Y’all we ditching boring ice cream flavors this summer because this Corn Ice Cream recipe is necessary. The subtle sweet corn flavor with a hint of vanilla is perfect in this insanely creamy, custardy ice cream that’s smooth as butter. Rich, fresh and looking like summer sunshine, this corn ice cream will hit like none other all season long. Get into it boos!
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If you had a Southern big mama like mine, you know she would make the best summer ice creams. And she didn’t have no fancy machinery either. It was all old school cranking with ice until that smooth rich custard turned into the perfect frozen silky texture. I got my skillz from her. This corn ice cream has all the vibes on her OG flavors but turned up a bit. Summer corn may seem unexpected but let me tell ya, you gotta try this!
The Lowdown of This Corn Ice Cream Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Summer American vibes
Primary Cooking Method: Ice cream maker
Dietary Info: This ain’t for my vegan boos but it is gluten-free
Key Flavor: Sweet corn and subtle vanilla in a creamy silky package
Skill Level: Easy (No Sweat Fam!)
Unique Flavor
I personally get bored with the same ole same ole ice cream flavors. This is a way to mix it up and get at a vibrant new flavor that is sure to impress.
So Easy Y’all
Folks are always amazed at how easy making homemade ice cream can be. Ain’t no thing boos. Don’t be intimidated at all.
All Year Round
We only get a short window of time for fresh corn so that’s why I made this recipe with canned corn. That means when you get a craving for this bomb ice cream in the middle of the winter, you can still make it boos!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Corn Ice Cream
- Sweet Corn – We keeping this recipe super low key by using canned corn. It’s gonna give us that fresh sweet corn flavor without all the work.
- Half and Half – This provides that creamy richness ice cream simply must have.
- Granulated sugar– We gotta sweeten this baby up so this is the perfect ingredient to do it right.
- Sour Cream – That tangy creaminess is so unexpected and downright delish boos.
- Egg Yolks – To make sure our corn ice cream custard is on point, we use all yolks to give that rich, velvety base.
- Vanilla Extract – Vanilla is the secondary flavor here so we wanna use high quality to keep that aromatic essence top notch.
- Salt– We gotta add some salt to the sweet to balance and enhance the flavors.
How to Make Corn Ice Cream
How to Serve with this Sweet Corn Ice Cream
- Drizzle it Up: Listen y’all, a drizzle of caramel sauce or chocolate ganache is gonna blow your mind.
- Fruity Vibes: Just a little strawberry sauce on top will create such a wonderful contrasting flavor.
- Add texture: A sprinkle of almonds, pecans or crumbled candied bacon will give some bomb crunch factor.
- Sundae it Up: Just imagine a scoop of this corn ice cream recipe, along with some raspberry ice cream and coffee ice cream served up with caramel or strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top. You can’t pass that up boos.
- Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches: It doesn’t get better than this sweet corn ice cream sandwiched between two of my fudgy brownies y’all.
- Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches: Get at adding a scoop of this between two cookies like snickerdoodles, tea cakes or sugar cookies.
Recipe Substitutions
- Corn: If corn is in season, definitely use fresh corn on the cob boos. Just make sure it is boiled and the kernels are cut off before adding to the recipe.
- Half and Half: You can use equal parts heavy cream and whole milk or all heavy cream. The ice cream will be richer but ain’t nothing wrong with that!
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt is a great sub here which keeps the consistency the same along with that bomb tang.
- Vanilla: Up the vanilla flavor by using vanilla bean paste or switch it up with some almond extract boos.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Fold in Fruit: Adding some finely chopped fruit like peaches, a handful of blueberries or even a swirl of strawberry preserves would freshen this flavor up even more. Add towards the end of churning.
- Get herbal: Get sophisticated with a little dried lavender (about 2 teaspoons or a tablespoon at most) in the mix with some honey. It is a lovely flavor combo boos.
- Alcohol it up: Just a bit of rum or bourbon gives a fun adult boozy twist y’all. Two tablespoons should do the trick.
- Spice it Up: A little cinnamon or nutmeg in your custard will warm up the flavor even more.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Pre-Freeze that Bowl Boos: Don’t try throwing the ice cream bowl in the freezer just a few hours before using. Make sure you pop in the freezer at least 24 hours ahead. I personally freeze my bowl for 48 hours to ensure I get a perfect churn.
- Temper Those Eggs: We ain’t making scrambled eggs boos. We need a smooth custard so make sure you add a small amount of that warm liquid mixture to the eggs and continuously whisk so those eggs get up to temp before you whisk everything together.
- Chill Out: Make sure you don’t rush cooling your corn ice cream custard. It must be super cold before you add to your ice cream machine. I pop in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours. To speed it up a bit, you can also set the custard over an ice bath and stir until cold.
- Don’t Over-churn: Once your ice cream gets to that nice smooth soft serve consistency, stop that machine. If you keep going, you could change your silky ice cream to an icy mix.
- Thaw a Bit: Before you are ready to scoop, let it sit for about 10 minutes so you get a creamy clean scoop.
How to Store Corn Ice Cream
Storing homemade corn ice cream is so simple boos! You just scoop the ice cream into an airtight ice cream container or a loaf pan while it is still in the soft serve stage, and continue to freeze overnight. Kept in an airtight container to prevent any freezer burn, this homemade ice cream will store great for about 2-3 months!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep boos you do! I have a stand alone Cuisinart and also a KitchenAid attachment. I love them both. We are self-proclaimed ice cream aficionados of course!
Yep, you absolutely can boos just make sure it wasn’t flavored and that it is plain before you remove the kernels and mix in the ice cream. For instance, you can save the corn stalks from my Mexican Grilled Corn on the Cob before adding the topping but honestly, grabbing a can of corn is the easiest way to make this fast.
After your custard is sufficiently chilled in the fridge, pop in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, remove from the freezer and stir the mix with a whisk so you break up all the ice crystals. You will have to do this every 30 minutes for about 3 hours until the ice cream is thick, smooth and creamy.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavors
Corn Ice Cream
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Ingredients
- 15 oz whole kernel sweet corn drained if using a can
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 egg yolks
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the corn, half-and-half, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add ⅓ cup of the warm liquid mixture into the eggs, whisking quickly and continuously. Once fully combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
- Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and forms a custard, about 5-8 minutes.
- Transfer the custard to a blender and pulse until smooth. Pass the custard through a fine mesh sieve fitted over a medium-sized bowl. Discard the solids.
- Allow the custard to come to room temperature, stirring often. Lightly press a piece of plastic wrap over the skin, then chill until cold (about 3-4 hours).
- Freeze the cold custard according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Transfer to an airtight quart container. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
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Do you know how to modify this if you don’t have an ice cream machine?
Hi Claudine, great question. I have not attempted to make this recipe without an ice cream maker and don’t feel confident it would work without one. So sorry!
I found that 80% of corn is genetically modified, I will wait until I can pick it in September…
Its been so long since i’ve had corn ice cream! It’s a unique type of flavor but you’ll never notice corn with all the sweetness!
My husband side-eyed me when I told him what kind of ice cream I was making, haha. But I mean, Crumbl has that cornbread cookie and might I say it’s the best cookie on the menu. So I knew this would be amazing, and sure enough, it was a hit.
This is such a unique idea to me, so excited to try it over the weekend!
My husband and I decided to make ice cream this year and I am so glad we found this recipe! We wanted something different than the usual vanilla and chocolate and boy did this hit the spot! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
I’ve never had this before and I loved it!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet….but I am cause honey I already know that it’s going to be delish!! I get your notifications and have tried so many of your recipes. Thank you for being you