creamy mixture. Pour it into a freezer-friendly container and tap it against the surface a few times, to release the air bubbles.

Allow the mixture to cool completely. Cover the top with cling film and transfer to the freezer for minimum of 6 hours or for an overnight freeze.

Optional extras and serving suggestions

This ice cream already tastes great on its own, but you can also try experimenting with lots of add-ons and different serving suggestions.

• Reserve some of the peanut butter and add a peanut butter swirl into your ice cream. When pouring the ice cream into the container, pour half of the mixture in, then swirl the peanut butter layer and finish by pouring the remaining ice cream mixture on top.
• Add chopped, roasted peanuts into the ice cream mix, or serve scoops of ice cream with a sprinkle of roasted, chopped peanuts on top.
• Enhance the peanut butter flavour by adding some mini peanut butter cups into the ice cream mix before freezing it.
• Why not try adding some sea salt flakes? Adding a sprinkle of sea salt flakes on top of your ice cream will enhance that peanut butter flavour even more!
• Drizzle some melted chocolate or Lyle's Golden Syrup on top for an even more delicious ice cream.
• Not a fan of peanut butter flavour? Why not try these fantastic Black Forrest Ice Cream from Good Things Baking blog? The combination of cherries and chocolate is totally irresistible!
• Looking for more topping ideas? Check out these Ice Cream Toppings post from Ice Cream From Scratch blog!

Storing

Homemade ice cream is best eaten fresh. The fresher, the better! I would recommend eating your ice cream within two weeks of making it.

Because it doesn't contain any chemicals or preservatives, which will keep it for longer, you want to eat it as soon as possible for the best and the freshest flavour.

The optimum storing temperature for ice cream is -18° C (0°F) or lower.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an ice cream machine to make this recipe?

No! The beauty of this peanut butter ice cream is the fact that it doesn't require an ice cream maker/ machine. It is a no-churn ice cream, you just make it and allow it to freeze. You don't even have to do any stirring or mixing it in between!

What can I use to freeze my ice cream in?

There are few different ways that you can store and freeze your ice cream in. My personal favourite is to use a loaf pan. Most kitchens will already have one, and it fits easily in the freezer. Metal or glass pans will be fine to use.

If you don't have a loaf pan, you can also use an old (used) ice cream container. Just make sure you wash it before using it.

You can also purchase a special ice cream containers in speciality stores or online. But any freezer-friendly container can be used, just make sure you check it is suitable for freezing.

Can I refreeze partially melted ice cream?

In simplest terms- no, you can't. This is because ice crystals will form on your ice cream if you refreeze it. This will impact the texture of your ice cream in a negative way. I would recommend freezing your ice cream as soon as you have finished serving it, to minimise the ice crystals developing.

If you tried this Peanut Butter Ice Cream or any other of my recipes, feel free to leave me a comment and a rating below. I love hearing from you!

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