Jeni's Sweet Cream Ice Cream
Sweet, creamy, and smooth, this copycat Jeni's Sweet Cream Ice Cream is the best homemade ice cream recipe. The secret to Jeni's famously creamy and scoopable texture is a combination of cream cheese, cornstarch, and light corn syrup.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups Whole Milk
- 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese (softened)
- 1/8 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Light Karo Syrup
Instructions
- Make the Cornstarch Slurry. Start by whisking a couple tablespoons of the whole milk together with the cornstarch in a small bowl until completely smooth with no lumps remaining. Set this slurry aside — it will be added later to thicken the base.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese. In a separate large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and fine sea salt together with a spatula or hand mixer until completely smooth and creamy. Make sure your cream cheese is fully at room temperature to avoid any lumps. Set aside and prepare an ice bath in a large bowl nearby
- Cook the Ice Cream Base. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the remaining whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, and light corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, let it boil for about 4 minutes — this is important for developing the right flavor and consistency in the base.
- Thicken with the Cornstarch Slurry. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Return the pan to the heat and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the Cream Cheese. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese, whisking constantly until everything is completely smooth, silky, and fully combined with no lumps remaining.
- Chill the Base. Pour the finished ice cream base into a large zip lock freezer bag and seal tightly. Submerge the bag in the prepared ice bath and let it chill until completely cold, about 30 minutes, replacing the ice as needed. The base must be fully chilled before churning for the best results.
- Churn. Once completely chilled, pour the base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a thick and creamy soft serve consistency
- Freeze. Transfer the churned ice cream into a freezer safe storage container, pressing a piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming on top. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm before scooping and serving.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from the Jeni's Ice Cream Cookbook by Jeni Britton.
May add 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste for a vanilla sweet cream ice cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 883IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 0.1mg
