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    Home / Desserts / Ice Cream & Frozen Treats
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    4-Ingredient Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

    By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on Sep 18, 2013 (updated Oct 2, 2024) / Leave a Comment Jump to Recipe

    Rich and tangy homemade crème fraîche ice cream made with just 4 ingredients and about 20 minutes of active time. Use store-bought crème fraîche or make your own crème fraîche with just 2 ingredients.

    Dreamy crème fraîche ice cream atop gluten-free marzipan berry crisps from my cookbook, Alternative Baker.

    Sometimes the simplest recipes are the most satisfying, as is the case with this crème fraîche ice cream. It's:

    • rich & creamy
    • gently tangy
    • just sweet enough
    • refreshing
    • delicious on just about all dessert recipes

    If you're a fan of homemade ice creams like this reader-favorite horchata ice cream, you'll love the bright flavor crème fraîche adds to this one. Though it uses super minimal ingredients, you'll feel so fancy scooping it over fruit desserts – if you don't eat it all straight from the ice cream maker first.

    Crème fraîche, half & half (lite cream), and sugar make up the base of this recipe.

    Ingredients

    This ice cream uses just 4 main ingredients.

    • Crème fraîche adds tanginess and richness. You can use store-bought or homemade crème fraîche.
      • You can use sour cream in place of crème fraîche for sour cream ice cream.
    • Half & half forms the ice cream base. This product is called "light cream" in some countries.
      • You can sub 1 cup whole milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream.
    • Sugar adds just the right level of sweetness. I prefer organic granulated sugar which has a bit of molasses flavor, but any sugar will work.
      • For refined sugar-free, try using coconut sugar, maple sugar, maple syrup, or honey instead.
    • Egg yolks emulsify the ice cream, giving it rich custard notes.
      • For egg allergies, omit the eggs for a lighter Philadelphia-style ice cream.
    • A pinch of salt sharpens the flavors – a trick I learned from my pastry chef days!

    This recipe doesn't have any vanilla in order to let the flavor of the crème fraîche star. But feel free to add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract for vanilla crème fraîche ice cream.

    You can make this ice cream with store-bought or homemade crème fraîche.

    How to Make Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

    While most of the time is inactive, give yourself 6 hours to complete this recipe. It's ideal to start the day before to allow for chilling time.

    This recipe makes about 4 cups of ice cream, or 8 servings.

    • To start, whisk together the crème fraîche and ½ cup of the half and half.
    • In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 cup of the half and half.
    • Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in another bowl.
    hot dairy is being poured and whisked into the ice cream base.
    Whisking constantly with one hand, pour the hot dairy very slowly into the egg yolk-sugar mixture. Return to the pot and cook until the mixture thickens slightly. Strain into the crème fraîche mixture.
    ice cream has been churned in an ice cream maker
    Chill the custard base until cold, at least 4 hours, then churn in an ice cream maker. This is the one I use (affiliate link)
    ice cream has been swirled in a glass pan
    Spread the soft ice cream into a chilled container – a loaf pan works well.
    ice cream has been partially scooped out of a glass pan
    Chill the ice cream until it's firm enough to scoop, at least 2 hours. It will keep for up to a month or two.

    What to Serve with Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

    This rich and tangy crème fraîche ice cream goes well with a variety of desserts, from chocolate cakes to pies to fruit crisps. Here are a few favorites:

    • Gluten-free chocolate bundt cake
    • Gluten-free strawberry rhubarb crisp
    • Almond flour apple crisp
    • Gluten-free stone fruit galette
    • Gluten-free apple pie
    A scoop of creme fraiche ice cream melts over a pan of berry crisp
    Gluten-free berry crisps with crème fraîche ice cream from Alternative Baker.

    What to make with the leftover egg whites from this recipe?

    You'll have 4 egg whites leftover after making this ice cream. Egg whites will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for several months.

    Aside from egg white omelettes, here are a few recipes that use them:

    • financiers
    • pistachio chocolate torte
    • gluten-free macaroons

    Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this creme fraiche ice cream, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.

    No ratings yet

    4-Ingredient Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Rich and tangy homemade crème fraîche ice cream made with just 4 ingredients and about 20 minutes of active time. Use store-bought or homemade crème fraîche.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Chilling time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Total: 6 hours hours 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings (about 1 quart).

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup crème fraîche
    • 1½ cups half and half (light cream)*
    • 4 large egg yolks
    • ½ cup organic granulated sugar
    • pinch salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • ice cream maker

    Instructions

    Ice Cream Base

    • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche and ½ cup of the half and half. Set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl, and set aside.
    • In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 cup of the half and half until steamy and small bubbles appear around the sides of the pan. If you have an instant-read thermometer, have it handy.
    • Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl set on a damp towel to stabilize it. Add the sugar and salt, whisking to combine.
    • Whisking constantly with one hand, pour the hot dairy very slowly into the yolks. (This is called tempering, and prevents the yolks from scrambling from the heat of the dairy.)
    • Pour the mixture back into the pot and set over a low flame. Cook, stirring constantly with a heat-proof silicone spatula, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot, until the custard just begins to 'stick' (or form a thickened film on the bottom of the pot; you may have to tilt the pan to see it), or registers 170º on an instant-read thermometer, 3-5 minutes. Don't let the mixture boil.
    • Immediately pour the custard through the strainer and into the container of cold creme fraiche and half and half. Give the mixture a stir, and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight.

    Churning Instructions

    • Place the ice cream base in the freezer for 30 minutes to get it really cold, stirring it twice during this time. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer instructions until the consistency of a thick milkshake.
    • Scrape the ice cream into a chilled container, and 'cure' in the freezer for at least 2 hours for a firmer consistency.

    Notes

    *In place of half and half (aka light cream), use 1 cup whole milk and ½ cup heavy cream.
    Homemade ice cream is best eaten within the first few days of being made, but will keep for a month or two in the freezer. To prevent crystallization, store the ice cream with a piece of parchment paper pressed directly onto the surface of the ice cream, and store in an airtight container.
    Nutritional values are based on one of eight servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 32mgPotassium: 71mgSugar: 13gVitamin A: 675IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 0.3mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

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    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

    Learn more and find out where to buy →

    Reader Interactions

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    I love reading your comments, reviews, and questions! If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. These help people discover my recipes online. Thank you for your support and for being part of The Bojon Gourmet community!

    xo, Alanna

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    Welcome

    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef and award-winning cookbook author. I love sharing well-tested, from-scratch recipes for your favorite desserts and sweet treats made (undetectably) gluten-free with alternative flours. Because everyone deserves to eat good food. Bojon appétit! About →

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    My cookbook, Alternative Baker, contains 100+ recipes featuring corn, oat, chestnut, almond, buckwheat, sorghum, and other gluten-free flours. Find out where to get your copy! →

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