Salted Caramel Ice Cream

The whole family is going to love this incredibly easy caramel ice cream with a hint of salt. The ingredients are so simple and it may just be my favorite ice cream of all time! Skip the ice cream shops and make the perfect creamy ice cream right at home.

Caramel Ice Cream Recipe

I love to challenge myself in the kitchen. I'm not talking about anything crazy. I'm talking about the recipes you look at and think, "I couldn't make that." Those are the recipes I push myself to try and hope for the best.

Usually, recipes you think are too difficult to make at home aren't that difficult to make. They may take some patience and maybe some trial and error, but each recipe tends me be more simple than you'd think.

So, even though it may sound super difficult to make homemade ice cream, I promise you it isn't. Not when you've got the right method and some simple ingredients!

Why make ice cream at home

There are lots of ways to make ice cream at home. Some require an ice cream machine, some require many ingredients and some, like this caramel ice cream recipe, are effortless.

Homemade ice cream is one of my favorite desserts, so I'll always find a simple and uncomplicated method to make it. The no churn ice cream method is about as easy as it gets! It's a great way to make salted caramel ice cream and strawberry granola parfait ice cream.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

• This no churn recipe always produces delicious ice cream with the perfect creamy texture that all ice cream should have!
• You don't need expensive equipment to make this homemade ice cream recipe. A no churn ice cream recipe uses kitchen materials you already have.
• Caramel ice cream only requires 5 simple ingredients that you may already have in your pantry and refrigerator.

Living in Arizona, I have to have plenty of ice cold desserts to keep us cool during the summer. I've got a post with some of the best frozen desserts, but let's be honest, I'd eat ice cream every day if I could.

Ingredients

On your next grocery store run, grab these ingredients so you have them on hand whenever you're ready to make ice cream:

• heavy whipping cream
• sweetened condensed milk
• caramel sauce
• coarse sea salt
• powdered sugar

Substitutions and Variations

To make a dairy free version of this caramel ice cream recipe, use a dairy-free heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed coconut milk. The flavor and texture may change a bit, but you'll still have a delicious ice cream.

Add in candies such as Heath Bar, peanut butter cup chunks or chocolate chips. You can also crumble up chocolate chip cookies or add no-bake cookie dough chunks to your ice cream.

Turn this salted caramel ice cream into chocolate and caramel by swirling in some chocolate sauce. Make a vanilla ice cream base by adding a splash or two of vanilla extract. You can add lots of different flavors!

How to Make Caramel Ice Cream

Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip the heavy cream in a large bowl on high speed until stiff peaks begin to form.

Add the sweetened condensed milk, ¼ cup of the caramel sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sea salt, and the powdered sugar to the fresh whipped cream.

Whisk mixture on high until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. You'll want to make sure that all of the sugar dissolves, so mix it well!

Pour the homemade ice cream mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan. Top the ice cream with the remaining caramel and sea salt. Then, use a knife or skewer to swirl the caramel across the top.

Place the loaf pan into the freezer and let the ice cream set for at least 4 hours.

Once frozen, scoop into an ice cream bowl or onto cones and enjoy!

How to Store Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Cover the loaf pan in plastic wrap, or transfer leftover ice cream to an airtight container. Store ice cream in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Toppings for Caramel Ice Cream

There's so many great things to put on top of the best ice cream ever! Here's a few of my favorites:

• Whipped cream
• Sprinkles
• Chocolate chips
• Cookie crumbles
• Candy
• Hot fudge sauce
• Strawberry slices
• Banana slices

You could even make ice cream sandwiches with this yummy ice cream! Use graham crackers or double chocolate cookies as the outsides.

Whip up a bourbon caramel sauce to top your bowls of this delicious frozen treat.

Tips for Success

Because the caramel does not freeze all the way, this ice cream is ready to scoop straight from the freezer, no need to let it thaw a little. Unfortunately, this means that it cannot be left on the counter as long. The ice cream should be served within 10 minutes of being set out, otherwise it will be too runny.

The salt offers a great balance the overall sweetness of the ice cream. Using coarse sea salt gives you larger pieces of salt scattered throughout the ice cream, balancing the flavor and giving a little crunch.

You can store this ice cream for up to 2 weeks in the freezer covered with plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can transfer the ice cream to an airtight container.

Any brand of caramel ice cream sauce will work great with this recipe. I do not recommend making your own caramel because it will freeze too hard and make it difficult to scoop the ice cream.

FAQ

More Frozen Dessert Recipes

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