Chai – Ce Cream! Recipe

Warm milk and steep tea

In a medium saucepan combine the whole milk, 1/2 of the heavy cream (reserve the rest), and both granulated and brown sugars. Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugars dissolve and the mixture is hot but not boiling (small bubbles at the edge), about 6–8 minutes.

Add tea and steep spices

Remove the pan from heat. Add the 2 tea bags (pinch the bags against the side to release flavor) and the chai spice blend (all ground spices listed). Stir, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse. Taste after 10 minutes and adjust steep time up to 20 minutes for stronger tea flavor.

Warm egg yolks

While steeping, whisk the 4 egg yolks in a medium bowl until slightly thickened. This will be tempered with the hot milk to make a custard base.

Temper eggs and make custard

Remove the tea bags from the milk-spice mixture, squeezing gently to extract liquid. Rewarm the milk mixture to a gentle simmer (do not boil). Slowly pour 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the whisked yolks in a steady stream while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk, stirring constantly.

Cook until thickened

Cook the combined mixture over low heat, stirring with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon and scraping the bottom, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (an instant-read thermometer should read 175–180°F / 80–82°C), about 5–8 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Finish custard

Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream, the vanilla extract, kosher salt, and the optional sweetened condensed milk if using. Taste and adjust sweetness or spice — add a pinch more salt or 1/4–1/2 tsp additional cinnamon or sugar if desired.

Cool quickly

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg and any spice sediment. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin. Chill in the refrigerator until thoroughly cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. For faster cooling, set the bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool before refrigerating.

Prepare ice cream maker

When the custard is fully chilled, set up your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions (ensure bowl is frozen if required).

Churn

Pour the chilled custard into the ice cream maker and churn until it reaches a soft-serve consistency, usually 20–30 minutes depending on your machine.

Add mix-ins

In the last 2–3 minutes of churning, add the toasted chopped nuts if using. If you prefer ribboned swirls (caramel or honey), fold them in after transferring to the storage container.

Harden

Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight container. If adding a swirl, layer ice cream and ribbons, then gently ripple with a spatula. Press a piece of parchment or wax paper directly onto the surface, close the lid, and freeze until firm, at least 3–4 hours (overnight recommended) for scoopable texture.

Serve

Scoop and serve the chai ice cream in bowls or cones. Optional garnish: a light dusting of ground cinnamon or finely chopped pistachios. If frozen very hard, let sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes to soften slightly before scooping.