Indulge in the Richness: Homemade Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream Recipe

Prepare to elevate your dessert experience with a truly exceptional treat: Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream. This recipe transforms the bold, irresistible flavors of traditional Vietnamese iced coffee into a creamy, dreamy frozen delight. Forget diluted, weak coffee-flavored desserts; this is an homage to deep coffee intensity, balanced with the luxurious sweetness of condensed milk and the perfect creamy texture.

Our journey to the perfect scoop will guide you through creating an ice cream base using a masterful blend of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and rich heavy cream. You’ll also learn to select the ideal coffee, whether you prefer caffeinated or decaffeinated, and how a touch of vanilla extract or pure vanilla bean completes this exquisite flavor profile.

The Allure of Vietnamese Iced Coffee: A Foundation of Flavor

For many, the first sip of authentic Vietnamese iced coffee is a revelation. It’s an experience that makes you realize any other coffeehouse version of diluted coffee over ice simply pales in comparison. The traditional method involves packing coarsely ground coffee into a metal phin filter, allowing the thick, intense brew to slowly drip down into a tall glass. This glass, already prepared with a generous layer of sweetened condensed milk and ice cubes, becomes the stage for a delightful transformation. As the hot coffee drips, it gently melts some of the ice and thoroughly mixes with the sweet, sticky milk, creating a rich, creamy, and unbelievably satisfying concoction. This isn’t just a drink; it’s a “simple pleasure, deeply felt,” as the original author beautifully puts it, a testament to the profound joy found in humble culinary perfection.

This unique brewing method and the indispensable role of sweetened condensed milk are what give Vietnamese iced coffee its distinctive character. The slow drip ensures maximum flavor extraction, resulting in a robust coffee concentrate. The condensed milk not only provides sweetness but also contributes a velvety texture and a caramel-like depth that harmonizes perfectly with the coffee’s bitterness. It’s this profound flavor profile that we aim to capture and amplify in our ice cream.

Inspired by Culinary Brilliance: Tara O’Brady and Seven Spoons

This exceptional Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream recipe is inspired by the brilliant Tara O’Brady, author of the acclaimed Seven Spoons Cookbook and the celebrated Seven Spoons food blog. Tara O’Brady is renowned for her thoughtful approach to cooking and her ability to craft recipes that deliver “uncompromising intensity” of flavor. Her culinary philosophy is about creating dishes that are not only delicious but also deeply comforting and memorable. Her ice cream, she declares, is her “full-stop favorite,” a “voluptuous mix of evaporated milks and cream gets infused with ground coffee, then chilled, churned, and swirled with caramel.” This powerful endorsement alone is enough to pique the interest of any coffee lover and ice cream enthusiast.

This is my full-stop favorite ice cream. A voluptuous mix of evaporated milks and cream gets infused with ground coffee, then chilled, churned, and swirled with caramel. – Tara Brady

This summer, if you own an ice cream maker and share a passion for coffee, Tara’s Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream is an absolute must-try. It promises an unparalleled depth of flavor and a texture that will make it a staple in your frozen dessert repertoire.

Crafting Your Coffee Dream: Key Ingredients Explained

The magic of this Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream lies in its carefully selected components. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in achieving the signature taste and luscious texture:

• Evaporated Milk: This unsweetened, concentrated milk contributes a rich, slightly toasted flavor and a silky texture to the ice cream base. Its unique properties help to create a denser, creamier ice cream that resists crystallization, ensuring a smooth mouthfeel.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: The star of Vietnamese coffee, this ingredient is vital for both sweetness and body. It provides that iconic caramel-like depth and intense sweetness that defines the flavor profile. Beyond just sugar, condensed milk offers a richness that simple sugar cannot replicate, making the ice cream truly authentic.
• Heavy Cream: Essential for a truly luxurious ice cream, heavy cream delivers the necessary fat content to create an incredibly smooth, decadent, and scoopable texture. It balances the intensity of the coffee and the sweetness of the condensed milk, providing a rich, velvety backdrop.
• Coffee Beans (Ground): The heart of the flavor. The choice of coffee is paramount. A medium roast with a balanced flavor profile often works best, but feel free to experiment with your favorite dark roasts for a more intense flavor. Grinding the beans yourself just before use ensures maximum freshness and aromatic oils. For a milder, more rounded flavor, or if you prefer convenience, 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder or 3 tablespoons of instant coffee powder can be used as alternatives to ground beans. Whether you opt for caffeinated or decaf, ensure it’s a high-quality coffee for the best result.
• Vanilla Extract or Pure Vanilla Bean: Vanilla is a powerful complementary flavor that enhances and rounds out the coffee notes without overpowering them. The seeds scraped from a vanilla bean offer the purest, most aromatic vanilla essence, while good quality pure vanilla extract provides a convenient and effective alternative.
• Generous Pinch of Fine-Grain Sea Salt: A small amount of salt is a secret weapon in many dessert recipes. It brightens and amplifies all the other flavors, particularly the coffee and caramel notes, making them pop and preventing the ice cream from tasting overly sweet.

