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Buttermilk Honey Ice Cream

5 from 3 votes

Buttermilk Honey Ice Cream ~ a smooth and tangy frozen treat with notes of lemon, loads of vanilla beans and sweetened with a touch of honey

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A loaf pan filled with honey ice cream topped with crushed honeycomb candy

Buttermilk Honey Ice Cream ~ a smooth and tangy frozen treat with notes of lemon and honey.   

This may look like ordinary vanilla ice cream, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Our silky, lush ice cream is loaded with fresh vanilla beans, but the flavor doesn’t stop there. The lemon-infused milk adds a fresh brightness to the base while the floral notes from the honey sweeten the custard. Finally, tangy buttermilk adds depth to the flavor for a surprising finish in every spoonful.

 

 

A pan with frozen honey ice cream topped with honeycomb candy

Do you have to use buttermilk in this ice cream?

Before I answer that question, let me make the case for why you should use buttermilk in this honey ice cream!

As you know, buttermilk can make all your baked goods that much better. Equally, buttermilk flavors ice cream in a way you never imagined possible. Buttermilk’s tangy edge adds incredible depth to the overall flavor and tones down the richness of the heavy cream. The tangy flavor of buttermilk blends perfectly with sweet honey and the subtle undertones of lemon.

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can still make this delicious honey ice cream. Simply increase the whole milk and heavy cream both to 2 cups, then omit the buttermilk.

What if you don’t like buttermilk?

Honestly, I would not drink a glass of buttermilk if my life depended on it. My husband, on the other hand, can drink a half gallon in a single day. The thought of drinking buttermilk makes me a little nauseous. Even with my distinct dislike for buttermilk, I love baking with it and adore it in this ice cream.

You don’t have to be a buttermilk lover to love this ice cream!

 

 

An overhead shot of a pan of buttermilk honey ice cream scooped into a ball

Why is the buttermilk added at the very end?

Buttermilk can curdle at temperatures as low as 110 F degrees. For this recipe we heat the milk, sugar, honey and vanilla beans, then use this hot mixture to temper the egg yolks. The eggy custard is cooked until thickened, poured into a bowl set over an ice bath, then combined with heavy cream. The buttermilk is added at the very end, after the base cools, therefore ensuring it doesn’t curdle.

The ice cream is refrigerated for 8 hours or overnight before being processed in an ice cream maker. Homemade ice cream is best made the day before serving so it has enough time to cool throughly and freeze completely for the best consistency.

 

 

A bowl of honey ice cream sprinkled with honeycomb candy

Do you need special equipment to make homemade honey ice cream?

You’ll need an ice cream maker to process this homemade ice cream. We’ve also included a step in the directions where we blitz the custard with an immersion or stick blender. This step ensures the small amount of cream cheese is incorporated fully and well blended. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can skip this step. However, be sure the cream cheese is soft and at room temperature before adding to the base. Smash it into the hot custard using a rubber spatula and stir until no white streaks remain.

 

 

A pan of homemade ice cream with a scoop

Here are a few of our favorite ways to serve buttermilk honey ice cream:

  • Drizzle each serving with a little extra honey;
  • Swirl layers of honey into the ice cream before freezing. The honey freezes slightly creating ribbons of golden-hued deliciousness;
  • Sprinkle with crushed honeycomb candy before serving;
  • Lightly layer crushed honeycomb candy into the mixture before freezing. Some of the candy will melt, but this is a good thing. Remember, honeycomb candy is sweet so you don’t need a lot.

And finally, one of our all-time favorite ways to serve honey ice cream is with fresh fruit. Peaches, or any stone fruit, are particularly wonderful served with buttermilk honey ice cream.

  • To serve, slice peaches in half, remove the pit, drizzle with a little butter and honey then bake in the oven until soft. Allow the peaches to rest for a few minutes then serve with a scoop of tangy sweet honey ice cream.

This impressive, easy dessert is great for serving company. Mostly made ahead of time, elegant and delicious; you’re going to flip for this one!

 

 

 

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A pan with homemade honey ice cream topped with crushed honeycomb candy with an ice cream scoop

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Buttermilk Honey Ice Cream

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 1 hour
Yield: 1 1/2 quarts
Course: Dessert, Frozen dessert, Ice Cream
Author: Tricia
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5 from 3 votes
A smooth and tangy frozen treat with notes of lemon and honey

Equipment

  • Ice cream maker

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk (12oz)
  • ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
  • ¾ cups granulated sugar, divided (170g)
  • ¼ cup honey (2oz or 85g)
  • pinch of flakey sea salt
  • 1 lemon, zested with a vegetable peeler into strips (no white pith!)
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature and cut into small pieces
  • 1 ½ cups Buttermilk, well shaken
  • Honeycomb candy (optional)

