Rich, creamy Dulce de Leche Ice Cream blends a homemade custard base with dulce de leche and crunchy chocolate-covered pretzels for an indulgent summer treat you’ll want to make again and again.
This Dulce de Leche Ice Cream post is sponsored by Ankarsrum. All opinions are my own — thank you for supporting the brands that help make Beyond the Butter possible!
Table of Contents
- Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- What is an Ankarsrum Mixer?
- Ingredients Needed
- Is There a Substitute for Whole Milk?
- Helpful Tips Before Starting
- Recipe FAQs
- More Recipes to Enjoy
- Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Recipe
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Silky dulce de leche–flavored custard with salty-sweet chocolate-covered pretzel pieces.
- Quick to churn once the base is chilled — about 20–30 minutes in an ice cream maker.
- Only six simple ingredients.
- Family-friendly to make together.
- Adaptable to most ice cream makers, though the recipe was developed using an Ankarsrum mixer and its ice cream attachment.
What is an Ankarsrum Mixer?
The Ankarsrum Assistent Original® is a Swedish-made, high-quality stand mixer known for its durable build and thoughtful design. Unlike many mixers, its motor sits at the base, and it offers multiple bowls and attachments including a dough roller, scraper and whisk tools. The mixer comes with long warranties and optional attachments — here it’s paired with the Ankarsrum ice cream maker attachment for effortless churning.
Ingredients Needed
Only six ingredients are required for this custard-style dulce de leche ice cream:
- Heavy cream
- Whole milk
- Dulce de leche
- Vanilla extract
- Egg yolks
- Chocolate-covered pretzels (coarsely broken)
Is There a Substitute for Whole Milk?
For the creamiest texture, use whole milk. Lower-fat dairy or non-dairy milks will change the richness and mouthfeel, so they aren’t recommended for this particular custard-style recipe.
Helpful Tips Before Starting
The process is straightforward but benefits from a few key steps to ensure silky, scoopable ice cream:
- Pre-chill the freezer bowl: Freeze your ice cream attachment bowl 20–24 hours ahead. If it’s not fully frozen, the ice cream may not churn correctly.
- Strain the custard: After cooking, pass the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any cooked egg bits for a smooth base.
- Cool before refrigerating: Place the hot custard bowl into an ice bath to bring it down quickly, then cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight for best texture.
- Add vanilla last: Stir in vanilla just before churning to preserve its flavor.
- Fold in mix-ins at the right time: Add the broken chocolate-covered pretzels about 10–15 minutes into churning so they stay crunchy, or stir them in as you transfer finished ice cream to the storage container.
Recipe FAQs
The Ankarsrum ice cream freezer bowl is 1.5 quarts and holds about 750 grams (roughly 5 cups) of finished ice cream.
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Freeze the bowl 20–24 hours before churning. If the liquid gel inside the bowl still moves, it’s not ready.
If the mixture isn’t churned at a sufficient speed, large ice crystals can form and the finished ice cream may freeze too hard. Churning at medium-high speed incorporates air and improves texture.
Stored in an airtight container, homemade ice cream is best within two weeks. After that, ice crystals or grainy texture can develop.
More Recipes to Enjoy
Easy Lemon Cream Pie
15 Last Minute Christmas Desserts
Homemade Chocolate Shortbread
15 Easy Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
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Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
Equipment
- Ankarsrum Assistent Original Mixer (or similar stand mixer)
- Ice cream maker attachment or your preferred ice cream maker
Ingredients
- 4 large Egg Yolks
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 cup Dulce de Leche
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Chocolate Covered Pretzels broken into small pieces
Instructions
- Freeze the ice cream attachment bowl 20–24 hours before starting.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, whole milk and dulce de leche. Heat over medium, whisking occasionally, until the mixture reaches about 165°F (or bubbles form at the edge). Do not boil. Remove from heat.
- Temper the egg yolks by slowly whisking hot cream into the yolks. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium-high until it thickens slightly, taking care not to boil.
- Pour the custard into the heatproof bowl, place it in an ice bath to cool, then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Stir in vanilla just before churning.
- Pour the chilled custard into the frozen ice cream bowl and churn according to your machine’s instructions, about 20–30 minutes on medium speed.
- About 10–15 minutes into churning, add the broken chocolate-covered pretzels so they remain crisp. Alternatively, fold them in when transferring the ice cream to a storage container.
Notes
- The recipe was developed using an Ankarsrum mixer and its ice cream attachment, but any quality ice cream maker will work.
- Omit the pretzels or substitute crushed sandwich cookies if you prefer.
- This recipe uses egg yolks only; save the whites for other recipes.
- The Ankarsrum freezer bowl capacity is about 1.5 quarts or 750 grams (≈5 cups) of finished ice cream.
- Churn at medium-high speed to avoid large ice crystals and overly hard frozen texture.
- Store homemade ice cream in an airtight container for up to two weeks for best quality.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.