Creamiest Sweet Corn Ice Cream

This homemade sweet corn ice cream is the perfect way to celebrate the amazing flavor of fresh summer corn! This ice cream is lightly sweetened and made with real fresh corn, not artificial flavors, which truly lets the corn shine. You might be surprised how much you love this unique flavor! Plus, thanks to some ice cream science, it has the creamiest, most silky-smooth texture ever.

Why I Love This Sweet Corn Ice Cream

• Texture: This homemade sweet corn ice cream is super creamy and smooth, just like ice cream from an ice cream shop! This recipe uses a couple of special tricks and ingredients to help give this ice cream an amazing texture, even after being frozen overnight!
• Flavor: Unlike many commercial ice creams which taste artificial or overly sweet, this sweet corn ice cream is lightly sweetened and made with real fresh corn for the best flavor. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the amazing flavor of ripe summer corn! The corn flavor isn’t covered up by tooth-aching sweetness and truly shines.

Keys To The Best Homemade Ice Cream Texture

Making creamy ice cream is all about reducing the formation of large ice crystals. Here are a couple of ways to do this at home!

• Simmer the milk: Before adding the eggs, the milk, cream, sugar, and corn are brought to a simmer. While heating the milk, proteins unravel, which allows them to hold onto water molecules and reduce large ice crystals later. That’s why this recipe simmers the milk for 10 minutes. The longer you simmer the milk, the more proteins denature! This simmering also lets the corn flavor infuse into the ice cream mixture.
• Use emulsifiers and stabilizers: Although these ingredients may get a bad rep, many of them are common pantry ingredients or made from natural products. For instance, eggs and dried milk powder are ice cream emulsifiers and stabilizers! This recipe calls for a very small amount of xanthan gum, which helps to prevent large ice crystals, leading to creamier ice cream! Xanthan gum is found in most grocery stores. However, if you do not wish to use xanthan gum, see the section below for alternatives.

What is xanthan gum? Xanthan gum is an important thickening agent which helps give this sweet corn ice cream an unbelievably creamy texture. It is made from bacteria found on plants. I strongly recommend using xanthan gum, but if you prefer not to use it, you can omit the xanthan gum and use 4 egg yolks instead of 3.

• Keep things cold: By allowing the ice cream mixture to freeze quickly, you can prevent large ice crystals from forming. To do this at home, I recommend using a container that has a wide surface area to freeze the churned ice cream. The larger surface area allows the ice cream to cool more quickly and evenly in the freezer.
• Proper thawing: If you are freezing this ice cream overnight, I recommend allowing the ice cream to thaw in the fridge for around 10-15 minutes in the fridge before serving. This allows the ice cream to thaw more evenly for the best texture!

Key Ingredients In This Sweet Corn Ice Cream

This recipe includes some ingredients like xanthan gum and dried milk powder for the most amazing creamy texture. However, I completely understand that these ingredients aren’t super common so don’t worry if you don’t have them! In fact, I made an entire section below on ingredient substitutions for this sweet corn ice cream, so be sure to check that out!

• Xanthan gum: Xanthan gum is an important thickening agent which helps give this sweet corn ice cream an unbelievably creamy texture. It can be found in many grocery stores. I strongly recommend using xanthan gum, but if you prefer not to use it, you can omit the xanthan gum and use 4 egg yolks instead of 3.
• Dried milk powder: Dried milk powder is a stabilizer that helps make a soft and creamy ice cream texture. It’s my secret ingredient and I love using it in ice cream and baked goods! You can use nonfat milk powder, skim milk powder, or full fat milk powder. If you aren’t using xanthan gum or milk powder, increase the number of egg yolks to 6.
• Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar is important for sweetening this ice cream and also creating a smooth texture. This ice cream is lightly sweetened, but if you prefer a sweeter ice cream, I recommend increasing the sugar to 1/2 cup.
• Heavy cream: heavy cream adds important fat to this recipe which helps us achieve a creamy texture.
• Milk: I recommend using high quality dairy because the milk and cream flavor also shine in this recipe! You can use either skim or whole milk (or a mix of both!)
• Fresh corn: This ice cream gets most of its flavor from fresh corn. Both the kernels and the corn cobs are simmered in the dairy to really allow the corn flavor to infuse into the ice cream. Then the cobs are removed and the kernels are blended into the mixture until smooth. Since this ice cream truly relies on corn, I recommend using high quality fresh corn that you shuck yourself for the maximum flavor.
• Egg yolks: egg yolks are emulsifiers that help give this ice cream it’s smooth and creamy texture.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract compliments the sweet corn and gives this ice cream a more complex flavor. Feel free to leave it out if you don’t have any!