Instructions

  • Pour the whole milk into a heavy bottom, medium saucepan. Add ½ cup sugar, salt, vanilla bean and seeds, honey and lemon peels to the milk. Warm over medium heat until the mixture almost comes to a boil. Cover and remove from the heat. Steep for 30 minutes.
  • While the lemon, vanilla bean and milk are steeping, whisk the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar with the 4 egg yolks until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened. Set aside.
  • Place a large glass or metal pan inside another larger bowl filled with ice. Add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl set in the ice bath. Set aside.
  • After the milk mixture has steeped for 30 minutes, remove the vanilla bean and lemon peels. Warm the milk mixture over medium heat and cook until it starts to boil. Remove from the heat.
  • Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling a little hot milk into the eggs while whisking. By slowly increasing the temperature of the eggs you can prevent them from scrambling while cooking the mixture to a safe temperature.
  • After more than half the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the egg/milk mixture back into the saucepan whisking to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of the wooden spoon.
  • Remove from the heat and add the cream cheese. Emulsify with an immersion / stick blender until smooth. Pour the base mixture into the bowl with the cream set over the ice bath. Stir occasionally while cooling, about 30 minutes. Once cooled, add the buttermilk and stir until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  • Process according to the manufacturers directions for your ice cream maker. Freeze the finished ice cream for several hours or overnight before serving.
  • Drizzle with additional honey if desired, or sprinkle with honeycomb candy pieces.

Recipe Notes

  • Buttermilk Honey Ice Cream is incredible served with baked peaches or any stone fruit available.
  • Honeycomb Candy is a great topping for added crunch.
  • Omit the buttermilk, if desired. Increase the whole milk to 2 cups and the heavy cream to 2 cups, also.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 2522kcal | Carbohydrates: 267g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 149g | Saturated Fat: 87g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 41g | Cholesterol: 1187mg | Sodium: 799mg | Potassium: 1472mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 264g | Vitamin A: 6488IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 1184mg | Iron: 3mg

 

Kitchen Essentials
Our favorite ice cream maker and stick-blender

 

This is the next generation up from my older model Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I’ve had mine for years and never had a problem. Watch for summer sales at your favorite department stores, Wal-Mart or on Amazon. We’ve never been disappointed with our machine and use it frequently! Click on the photo for more information or to purchase from Amazon.


This hand blender from Braun is a lifesaver in the kitchen! I use it all the time and would buy another in a heartbeat. The mini food processor works beautifully, too. I use my immersion blender to blend soups, smoothies, protein shakes, ice cream mixtures and so much more. Click on the photo for more information or to purchase from Amazon.

Saving Room for Dessert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.

Here are a few more recipes you might enjoy:

A bowl of honeycomb candy broken into bite sized pieces

Honeycomb Candy Recipe

 

 

A pan of sliced honey baklava sprinkled with chopped pistachios

Honey Baklava Recipe

 

 

A bowl of lemon curd ice cream with lemon slices

Lemon Curd Ice Cream

 

Originally published July 2016, updated April 2020.

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42 Comments

  3. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers

    5 stars
    Just lovely! I don’t think I’ve ever tried buttermilk ice cream, so I’m excited to try this. Must have wonderful flavour, especially with the honey and honeycomb 🙂

    Reply

  15. Monica

    I was looking at this thinking the ice cream has the most amazing texture and wondering how you were about to scoop it and snap it so perfectly! That honey sounds like it does so much, and I do so love and appreciate buttermilk! It’s one of those ingredients I didn’t much know about before I started baking and now it’s indispensable. I’ve thought about making ice cream with it at times when I had extra around and now you’ve totally convinced me it’s the thing to do! Sounds great with fruit! Hope you had a great 4th!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      I hate to be too effusive about this ice cream – but oh my gosh! Buttermilk is magic, plain and simple Monica. We never have leftover buttermilk because my husband adores it and would drink a half gallon in one setting if he could. I truly hate drinking buttermilk but love baking with it and now I can’t wait to find more ice cream uses for it too!

      Reply

  18. Fran @ G'day Souffle'

    Yes! I’m drooling already! There are a few surprise ingredients that I don’t usually see in an ice cream recipe, such as cream cheese. Congratulations on your retirement- when I retired five years ago, I walked out of the building and yelled out, “Free at last!” (Thank goodness there wasn’t anyone else around).

    Reply

  19. Betty

    So sorry you’re under the weather! Have an extra dish of ice cream- I’ve heard honey has therapeutic qualities. 🙂 This ice cream sounds absolutely amazing- I love the sound of the buttermilk/honey combination. Hopefully this time next year I’ll have some of my own honey to try it with! Glad you’ll be able to blog full time now! 🙂

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Thanks Betty! I can’t wait to hear more about your bees. I would love to do a post on harvesting one day – you’ll have to let me know! So excited to get the chance to do what I am passionate about. Thanks so much for reading and commenting – you are a dear sweet lady! Happy summer 🙂

      Reply

  20. Chris Scheuer

    This ice cream sounds amazing and it would be perfect with just about any kind of summer fruit. It looks so smooth and creamy.
    So excited for you Tricia to be able to do what you love and what you do so well!

    Reply

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