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This matcha ice cream recipe is light and creamy, and features the subtle taste of Japanese green tea.
I LOVE ice creams! If you are hooked to these frozen desserts as I am, I have no doubt you’ll love my naturally flavored ice creams like avocado, cottage cheese, and strawberry ice cream.
And if you have been bitten by the ‘Matcha’ bug and love matcha latté or iced tea, you’ll immensely enjoy this gorgeous matcha ice cream recipe!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Vibrant color. You get brilliant green-colored ice cream at home without adding artificial color or flavor.
- It tastes authentic. Concocting authentic-tasting ice creams like coconut and kulfi is my jam, and I am sure you’ll enjoy this ice cream made from premium matcha powder.
- Affordable. Unlike the expensive store-bought matcha ice cream, this is budget-friendly.
What I love about this recipe is you can tweak the matcha and sugar ratios to your preference. If you’re new to the ‘matcha’ world, start with lesser powder and build on as you get used to its unique flavor profile.
Ingredients needed
Believe it or not, you need only six simple ingredients to make this ice cream from scratch. Here’s the complete list:
- Hot water. To dissolve matcha.
- Matcha. I prefer using ceremonial or premium-grade matcha powder for this recipe. Its vibrant color makes this ice cream pop!
- Egg yolks. Separate egg yolks from two large eggs for this recipe.
- Sugar. Use granulated powdered sugar to make this ice cream.
- Milk. To make the anglaise
- Heavy cream. Makes soft ice cream without using any emulsifiers.
How to make delicious matcha ice cream
Like my cookie dough ice cream, follow these simple steps to make ice cream that sets perfectly every time.
- Dissolve matcha. Dissolve matcha by whisking it with hot water in a small bowl.
- Prep the ice cream base. Whisk sugar and egg yolks in a saucepan, add milk, and cook it on medium heat until the mixture thickens.
- Stir in matcha. Chill the mixture in the saucepan in an ice bowl and add the matcha paste.
- Whip the cream. Beat the heavy cream and fold it with the matcha mixture.
- Freeze the ice cream. Transfer the ice cream mix to an ice cream or loaf pan and freeze it overnight.
- Serve chilled. Allow the ice cream to settle at room temperature for a few minutes, scoop and serve chilled!
Tips to make the best recipe
- Don’t add too much matcha. As much as you’d like the green color, too much matcha will cause the ice cream to taste bitter.
- Avoid over-whipping the heavy cream. Whip the cream only to incorporate a little air to achieve a slightly thick consistency.
- Cover with a cling film. Cover the ice cream surface with plastic wrap before freezing to avoid ice crystals.
- Strain the ice cream base. Get rid of any cooked bits of egg and undissolved matcha powder by straining the mixture after step # 3.
- Continuously stir the egg-milk mixture as it cooks. Stir the mixture continuously to prevent the eggs from sticking to the base.
Flavor variations
- Use condensed milk. Skip the eggs, milk, and sugar, and add condensed milk for a sweet, silky, smooth ice cream mixture like the brownie ice cream recipe.
- Make it vegan. Substitute heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream, dairy milk with soy or cashew milk, and skip the eggs to make vegan matcha ice cream.
- Get creative with toppings. Top the matcha scoop with coconut shavings, white or dark chocolate chips, chopped roasted nuts, cookie crumbles, or good-old sprinkles.
- Adjust the sweetness. Add more or less sugar to make the ice cream to your liking.
Storage instructions
To freeze: Store the ice cream in an air-tight freezer-safe container for 2-3 weeks. Cover its surface with baking paper to prevent crystal formation.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Electric whisk. Rest your arm muscles and let your whisk do the heavy lifting of whisking eggs and cream.
- Ice cream pan. A slightly shallow pan for freezing the ice cream.
- Matcha whisk. This bamboo whisk is perfect for activating and making matcha paste.
More ice cream recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Matcha does have an underlying bitter taste, but that is beautifully balanced with sugar and cream in this recipe. So your taste buds will not be overwhelmed with bitter flavors.
Yes, it does contain roughly half the amount of caffeine compared to coffee. A perfect pick-me-up for hot weather!
Although both come from the same plant, matcha is a fine powder made from hand-picked shade-grown dried, vibrant green tea leaves, whereas green tea is harvested from leaves grown under the sun and is less concentrated.
Sure, you can! Pour the mixture into the ice cream pot and churn it as instructed in the manual.
Matcha Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons water hot
- 1 tablespoon Matcha green tea powder
- 2 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Whisk hot water and matcha in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare a bowl with ice-cold water and set aside.
- Whisk eggs with sugar in a saucepan. Add milk and set the mixture on the stove. Cook the eggs and milk over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens lightly.
- Place the saucepan on top of the ice-cold water to help cool the egg mixture. Add the matcha and stir until smooth.
- Beat heavy cream in a bowl. Stir in the matcha mixture.
- Transfer the mixture to an ice cream tray or a loaf pan and freeze overnight.
- Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping.
