Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream (Printable version)

Rich, creamy Vietnamese coffee ice cream with sweetened condensed milk and bold espresso flavor.

# Ingredient List:

→ Ice Cream Base

01 - 1 ½ cups whole milk
02 - 1 ½ cups heavy cream
03 - ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
04 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
05 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Coffee

06 - ½ cup very strong brewed Vietnamese coffee or espresso
07 - 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

→ Egg Yolks

08 - 5 large egg yolks

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine whole milk, heavy cream, half the sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming, avoiding boiling.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar until pale and thickened.
03 - Gradually pour 1 cup of hot milk mixture into yolks while whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
04 - Return yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until custard thickens and coats the spoon back, reaching 170–175°F (about 4–6 minutes).
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in brewed coffee, espresso powder, and sweetened condensed milk until fully blended.
06 - Pour custard through fine-mesh sieve into clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
07 - Process chilled custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until soft-serve consistency forms.
08 - Transfer to airtight container and freeze for minimum 2 hours before serving to achieve firmer texture.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The coffee flavor hits you first then melts into this incredibly creamy sweetness that feels like drinking cà phê sữa đá in slow motion
  • Unlike coffee ice creams that taste like an afterthought this one delivers bold authentic flavor that coffee enthusiasts actually recognize
02 -
  • I once skipped straining the custard and ended up with weird cooked egg bits throughout the ice cream
  • The condensed milk makes this sweeter than typical ice cream so use that really strong coffee to balance it
03 -
  • Chill your ice cream container in the freezer before adding the churned mixture
  • Let the ice cream sit on the counter for five minutes before scooping

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