Go Back
A square image of ginger ice cream with gingersnap pieces in a glass dish, ready for the recipe card.
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Ginger Ice Cream

A creamy, egg-free ice cream infused with fresh ginger, studded with crystallized ginger and crunchy gingersnap cookies. Salt & Straw-style 17% butterfat base.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Churn & Rest Time15 hours 30 minutes
Total Time16 hours
Course: Dessert, Snacks
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 (1/2-cup) servings
Calories: 248

Equipment

  • Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

For the Philadelphia-style ice cream base

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 2 oz fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/3 cups very cold heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix-ins

  • 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
  • 15 gingersnap cookies, broken into bits (See note below)
US - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the base

  • Whisk together the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
  • Stir the 1 1/3 cups whole milk and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup in a medium saucepan until the corn syrup is dissolved.
  • Tip the sugar-milk powder mixture into the milk, and whisk until smooth and luscious. No lumps here, please.

Infuse the milk with ginger

  • Heat the mixture over medium heat until the milk reaches about 180℉ (82°C). Bubbles will form around the edge of the pan and the milk will throw off a lot of steam.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: There's no way around this. (Sorry, kids.) You need an instant-read thermometer. Read the note above on why hitting the 180°F mark is crucial.

  • Slide the pan off the heat, drop in the 2 oz fresh ginger slices, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.

Strain and finish the base

  • Strain the gingered milk through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the ginger to squeeze out every drop. Trash the solids.
  • Add the 1 1/3 cups very cold heavy cream and 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Taste. You should get bold ginger flavor with warmth but no sharp burn.

Chill the base

  • Pour the base into a container and let it chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or better yet, overnight.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: Use a mason jar. The glass conducts cold quickly and you can shake it up. No mess.

Churn the ice cream

  • Pour the chilled base into your ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until thick and creamy, and the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, about 25 to 35 minutes depending on your type of maker.

Add the mix-ins and freeze

  • Add in the 1/3 cup crystallized ginger in the last 2 to 3 minutes of churning.
  • Quickly spoon about 1/3 of the ginger ice cream into a freezer-safe container and top with about 1/3 of the crumbled 15 gingersnap cookies. Continue layering in the ice cream and cookie pieces. Press parchment paper onto the surface to prevent ice crystals and seal with an airtight lid.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: Speed is wicked important here. You don't want to give the ice cream a chance to melt and form ice crystals in the freezer. Your mouth will thank you.

  • Freeze for at least 6 hours to fully firm up. Nope, this isn't negotiable. Give it 24 hours for the best flavor.

Serve

  • When you're ready to eat, let the container sit at room temperature for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  1. The infusion is everything—Sliced ginger steeped in hot milk extracts deep flavor without the raw, throat-burning heat you'd get from chewing ginger directly. A full hour of steeping gives you the best results.
  2. Want a more intense ginger flavor—Use a larger piece of fresh ginger, or press harder on the solids through the sieve. Increase the ground ginger to 3/4 teaspoon for extra complexity.
  3. Get ginger snaps that snap—Look for crispy, thin ginger snaps. Stauffer's are what I use. Homemade ginger snaps tend to be too chewy and will turn soggy and blech in the ice cream.
  4. Clean your crumbles—because the ginger snaps are so crisp, there are lots of crumbs. Toss them in a mesh strainer for the creamiest ice cream.
  5. Take your time—Make the base the evening before. Churn the next morning, then hard-freeze before dinner. The longer the base chills before churning, the better.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 123mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 22g