Black Ice Cream Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (2024)

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Black Ice Cream is a delicious, trendy and fun recipe that you can make at home! This dark, goth-inspired ice cream recipe is a little bit spooky and perfect for Halloween. And it’s made using a traditional French ice cream method so that it’s wonderfully rich and creamy too.

Black Ice Cream Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (1)

We’re making homemade black ice cream with activated charcoal! It’s a super fun recipe, and the resulting creamy black vanilla ice cream has a dark, moody, inky color that is unusual and a treat to eat.

You can also try our recipe for Black Licorice Ice Cream, if you’re a fan of that old-fashioned flavor.

Why You’re Going to Love This Black Ice Cream Recipe

Naturally Colored – The first iterations of black ice cream that have been so trendy were made with squid ink. That’s not an ingredient that’s easy to find, so we’re using activated charcoal instead. This lets us get the super dark color without any artificial food dyes or seafood additives.

Easy French-Style Ice Cream Recipe – Like so many of our easy ice cream recipes, this one is made using the classic French custard method. It’s rich and creamy, made with egg yolks and cream. Instructions for making a no-churn black ice cream are also down below.

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Ingredients Needed

  • Activated Charcoal – This flavorless powder adds a dark black color to the ice cream. You can often find this at your local drugstore, or it can be ordered online.
  • Egg Yolks – Egg yolks are the base of our ice cream– they add richness and help create a thick custard base.
  • Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens the ice cream.
  • Milk and Cream – We’re using milk to make the custard and cream to thin the custard into a pourable ice cream base. For the best texture, don’t substitute lower-fat milks.
  • Salt – Salt helps balance out the sweetness of the ice cream.
  • Vanilla – This black ice cream is vanilla-flavored, but you can add other flavor extracts if you like.

How To Make Ice Cream Black

We’ve chosen to add an inky black color to this ice cream recipe using a natural ingredient: activated charcoal powder. Charcoal is an ingredient in whitening toothpastes, face masks, and in medicine, so for most people, it’s safe to eat.

Please note that activated charcoal can interact with the absorption of some medications– contact your physician if you have questions about consuming activated charcoal.

You can also color ice cream black with black gel food coloring, extra dark cocoa powder, squid ink, or a combination of these blackening ingredients!

For the complete list of ingredients and instructions on how to make homemade black ice cream, please see the recipe below.

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Ice Cream Storage Tips

Store this homemade Black 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 Ice Cream Recipe

  • Use quality ingredients –You’ll enjoy the best ice cream when you make it with high-quality ingredients.
  • Chill out –If possible, always start with chilled ingredients.
  • 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 skimp on the sugar –Sugar not only adds sweetness to homemade ice creams, it also helps with the texture.
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No Churn Black 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 Ice Cream Add-Ins

You can add anything to this ice cream that you enjoy! The base flavor of the ice cream is vanilla, so it’s ready for your creativity!

Halloween sprinkles are perfect with this spooky black ice cream! You can also serve scoops of black ice cream with scoops of Orange Ice Cream to make a Halloween-themed sundae.

More Fun Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

  • Easy Lime Ice Cream
  • Blackberry Ice Cream
  • Tutti Frutti Ice Cream
  • Butter Brickle Ice Cream

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Did you make this Homemade Black Ice Cream Recipe? Leave a Comment Below letting us know what you thought and if you added any additional add-ins.

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Easy Black Ice Cream Recipe

Yield: 10 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 10 hours 20 minutes

Black Ice Cream is a trendy and fun recipe that you can make at home! This dark goth ice cream recipe is spooky and perfect for Halloween.

Ingredients

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons activated charcoal

Instructions

  1. Freeze your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  2. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until well combined.Black Ice Cream Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (6)
  3. Add the milk and salt to a small saucepan set over medium heat and warm it just until steaming.Black Ice Cream Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (7)
  4. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, and then transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and return it to medium heat.Black Ice Cream Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (8)
  5. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes or until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  6. Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve and whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, and activated charcoal.Black Ice Cream Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (9)
  7. Cover the ice cream base with plastic wrap (make sure the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the ice cream so it doesn't form a skin) and place it in the fridge until chilled– at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
  8. When the ice cream base is well chilled, churn it until it has a soft serve consistency. In my Kitchenaid Ice Cream attachment, this took about 15 minutes.Black Ice Cream Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (10)
  9. Transfer the soft serve ice cream to a loaf pan and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze until solid– at least 6 hours– and then scoop and enjoy.

