Earl Grey Ice Cream
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An Earl Grey ice cream recipe made with egg yolks, sugar, whole milk, vanilla bean paste, and whipping cream infused real Earl Grey tea.
Why Make This Earl Grey Ice Cream?
In this Earl Grey ice cream recipe, I’ve infused Earl Grey tea into heavy whipping cream, then blended the tea-infused cream with whole milk, granulated sugar, egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, and sea salt. Churned in an ice cream maker, this homemade ice cream is smooth, creamy, and tastes distinctly like a cup of Earl Grey tea.
Earl Grey Ice Cream Recipe Ingredients
To make homemade Earl Grey tea ice cream, you’ll need the following ingredients
- Cream – You’ll need whipping cream (or heavy cream, in the US) to make the ice cream base. Look for cream with a milk fat percentage around 35-36%.
- Tea – I developed and tested this recipe using Earl Grey tea bags, but loose leaf Earl Grey tea will also work. If using loose leaf tea, 12 grams (3 tablespoons) of tea should equal about 5-6 tea bags. You can use the extra tea or tea bags to make my Earl Grey shortbread cookies, or a batch of Earl Grey and white chocolate ganache.
- Egg Yolks – Egg yolks act as an emulsifier, creating a rich, smooth, and creamy ice cream base. You won’t need the whites for this recipe, but save them to make macarons or meringue kisses.
- Whole Milk – Whole milk (not skimmed or semi-skimmed) makes the creamiest ice cream.
- Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar sweetens the ice cream base.
- Fine Sea Salt – A small amount of fine sea salt (or table salt) cuts the sweetness of the sugar.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – I recommend choosing a good-quality vanilla bean paste from a brand like Nielsen-Massey, or using the scrapings of a vanilla pod, but vanilla extract will also work.
- Alcohol – A small amount of flavorless alcohol makes homemade ice cream creamy and scoopable. Visit my lavender ice cream recipe to read more about why I add alcohol to my ice cream recipes.
What is Earl Grey Tea?
Popular in the United Kingdom, Earl Grey is a tea blend made from black tea leaves and bergamot orange, a small citrus fruit grown in Italy and known for its fragrant peel. Oil extracted from the fruit’s peel gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive flavor profile.
Earl Grey tea represents a key ingredient in a London Fog. It’s also a popular beverage choice for afternoon tea (traditionally accompanied by menu items like petit fours, macarons, finger sandwiches, and scones with jam and cream) and works nicely as an ingredient in baking and pastry recipes, like shortbread cookies, éclairs, tea cakes, and pastry cream.
How to Make Earl Grey Ice Cream
Recommended Tools and Equipment
To make this (or any of my homemade ice cream recipes) I recommend keeping a few special tools on hand:
- Small Saucepan – You’ll need a small saucepan for infusing the tea into the whipping cream.
- Fine Mesh Strainer – A fine mesh strainer makes it easy to separate the tea bags from the cream.
- Ice Cream Maker – I use this Cuisinart 1.5 quart ice cream maker to develop and test all of my frozen dessert recipes. Don’t forget to freeze the bowl for at least 48 hours prior to churning—you’ll know it’s ready to go when you give the bowl a shake and no longer hear liquid sloshing around inside.
- Flexible Rubber Spatula – Use a rubber spatula to scoop the churned ice cream base into a storage container. Metal and hard plastic can scratch the delicate interior of the ice cream maker bowl.
- Storage Containers – You can store your homemade ice cream creations in a large plastic food storage container, in reusable silicone ice cream containers, or in cardboard pint containers.
- Ice Cream Scoop – I like to use a sturdy metal scoop, like this one.
- Hand Whisk – You’ll need a hand whisk to combine the ingredients for the ice cream base.
Serving and Enjoying Earl Grey Ice Cream
You can use this homemade Earl Grey ice cream to make milkshakes or ice cream sundaes, or pair it with a slice of cake, pie, or warm blueberry galette. Or keep things simple and enjoy it in a dish, accompanied by a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce, and a few homemade Earl Grey shortbread cookies to garnish.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
You can make the Earl Grey-infused cream up to 24 hours in advance, and refrigerate until ready to use. The ice cream base can be prepared and chilled for up to 24 hours prior to churning.
Store homemade Earl Grey ice cream in the freezer for up to one month. Prior to serving, allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, or until just soft enough to scoop.
Other Earl Grey recipes you might enjoy:
Earl Grey and White Chocolate Ganache
Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Earl Grey Ice Cream
- Total Time1 hour 40 minutes (plus chilling/freezing time)
- Yield700 grams (25 ounces) 1x
An Earl Grey ice cream recipe made with egg yolks, sugar, whole milk, vanilla bean paste, and whipping cream infused real Earl Grey tea.
Ingredients
240 milliliters whipping cream (1 cup), plus more for topping up
6 Earl Grey tea bags
Yolks of 3 large eggs
360 milliliters whole milk (1 1/2 cups)
150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon vodka, optional, to prevent freezing
Instructions
Warm the whipping cream in a small saucepan. (Do not boil). Stir in Earl Grey tea bags.
Remove from heat. Cover and allow tea to steep in the cream for 1 hour.
Pass infused cream through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the tea bags.
With a kitchen scale, re-weigh the tea-infused cream. Top up with extra cream. You should have 240 milliliters (1 cup) total.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork or a wire whisk. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine Earl Grey-infused cream, whole milk, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves.
Pour a small amount of the hot cream mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Continue tempering hot into cold, a few splashes at a time, whisking well after each addition, until you’ve added about half of the hot cream.
Pour tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Whisk in vanilla bean paste and vodka, if using.
Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
Whisk chilled base briskly to recombine. Pour into ice cream maker, with bowl frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions. Churn until thick and creamy, about 20 minutes, or until consistency resembles soft serve ice cream.
Scoop ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Freeze 2-4 hours prior to serving, or until ice cream reaches scoopable consistency.
Store Earl Grey ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
I developed and tested this recipe using Earl Grey tea bags, but loose leaf Earl Grey tea will also work. If using loose leaf tea, 12 grams (3 tablespoons) of tea should equal about 5-6 tea bags.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Chilling Time: Overnight
