Coffee ice cream has so many benefits. It’s a delicious dessert that you can make at home for the family. It can use up leftover coffee so you don’t have to feel bad throwing it away. And you can vary it however you want to be suitable for a low-acid, keto, or dairy-free diet. Here’s a great recipe for coffee ice cream.

Best Coffee for Ice Cream

The first thing to consider is which coffee to use. Even though there are a lot of other ingredients in the ice cream, it will turn out better if you use the best-tasting, freshest coffee. The coffee is the ingredient in the ice cream with the strongest flavor, so a great-tasting coffee will really shine through. 

Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee includes beans with notes of citrus, vanilla, and hazelnuts. Plus, it’s dark roasted to add chocolatey overtones. With a lower acid content, Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee has less of a sour or bitter acidic taste.

It’s also good to consider the acid and caffeine content of the coffee. A low-acid coffee can be best if you have heartburn or tend to get acid reflux when you have acidic foods. And if you’re going to have this ice cream at night or in the afternoon, you might want to use Half Caff or Decaf coffee. Alex’s Low-Acid Organic Coffee comes in regular, half caff, and decaf versions.

Preparation Needed for Coffee Ice Cream

Your recipe will turn out best if you do a tiny bit of prep work first. You’ll need some strong brewed coffee. Leftover coffee is perfect. Also, check the instructions on your ice cream maker. You’ll probably need to put it in the freezer overnight before using it.

Basic Recipe for Coffee Ice Cream

Makes 4 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 5 minutes, plus time needed to use the ice cream maker

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup of sugar
• ½ cup of whole milk
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of strong brewed coffee

Directions:

1. In a bowl whisk the sugar into the whole milk until it’s dissolved.
2. Add the cream and whisk until the mixture is frothy.
3. Add the vanilla extract and coffee and mix well.
4. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator and let it chill for an hour. This is your ice cream base.
5. Prepare the ice cream in the ice cream maker according to the directions from the manufacturer.

Variations of Coffee Ice Cream

Mocha Chip: Blend in 2 tablespoons of unsweetened baking cocoa, and stir in ⅓ cup of chocolate chips or chunks. Increase the sugar by 1 tablespoon. Reduce the vanilla extract to ½ teaspoon. 

Low-Carb Keto-Friendly: Use your low-calorie sweetener of choice, such as stevia or monk fruit, instead of sugar.

Dairy-Free: Use 1 ¼ cups of canned coconut milk instead of the heavy cream and half and half. Optional: mix in ⅓ cup of shredded coconut.