Notes

    • Activated charcoal is flavorless but adds the dark black color to the ice cream. You can often find this at your local drug store, or it can be ordered online.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 237Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 0gSugar: 18gProtein: 5g

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Black Ice Cream Recipe - Ice Cream From Scratch (2024)

FAQs

How do you make black ice cream? ›

In a medium-size saucepan, on medium-low, mix milk, condensed milk, starch, honey, vanilla extract, cacao powder and charcoal. Don't let this mixture come to a boil. Pour mixture into a bowl, cover and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before making ice cream.

What makes black ice cream black? ›

The frozen dessert is a cloud of deep black. That dark color in the ice cream is natural because of a surprising ingredient: charcoal. No, it's not quite the charcoal you used on the grill last night. Activated charcoal is popular in beauty products.

How to dye ice cream black? ›

Activated Charcoal: Activated charcoal can be used to create black dishes and desserts like ice cream, but should be used with caution due to its ultra-absorbent properties.

How to make black Hawaii gelato? ›

Method. Blend the black Hawaii powder base and water together until fully mixed and no lumps. Then pour into the batch freezer and select your usual gelato program. When frozen extract into a pan and place in the blast freezer to harden.

How do you make black ice at home? ›

To make Black Ice, pour 2 cups black currant nectar into an ice cube tray. Transfer to freezer; freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.

Why was activated charcoal banned? ›

Officials say it's not an approved food additive. In medicine, activated charcoal is used as an emergency treatment for certain kinds of poisoning or overdoses. It helps prevent the toxins from being absorbed from the stomach into the body. Doctors say there aren't enough studies to show its benefit in food.

Who invented black ice cream? ›

Augustus Jackson (April 16, 1808 – January 11, 1852), was an African American businessperson, chef, ice cream maker, and confectioner from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is credited as inventing a modern method of manufacturing ice cream and for new flavor development.

How to make black soft serve ice cream? ›

In a large bowl, combine heavy cream, half & half, sugar, activate charcoal (avoid consuming more than 100 grams of activated charcoal), 2 tablespoons mint extract, and at least 4 tablespoons black food coloring (more food coloring might be needed depending on concentration).

Can you get black ice cream? ›

Buzz over black ice cream served at New York City's Morgenstern's started making the rounds about a year ago, and it has officially made it west to a shop called Little Damage in L.A. The flavor they are calling Black Roses is said to taste a little like chocolate with a hint of charcoal, which makes sense when you ...

What food coloring mix makes black? ›

Start by combining blue, red, and green dyes in equal amounts. Add additional drops of red and green. You will likely need to add additional drops of red and green (a bit more red than green) to reach a truly inky black.

What makes ice black? ›

Understand that black ice is like regular ice.

It is a glaze that forms on surfaces (especially roads, sidewalks, and driveways) because of a light freezing rain or because of melting and re-freezing of snow, water, or ice on surfaces.

What makes black coconut ice cream black? ›

Its jet-black colour is completely natural and comes from charcoal. Black Coconut is also good for your wellbeing: thanks to the natural properties of charcoal (made from coconut ash) this ice cream is a great remedy against bloating and poor digestion.

Should you be eating activated charcoal? ›

When taken by mouth: Activated charcoal is likely safe when used short-term. Taking activated charcoal long-term is possibly safe. Common side effects include constipation and black stools. When applied to the skin: Activated charcoal is likely safe for most adults when applied to wounds.

Does licorice ice cream exist? ›

This flavor isn't for the masses, but if black licorice is your thing, it's a cult favorite you cannot miss. Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream has been crafted in Madison, Wisconsin, with real cane sugar, Wisconsin milk and the best ingredients we can find since 1962.

What is black ice cream? ›

Black ice cream tastes strongly like coconut. It specifically tastes like coconut ash, however. It is made from a combination of coconut cream, coconut flakes and coconut milk. Shelley Mcnu*tt. Former Retired Cook (1971–2021) Author has 6.1K.

What is black ice made out of? ›

Black ice forms when rain or snow falls. Whenever the temperature climbs above freezing, some will melt. When the temperature freezes again, ice will form. Although less common, black ice can form from dew or fog developing and then temperatures falling below freezing.

What is black ice made of? ›

If packed snow melts briefly, water penetrates remaining air spaces and refreezes, making the packed mass harder, the surface much smoother. The smooth, transparent, hard ice is now what people call “black ice.” Like a mirror, its smooth surface reflects light in one direction.

What is black ice cream cone made of? ›

The best part is that the witchy ice cream is served in delicious made-to-order black waffle cones for an even darker effect. According to Los Angeles magazine, the black cones are made with almond charcoal, which means not only does it taste great, it also has a few health benefits.

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