Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream (2024)

🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe

1. Family favourite. Both kids and adults alike will absolutely adore this ice cream. I mean- seriously- what's not to love?!
2. Flavour packed. The quality of this frozen custard-based ice cream is hands down superior to the no-churn options, so if you have the time, it's definitely worth making! Teamed with caramelized marshmallows- is undeniably tasty!
3. The texture is unreal. The addition of the melted marshmallows lowers the freezing point of the ice cream, (we'll go into that later), meaning that you're left with ice cream that can be scooped directly from the tub- theirs no waiting!
4. Quick to make. The hands-on time to make the ice cream is less than you think. It only takes 10-15 minutes to make the ice cream. The rest of the time is waiting for the custard to chill, the ice cream to churn, and then freeze.
5. Perfect for every occasion. Think of 4th of July celebrations, movie nights, birthday parties, BBQs, backyard get together, family celebrations, and holiday events. This ice cream suits them all!

🧾 Ingredients Needed

Can you believe that there are only 6 ingredients in this epic Marshmallow Ice Cream?! No, neither can I. There are a few pointers though that you need to be aware of when adding marshmallows to ice cream.

I tested this four times before landing on this recipe. For the first test, I toasted, melted and mixed all the marshmallows into the custard. The result - once frozen, it ended up having a weird gelatinous gloopy texture.

Then I added all the toasted marshmallows once the ice cream had churned, just before freezing it. The result - it was great having the toasted marshmallow chunks in it, but the overall ice cream flavour was vanilla, delicious, but not the marshmallow flavour I was after.

And so with a couple more tests under my belt, I landed on this version. It does require toasting the marshmallows in two different batches- but this is done in only a matter of minutes so I don't see it as a hardship. And it does EVERYTHING for the flavour. Well worth it!

• Cream and Milk - Both these ingredients form the base of the frozen custard by providing richness and flavour. Use full-fat milk and double (heavy) cream - both have a high-fat content which is what we want. The fat within slows the ability for icicles to form when the ice cream freezes. The result is a creamy smooth texture that's as silky as you'd expect from a gelato. Not icy and hard as a rock.
• Sugar - You can use granulated or caster sugar within the ice cream. I don't suggest reducing the quantity. It plays an important role in the ice cream by providing sweetness but also helps maintain a smooth texture.
• Egg yolks - Use 5 large egg yolks at room temperature. We'll temper them with warm cream and milk so they must be at room temperature. If you forget to bring the eggs to room temperature, simply add the whole egg to a bowl of warm water for ten minutes, then separate them.
• Marshmallows - I went for mini marshmallows as they soften quicker making them easier to mix into the custard base. You can use the regular-sized ones but I recommend cutting them in half (oil your scissor blades to make them less sticky!) When it comes to the method, I used half the marshmallows to melt in the custard and the other half as chunks within the ice cream.

📖 Variations

The possibilities are endless. You can veer the flavours in a couple of different directions with only a few additions. Here are some ideas that I've tried or have on my wishlist. Each one sounds insanely delicious!

• Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream: Add a ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the custard. The two flavours work beautifully together.
• S'mores Ice Cream: Drizzle some hot fudge sauce throughout the ice cream before freezing, then serve topped with some crumbled graham crackers. Your 4th July and Memorial Day celebrations just got a whole lot better with this beauty!
• Fluffernutter Ice Cream: This isn't a flavour that's big here in the UK, but I know with my brother who lives in Maine, that his kids love this flavour. Mix ½ cup smooth peanut butter into the custard while still warm. The sweet, creamy, nutty taste is next level!
• Rocky Road Ice Cream: The three components of a classic rocky road are chocolate, marshmallow, and nuts. It's easy to channel these vibes. Add ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and ½ cup of your favourite nuts into the custard. Don't char the second batch of marshmallows - just stir them through once the ice cream is churned.

Can I Change the Amount of Marshmallows Used?

Due to what marshmallows are made up of, it can get tricky to play around with the quantities I have developed the recipe with. In my recipe, I specify 200g/7oz total of mini marshmallows.

100g/3.5oz are toasted and then mixed into the custard base to dissolve fully. The remaining 100g/3.5oz are toasted and mixed in whole to the cold churned ice cream. They'll retain their shape so that you visibly see lumps of toasted marshmallows.

Don't be tempted to add the whole 200g/7oz into the custard base. Being made of sugar, gelatin, and cornstarch, too many of these ingredients will affect the ability of the ice cream to freeze and its overall texture. This was my mistake in the first test I talked about above.

• If you don't want marshmallow lumps then only use 100g/3.5oz of toasted marshmallow to dissolve into the custard base.
• If you don't want toasted marshmallows, but still want marshmallow-flavoured ice cream with marshmallow pieces here is my suggestion. Heat the marshmallows on the baking tray in a low oven at about 150C/300F for 10 minutes until the marshmallows are soft and gooey. You can mix this into the custard base as per the recipe. For the remaining marshmallows, just add them straight from the packet into the churned ice cream for the lumps.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make

In short, the process is to make the custard base, toast half the marshmallows and add them to the base to dissolve fully into the custard. Chill the custard fully then churn it in an ice cream machine. Once churned, toast the remaining marshmallows and mix them into the churned ice cream, then pour into a container and freeze.

