Toasted Black Sesame Ice Cream - Cooking Therapy (2024)

My go-to dessert especially on warmer days is of course ice cream! I’ve made many flavors since starting this blog like my most recent flavor banana stracciatella or my prettiest flavor ube ice cream. However, no flavor can compare to my love for black sesame ice cream. I almost always order this flavor when I see it on a menu, so I am so stoked to share my recipe for this flavor on the blog today.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

• Black sesame seeds – Toasted black sesame seeds adds an earthy, nutty flavor to the ice cream. Toasting the black sesame seeds brings out the nutty flavor.
• Egg yolks – Egg yolks add richness and creaminess to the ice cream.
• Sugar – White sugar adds sweetness to this recipe. I would not substitute sugar for other ingredients for the best results.
• Whole milk & Heavy Cream – Adds creaminess and richness to the ice cream
• Vanilla extract – Adds flavor to the ice cream. A good substitute would be vanilla paste. My favorite vanilla is from Nielsen Massey.

Tools you will need

• Ice cream machine – This is literally the best purchase I’ve ever made. I love my ice cream machine so much. It’s a great investment if you love ice cream as much I do.
• 2 mixing bowls – One for whisking the eggs and one for cooling the cream before churning the ice cream.
• Spatula – I used a spatula to mix the cream after I add the egg and sugar mixture into the cream. The reason for this is that it controls the amount of bubbles that appear in the cream.
• Spice grinder or food processor – My spice grinder is one of my favorite kitchen tools of all time. I use it way more than I thought I would. You can use it for grinding spices, coffee beans, and sesame seeds! If you don’t have a spice grinder, I would recommend using a food processor.
• Sauce pan – Used for heating up the cream
• Whisk – I would highly recommend using a whisk to combine the eggs and sugar. You want to whip the eggs and sugar until it reaches a smooth and creamy texture.
• Immersion blender (optional) – I personally like using my immersion blender to incorporate the black sesame seeds into the creme anglaise. The reason why is that it incorporates the black sesame seeds way better than a normal spoon.

Making my toasted black sesame ice cream

The ice cream base comes together really quickly for this recipe. First toast your black sesame seeds for 30 seconds. Next, add them to a spice grinder or food processor and pulse until it’s broken down into powder. Set aside. Next make the creme anglaise. Add whole milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract to a sauce pan. Heat until the cream is hot and smoke is emitting off the milk (1-2 minutes). Turn off the heat after it’s done. While the milk is heating, whisk eggs yolks and sugar until a smooth and creamy texture forms. After the cream is heated, add in 1/2 cup of the cream to the egg and sugar mixture. Mix until no white streaks appear. Then pour the egg and sugar mixture into the pan with the cream. Turn your stove back on, and heat the creme anglaise until the liquid reaches 170 degrees F. You can test if the creme anglaise is done by coating the back of a spoon and running your finger through it. It’s done if the trail created doesn’t break.

Remove from the heat. Strain the cream into a bowl. Add in your powdered black sesame seeds and mix until well incorporated. Cool the mixture to room temperature and cool for 6-8 hours in the fridge. Pour the cream into an ice cream machine and churn for 15-20 minutes. Once done, place into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight. The ice cream should be ready to enjoy the next day!

Tips on how to make the perfect black sesame ice cream

Use a spice grinder to turn your black sesame seeds into powder

One of the most common questions I get asked is how I get an even black color with my black sesame seeds. The key is using a spice grinder to break down your sesame seeds into powder. I’ve tried using a food processor before, and it doesn’t work as well.

Temper your eggs

Just like in creme brûlées, it is important to temper your eggs for the cream. Add 1/4 cup of hot cream to your egg and sugar mixture. Whisk until everything is well combined and no white streaks remain. Now, it is safe to add your egg mixture to the hot cream.

Make sure your cream is cold before churning

You will get better results if your cream is cold. Put your finished cream into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours to cool it down before adding it to the ice cream machine. This is a lot of time but this makes the ice cream really creamy.

Be careful not to over churn

The maximum amount of time you should churn your ice cream is 20 minutes. The more you churn your ice cream, the harder it becomes. A done ice cream will have the consistency of something slightly harder than soft serve.

Did you make this black sesame ice cream?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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