Hojicha Soft Serve Recipe

Combine 2 cups whole milk and 1 tablespoon hojicha powder in a small saucepan. Whisk thoroughly to dissolve and break up any clumps.

Warm the milk over medium-low heat until it reaches a gentle steam (about 170°F / 75°C) but not boiling, whisking occasionally, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes to extract the smoky hojicha flavor.

After steeping, strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a bowl to remove tea solids, pressing gently to extract liquid. Rinse saucepan and return the infused milk to it.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon honey until the mixture becomes slightly pale and ribbony, about 1–2 minutes.

Warm the infused milk again over medium heat until it is steaming. Slowly ladle about 1/3 of the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks and prevent scrambling.

Gradually pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, stirring continuously.

Cook the mixture over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (temperature ~170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not boil.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon hojicha powder. Whisk vigorously to fully incorporate the hojicha powder and create a smooth, homogeneous custard. If small clumps remain, strain again through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.

Cool the custard quickly by placing the bowl in an ice bath and stirring occasionally until it reaches room temperature, about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap (pressing wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until fully cold.

Once chilled, give the custard a quick whisk to recombine any separated cream. Pour into an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (typically 15–25 minutes).

If you do not have an ice cream machine: pour the chilled custard into a shallow metal pan, freeze for 45 minutes, then vigorously whisk or beat with a hand mixer to break ice crystals. Repeat freezing and whisking every 30 minutes for 2–3 cycles until smooth and soft-serve–like.

Transfer the soft-serve to a piping bag or soft-serve machine hopper for serving, or scoop directly into bowls/cones. For a firmer hold, freeze 15–30 minutes more, but avoid letting it harden fully if you want soft-serve texture.

Serve topped with an optional dusting of extra hojicha powder, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds or kinako, and a few pieces of crushed sesame brittle for crunch.