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*

Make the Custard Base

STEP 1.Heat the milk and cream gently.Cut the vanilla pod in half and run the knife along the inside of both halves scraping the vanilla beans out (Image 1). Add the vanilla beans, pod, milk, and cream into a heavy-based saucepan and set over low heat on the stovetop (Image 2).

Heat the mixture until it's steaming and you can see some bubbles appear around the edges of the saucepan. Whatever you do, don't boil it!!! Keep the heat on low and don't get impatient! Once warmed sufficiently then turn the stovetop off.

STEP 2. Whisk eggs and sugar.In a separate bowl add your egg yolks and sugar and whisk them together until thickened and pale (Images 3 & 4). This takes about a minute, a little longer if doing it by hand. Did you know that the sugar can dry out and 'burn' the egg yolks? So don't leave them in the bowl together for too long before whisking them.

STEP 3. Combine the two mixtures together.We're then going to temper the eggs now. What does that mean? The milk mixture is warm and if you add the eggs directly to that, it would basically scramble them. Disaster! So, we temper by adding a little of the milk mixture at a time to the eggs whilst continuously whisking which brings the temperature down.

Whilst whisking continuously, pour the cream slowly(Image 5)into the eggs until fully added.

STEP 4. Thicken the custard. Then pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and onto the stove at low heat(Image 6). Carry on whisking whilst the custard heats and thickens. This can take about ten minutes. Don't be impatient and turn the heat up hoping for the thickening to happen soon. All you'll get is a split custard and bits of cooked egg.

The custard is ready when it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and you run a pass-through it, it doesn't join(Image 7).

STEP 5. Sieve the custard.To guarantee a smooth custard, remove the vanilla bean, take the pan off the heat, and pass the custard through a sieve into a bowl(Image 8). Sometimes the egg can catch on the bottom of the pan - definitely don't want those bits in your custard!

Add Toasted Marshmallows to the Custard

STEP 6. Toast half the marshmallows and add to the custard. The fun part. Add half the marshmallows onto a baking tray in a single layer (Image 9). Place under the grill (broiler) until they are as golden or charred as you like. Don't leave the grill for a second.

The marshmallows catch super quickly going from golden to on fire within a matter of seconds! (Image 10) Just remember - more charr equals more caramelization and flavour.

Scoop all the melty marshmallows into the hot custard and whisk or stir until they are totally melted in. The marshmallows will melt away turning the yellow custard to a light brown with lots of brown/black specks from the charred marshmallows. It tastes dreamy, even at this stage!! (Images 11 & 12)

Cover the custard straight away with plastic wrap - but make sure the wrap sits touching and covering the surface of the custard. This prevents a skin from forming.

Leave the bowl to cool for an hour and then refrigerate until cold - a minimum of 3 hours, longer is ideal.

Churn Ice Cream and Freeze

6. Churn the marshmallow ice cream.Once the custard base is cold, it'll be thick (Image 13) but you'll see the sugars from the dissolved marshmallows have sunk to the bottom of the bowl (Image 14). Just give the custard a quick stir before pouring it into the ice cream machine (Images 15 & 16). Churn as per the manufactures instructions. Mine churned for 30 minutesuntil it was at the soft-serve stage.

Once the marshmallow ice cream is churned, cold, and thickened (Image 17), it's time for round two of toasting marshmallows. Go through the same process with the remaining mini marshmallows.

When they are browned to your liking, spoon them into the churned marshmallow ice cream and give the ice cream a good mix until the marshmallows are evenly mixed in (Images 18 & 19). You can leave some to the side to scatter on top if you like.

Pour the ice cream into a freezer-safe container (Image 20) and scatter any remaining marshmallows over the top. Cover with parchment paper, then plastic wrap and freeze for a minimum of 4 hours. When ready to serve, you'll be able to scoop right from the tub straight away. No need to leave it out waiting for it to soften - whoopee!

There you have the ultimate summer ice cream recipe. I truly hope that it brings you as much joy and nostalgia as it does to me. There's something overtly comforting and heartwarming about a recipe that taps into recipes, flavours, tastes, or smells of times gone by. Enjoy!

🥣 How To Serve

Here are a few ideas on what to serve Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream with. It's the perfect complement to just about any dessert.

• Chocolate Brownies, Brown Butter Blondies, or cookie bars - a big scoop on top of a square of one of these would be delicious.
• Make Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches with it.
• Scoop over a graham cracker and some hot fudge sauce for a 4th July S'mores treat.
• Skillet cookie pie or fruit pie or tart.
• Add it to your Ice Cream Cake.
• Alongside your favourite crumble, crisp, or cobbler.
• On top of pancakes and waffles.

📋Recipe FAQs

❄️ Freezer Instructions

To store: The Marshmallow ice cream will last in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 weeks. Make sure to make it airtight and cover it with a lid or with a piece of parchment paper over the ice cream and then wrapped in plastic wrap. This will minimize the formation of ice crystals on top.

More Ice Cream Recipes

Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream Recipe

Filled with toasted marshmallows in the frozen custard base, along with chunks of charred marshmallows throughout, this Marshmallow Ice Cream will remind you of your favourite campfire cookouts. It's a family favourite you'll all love this summer.

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 231kcal

All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 95mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg