Oct 16, 2018

Balsamic Fig Ice Cream

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Homemade fig jam spiced with cinnamon is swirled into creamy ice cream with balsamic glaze.
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Homemade fig jam spiced with cinnamon is swirled into creamy ice cream with balsamic glaze. The balsamic glaze cuts down on the sweetness and complements the fruity flavor or the jam. While homemade fig jam is easy to make, store bought can be easily substituted.

The bowl of the ice cream maker should be frozen for at least 15 hours in advance. As long as the supplies are prepped ahead of time, the ice cream takes no time at all to make.

Balsamic Fig Ice Cream

balsamic fig ice cream scoop from cooking with cocktail rings

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

  • Fig jam – I use my homemade fig jam recipe here. It’s made with black peppercorns and cinnamon to give the jam a warmer flavor and a fall twist. This recipe can easily be made with store-bought fig jam. It’s often found by the gourmet cheese counter at grocery stores.
  • Balsamic vinegar – Balsamic adds a slightly sweet, acidic note to this dish. Balsamic is sweeter and more syrupy than other wine vinegars. It’s made from the unfermented juice of grapes, called “must”, and aged for 12 years or more.
balsamic fig ice cream cones

How to Make Balsamic Fig Ice Cream

  1. Heat the diary. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk, cream, salt and ½ cup sugar to a simmer. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, then remove from heat.
  2. Make the custard base. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes. Whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture in the saucepan.
  3. Cook the custard. Return the pot to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Strain. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl set in a large bowl of ice water. Let the mixture cool, stirring occasionally.
  5. Mix the ice cream and add fig. Add the custard to the chilled bowl of an ice cream maker set up according to manufacturer’s instructions. Mix for about 12 minutes then add the fig jam.
  6. Add balsamic. Continue to mix until the consistency is thick, about an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Drop in the balsamic and swirl into the mixture with a spatula.
  7. Chill. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. The ice cream can be kept frozen for up to 1 week.
balsamic fig ice cream closeup scoop in sugar cone

Equipment Needed

To make this ice cream, you will need an ice cream maker. I use the attachment for the KitchenAid stand mixer that can be found here. This is a recipe that you have to plan ahead for.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this balsamic fig ice cream recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

Balsamic Fig Ice Cream

Print Pin
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • cups whole milk
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup fig jam, get the recipe here 
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze

Instructions:

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk, cream, salt and ½ cup sugar to a simmer. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, then remove from heat.
  • In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes. Whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture in the saucepan.
  • Return the pot to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl set in a large bowl of ice water. Let the mixture cool, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the custard to the chilled bowl of an ice cream maker set up according to manufacturer's instructions. Mix for about 12 minutes then add the fig jam.
  • Continue to mix until the consistency is thick, about an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Drop in the balsamic and swirl into the mixture with a spatula.
  • Use a rubber spatula to transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. The ice cream can be kept frozen for up to 1 week.

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