The Art of Ice Cream Making: Step-by-Step Perfection

Making this Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream is a rewarding process. Here’s a deeper look into each stage to ensure your success:

1. Infusion is Key: Combining the evaporated milk, condensed milk, heavy cream, ground coffee, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat is where the magic begins. The goal isn’t to boil, but to gently heat the mixture until it begins to steam. This gentle heat helps the milk and cream absorb the coffee’s complex flavors and aromas. Once steaming, removing it from the heat and allowing it to steep for 20 minutes is crucial. This steeping period allows the coffee grounds to release their full flavor into the warm dairy, creating a deeply infused base. Think of it like brewing an extra-strong coffee, but with milk!
2. Strain and Chill for Perfection: After steeping, the mixture must be strained. Using a fine-meshed strainer or a coffee filter ensures a smooth, grit-free ice cream base, separating the liquid from the spent coffee grounds. Transfer the strained liquid to a bowl, cover it, and chill it thoroughly. While 3 hours is the minimum, chilling it overnight is highly recommended. This extended chilling period is vital for two reasons: firstly, it allows the flavors to meld and deepen even further, and secondly, it ensures the base is perfectly cold before churning. An adequately cold base will churn into a smoother, creamier ice cream, as it freezes faster and forms smaller ice crystals.
3. Churn and Freeze: Once your base is perfectly chilled, follow your ice cream maker’s directions for churning. Churning introduces air into the mixture while it freezes, creating that light, scoopable texture we all love. The churning time will vary depending on your machine, but typically lasts around 20-30 minutes. After churning, the ice cream will have a soft-serve consistency. Transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for several hours, or preferably overnight, to allow it to firm up to the ideal consistency.

The result is a symphony of flavors and textures – a tribute to the vibrant culinary heritage of Vietnam, brought to life in a creamy, frozen delight.

Elevate Your Scoop: Delicious Toppings and Serving Suggestions

While this Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream is utterly delicious on its own, adding toppings can elevate the experience even further. Tara O’Brady suggests topping her ice cream with homemade Candied Cocoa Nibs and an Espresso Caramel, both intricate recipes found in her cookbook. For a simpler yet equally delightful approach, we recommend a delicate sprinkle of fine ground coffee, a drizzle of store-bought caramel sauce, and a tiny pinch of sea salt. The salt enhances the caramel and coffee notes, creating a beautiful contrast. Other fantastic options include a sprinkle of dark chocolate shavings, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of your favorite chocolate sauce.

Beyond the Recipe: The Heart of Seven Spoons

For those who appreciate thoughtful, heartfelt food writing, Tara O’Brady’s work, both on her Seven Spoons blog and in her cookbook, is a treasure. Her blog, which has captivated silent fans for years, chronicles her culinary adventures, her journey through parenthood, and insights into her Indian heritage. Her recipes, like her Frothy Indian Coffee or her Simple, Quick Chocolate Sauce, are always approachable yet refined. Her site truly embodies the essence of a traditional blog, with sometimes deeply personal posts that are always poetic, thoughtful, and resonate with genuine emotion. If you are someone who loves to truly *read* a cookbook, savoring each page from beginning to end, then you will find immense comfort and inspiration nestled within the pages of the Seven Spoons Cookbook. It’s a culinary journey as much as it is a collection of recipes.

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream Recipe

Adapted and reprinted with permission from Seven Spoons, by Tara O’Brady, copyright © 2015, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photography copyright © 2015 by Tara O’Brady. Grind regular or decaf coffee beans to a medium grind. For a milder, rounded flavor, use 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder or 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder instead of ground beans.

Servings

1 quart (1 L)

Ingredients

For the Ice Cream:

• 1 14-ounce/400 g can evaporated milk
• 1 14-ounce/400 g can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) heavy cream
• 2 ounces (60 g) coffee beans, ground (see note above)
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Generous pinch of fine-grain sea salt

Toppings:

• Fine ground coffee, sea salt, store-bought caramel

Instructions

1. Combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream, coffee, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, whisking often, until the mixture begins to steam. Remove from the heat and let steep for 20 minutes.
2. Using a fine-meshed strainer or a coffee filter, strain the liquid into a bowl. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions.
3. To serve, top the Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream with a pinch of ground coffee, caramel and a pinch of sea salt.

Notes

Original recipe in cookbook includes Candied Cacao Nibs and Espresso Caramel. Buy the book!

Conclusion: A Scoop of Pure Delight

This Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream is more than just a dessert; it’s an experience. It’s a testament to how simple, yet powerful, ingredients can come together to create something truly extraordinary. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Vietnamese iced coffee or simply looking for your new favorite frozen treat, this recipe promises an “uncompromising intensity” of flavor that will leave you craving another scoop. Embrace the process, savor the aroma, and delight in the rich, creamy texture of your homemade masterpiece. We encourage you to try this recipe and share your experience!