Brown Butter Malt Ice Cream (No churn)
If you’ve never tasted brown butter and malt in ice cream form, prepare to fall hard. The nutty richness of brown butter melts into the mellow, toasted sweetness of malt, and creates a deep caramelly, silky, buttery ice cream, that’s just the right amount of sweet, with a tiny hint of savoury, and will leave you craving brown butter malt ice cream all year round.
Brown Butter Malt Ice Cream (No churn)
Brown Butter Malt Ice Cream (No churn)
Brown Butter Malt Ice Cream (No churn)
For anyone that grew up with malt powder in the house, it was likely you ate it right off the spoon as you were loading your glass with a 5:1 malt to milk ratio. All the malt lovers would agree this is exactly how malt should be enjoyed. This recipe is a tribute to those nostalgic, malt filled memories, elevated to level 100 with brown butter, in the form of deliciously creamy brown butter malt ice cream.
Best news? This recipe is no churn, so you don’t need any fancy machinery to enjoy all the malty goodness.
If malty things are your jam, this Choc malt ice cream is the creamiest chocolate no church ice cream you’ll make.
Enjoy friends.
Why you’ll love this
This recipe is no-churn, no sweetened condensed milk. Most no-churn brown butter ice cream recipes call for condensed milk which yes, makes it creamy, but so so insanely sweet (too sweet) it actually takes away from the caramelly nuttiness of the brown butter, so this recipe goes down the route of using a simple French technique called ‘pâté à bombe’ to create the creamy texture without needing an ice cream maker.
Why this flavour works
If you’ve landed on this page, you like putting interesting flavours together. Brown butter and malt doesn’t just sound cool, it actually works on a scientific level, called the Maillard Reaction: A chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned foods their complex caramelly flavors. Combining malt with brown butter creates layers of these flavours that give you the most insanely delicious combination that is sweet but also kinnnd of a bit savoury, with a little salt added, making it complex and just freaking delicious.
Other variations to try
- Stir through some crushed biscuit / cookie into the mixture just for fun
- Top with chopped honeycomb or malt candy
- Serve alongside anything apple pie flavoured - it’s crazzzyy good
Cooking tips / tools
- Whisk the butter as it’s browning, this will stop the milk solids from cooking to the bottom of the pan.
- Keep an eye that it doesn’t go black. You want a dark brown colour but not so dark that it is burnt, it can happen quickly!
- Don’t over whip the cream, you’re just wanting to aerate it.
- Make sure you add warm milk to the brown butter, this is important to emulsify the butter when adding it to the other ingredients.
- Add the butter malt mixture to the egg mixture first, combine well, then add the cream in stages. This makes sure the butter won’t seize.
- Fold very gently when mixing together.
- Ensure all components are of a similar temperature when combining.
- To speed up the process of lowering the brown butter temperature,, place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water for 5 or so minutes.
- A candy thermometer is helpful to get the proper temperature for the sugar syrup.
Ideally in a tin with a tight fitting lid. If you don’t have that, add parchment/baking paper on top to prevent ice crystals from forming.
It’s best consumed within a week or two for the best texture.
Ingredients and substitutions
How to make it - step by step!
Melt the butter in a pan on medium low heat, whisking gently as it cooks. The butter will begin to bubble and crackle, then foam and brown specs will begin to form on the bottom. Stir the butter looking for a darkened colour to appear through the foam.
Transfer to a bowl then add malt and salt, whisk to combine. Then add the warm milk, whisk until emulsified. Let cool to room temperature (You can put the bowl over ice water for 5 or so minutes to speed up the cooling process.)
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, just firm enough to hold shape, still smooth and flowing. Set aside.
To make the pâté à bombe, heat the sugar and water to 115°C (soft-ball stage).
While syrup heats, in a mixing bowl, whip the eggs and egg yolks until foamy. Add hot sugar syrup, pouring in slowly while whipping. Then whip on high until pale, thick, and cool.
Gently fold the brown butter mixture into the egg mixture, mixing carefully but thoroughly to combine.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the base in 2–3 additions, keeping the mixture light and airy.
Pour into a tray or moulds Freeze 6+ hours or overnight.
Melt the butter in a pan on medium low heat, whisking gently as it cooks. The butter will begin to bubble and crackle, then foam and brown specs will begin to form on the bottom. Stir the butter looking for a darkened colour to appear through the foam.
Transfer to a bowl then add malt and salt, whisk to combine. Then add the warm milk, whisk until emulsified. Let cool to room temperature (You can put the bowl over ice water for 5 or so minutes to speed up the cooling process.)
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, just firm enough to hold shape, still smooth and flowing. Set aside.
To make the pâté à bombe, heat the sugar and water to 115°C (soft-ball stage).
While syrup heats, in a mixing bowl, whip the eggs and egg yolks until foamy. Add hot sugar syrup, pouring in slowly while whipping. Then whip on high until pale, thick, and cool.
Gently fold the brown butter mixture into the egg mixture, mixing carefully but thoroughly to combine.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the base in 2–3 additions, keeping the mixture light and airy.
Pour into a tray or moulds Freeze 6+ hours or overnight.
Watch the how to video
Watch the how to video
Brown Butter Malt Ice Cream (No churn)
- 200g lightly salted butter
- 1.5 cups malt powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp milk, warmed
- 500ml thickened cream
- 2 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup golden castor sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- Melt the butter in a pan on medium low heat, whisking gently as it cooks. The butter will begin to bubble and crackle, then foam and brown specs will begin to form on the bottom. Stir the butter looking for a darkened colour to appear through the foam.
- Transfer to a bowl then add malt and salt, whisk to combine. Then add the warm milk, whisk until emulsified. Let cool to room temperature (You can put the bowl over ice water for 5 or so minutes to speed up the cooling process.)
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, just firm enough to hold shape, still smooth and flowing. Set aside.
- To make the pâté à bombe, heat the sugar and water to 115°C (soft-ball stage).
- While syrup heats, in a mixing bowl, whip the eggs and egg yolks until foamy. Add hot sugar syrup, pouring in slowly while whipping. Then whip on high until pale, thick, and cool.
- Gently fold the brown butter mixture into the egg mixture, mixing carefully but thoroughly to combine.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the base in 2–3 additions, keeping the mixture light and airy.
- Pour into a tray or moulds Freeze 6+ hours or overnight.