Matcha Ice Cream
Jump to Recipe
The matcha craze doesn’t stop at matcha lattes. This homemade Matcha Ice Cream is a great way to impress your family and friends this summer. Rich and with a strong matcha taste, it will be your new favourite flavour!
What’s So Special About Matcha Ice Cream?
Matcha ice cream itself isn’t something new, especially in Asia. But nothing compares to the authentic version. Westernized versions are often creamier and sweet. The traditional version is still sweet but has a strong matcha flavour that gives it a slightly bitter taste.
Other than its interesting flavour, matcha has many health benefits and is a great alternative to get your daily caffeine dose during the summer. Learn more about the different benefits of matcha here.
Without a Machine
Although ice cream makers are quite inexpensive nowadays, another appliance to store away can really lead to clutter in your kitchen. If you don’t have one, worry not! This recipe is no-machine-friendly!
The main advantage of using an electric machine is that the final product will be smoother and creamier. When you freeze a liquid, you’re creating hard ice crystals. When making ice cream you want to break up these crystals as much as possible as it freezes. So you don’t necessarily need more cream or milk to make creamier ice cream!
With this in mind, you’ll get the best results by checking on your ice cream every 30 minutes as it freezes and stirring it. By stirring it, we mean really beat it up. You want to break apart the ice crystals that are forming as much as possible.
The end result will be a super smooth and cream Matcha Ice Cream. For more delicious matcha treats, check out our Matcha Smoothie Bowl or Matcha Swiss Roll recipes. Now let’s start!
Matcha Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups half-and-half (10-12% fat)
- 3 tbsp matcha powder
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Freeze the ice cream bowl from your machine or a large metal bowl or pan for 24 hours before starting. This will help the ice cream freeze better. Also, prepare a large bowl in an ice bath.
- In a medium-sized pan, combine the half-and-half, sugar and salt over medium heat. Whisk everything together.
- Once everything is combined, use a fine-mesh strained and sift the matcha into the mixture. Continue to whisk everything together and cook until the matcha and sugar are well combined. When small bubbles form at the edge of the mixture, remove the pan from the heat. Make sure to not let the mixture boil! Reduce to medium-low heat if you need to.
- Then, transfer the mixture to the bowl in the ice bath. Once the mixture is cool, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- If you are using an ice cream maker, transfer the chilled mixture to the bowl you froze the day before. If not, transfer it to the regular frozen metal bowl or pan you prepared.
- Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker and then transfer the soft ice into an airtight container. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
Without Ice Cream Maker:
- If you are not using an ice cream maker, cover and put the frozen bowl or pan with the now chilled mixture in it into the freezer for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes have passed, check to see if it has started to freeze near the edges. Remove the entire bowl and stir it and vigorously with a spatula or whisk. Then put it back in the freezer.
- Freeze it for another 2 to 3 hours, checking and stirring vigorously every 30 minutes. You can even use a hand-held mixer for the best results but stirring by hand with a spatula works as well.
- Once you reach your desired consistency, your matcha ice cream is ready. Scoop into bowls to serve. Make sure you store it in an airtight container. Enjoy!
