Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream (Printable)

Rich coffee ice cream with sweetened condensed milk, inspired by traditional Vietnamese cà phê sữa đá.

# What You Need:

→ Ice Cream Base

01 - 1 ½ cups whole milk
02 - 1 ½ cups heavy cream
03 - ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
04 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
05 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Coffee

06 - ½ cup very strong brewed Vietnamese coffee or espresso
07 - 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (optional for intensity)

→ Egg Yolks

08 - 5 large egg yolks

# Directions:

01 - Combine whole milk, heavy cream, half the sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until just steaming, not boiling.
02 - Whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar in a separate bowl until pale and thickened.
03 - Slowly pour about 1 cup of hot milk mixture into yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
04 - Return yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon until custard thickens and coats back of spoon (170–175°F), about 4–6 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in brewed coffee, instant espresso powder if using, and sweetened condensed milk until fully blended.
06 - Pour custard through fine-mesh sieve into clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least 4 hours, preferably overnight).
07 - Churn custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
08 - Transfer to airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving for firmer texture.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sweetened condensed milk creates that signature Vietnamese coffee texture and sweetness without any extra work
  • You get that intense coffee house flavor in a form you can eat with a spoon while standing in front of the freezer at midnight
02 -
  • I once rushed the chilling step and ended up with icy, grainy ice cream that never quite came together in the machine
  • The custard is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon and you can run your finger through it without the line running back together
03 -
  • Chill your ice cream canister in the freezer for 24 hours before you plan to churn
  • If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the chilled base into a shallow dish and stir every 30 minutes until frozen

Go Back