Tips For Making This Sweet Corn Ice Cream

• Xanthan gum: Xanthan gum thickens up quickly and is very strong, so it is important to measure it carefully and mix it into the milk well. After adding it to the milk, make sure to give the mixture a very good whisk to ensure that the xanthan gum is evenly distributed. I even like to use an immersion blender to make sure it’s well incorporated, but this is completely optional.
• Don’t throw away those corn cobs: After slicing the corn kernels off of the cob, save those cobs for later! They have so much flavor that will be infused into the ice cream mixture.
• Tempering egg yolks: This is an important step to make sure that the eggs don’t over cook in the hot milk. Make sure to whisk constantly while very slowly drizzling the hot milk into the egg yolks. If you don’t have an extra set of hands to help, you can use a moist towel around the base of the bowl to help hold it in place while whisking. When heating the milk and egg mixture on the stove, make sure to whisk frequently and cook over medium-low heat. This prevents the mixture on the bottom of the pot from curdling. Make sure to keep an eye on the pot so that you don’t end up with a mixture of scrambled eggs and milk!
• Straining the ice cream base: While I don’t always strain my ice cream bases, it can be helpful for getting a smoother texture, especially if you end up accidentally over cooking some of the mixture. I think it’s extremely beneficial in this recipe because not all of the corn kernels will get blended up completely.
• Freezing the ice cream: For a soft serve texture, feel free to enjoy this sweet corn ice cream straight out of the ice cream machine. For a firmer texture, immediately transfer the churned ice cream to a wide container and freeze for 2-4 hours. If freezing overnight, I like to let the ice cream thaw in the fridge for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Substitutions And Variations Of This Sweet Corn Ice Cream

• For super creamy ice cream and the best texture, I recommend using milk powder and xanthan gum, but I definitely understand that many people don’t have these ingredients on hand. If you are not using milk powder or xanthan gum, increase the number of egg yolks to 6. If you are using milk powder but not xanthan gum, increase the number of egg yolks to 4.
• For a lighter ice cream: If you prefer an ice cream that has less calories and feels lighter, simply reduce the fat content of this recipe. I recommend using 3/4 cup heavy cream and 2 cups milk. This came out great with a creamy texture similar to sorbet!
• For a richer ice cream: For a richer and denser ice cream, similar to super-premium ice cream, simply increase the fat content in this recipe. I recommend using 2 cups heavy cream and 3/4 cup milk.
• Different sweeteners: Honey is the perfect compliment to corn! For a honey sweet corn ice cream, replace the 1/3 cup granulated sugar with 4 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. This sweet corn ice cream is lightly sweetened, so if you prefer a sweeter ice cream, increase the sugar to 1/2 cup.
• Mix-ins: This recipe doesn’t contain any mix-ins, but feel free to add whatever you would like! I recommend adding some crumbled cornbread or corn muffins! I love topping a bowl of this sweet corn ice cream with warm, freshly-baked cornbread!

If You Liked This Recipe For Sweet Corn Ice Cream, You Might Also Like…

• Creamy Homemade Orange Ice Cream
• No Churn Frozen Yogurt
• No Churn Blueberry Frozen Yogurt
• Maple Pumpkin Pecan Ice Cream
• Blackberry Cornbread Muffins
• Bakery Style Cornbread Muffins

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Sweet Corn Ice Cream

This sweet corn ice cream is creamy and full of real corn flavor. It's the perfect refreshing summer dessert! It's made with less sugar than traditional ice cream, which really allows the fresh corn and dairy flavor to shine. It also has the creamiest, silky-smooth texture!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Resting Time6 hours hrs

Total Time7 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Keyword: corn, healthy, ice cream, summer

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Half the Sugar Baker

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup nonfat or skim milk powder optional, see notes
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum optional, see notes
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups skim or whole milk
• 3 ears corn shucked
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together milk powder, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into a large pot and add the heavy cream and milk. Whisk vigorously or blend with an immersion blender.
• Carefully slice the kernels off of the corn cob and break the cobs in half. Add the kernels and the cobs to the pot with the milk mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove pot from heat. Cover the pot and allow the mixture to steep for at least 1 hour.
• After steeping, remove the cobs from the pot. Blend the remaining mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (alternatively, transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth). Bring the mixture back to a simmer over medium-low heat and remove the pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks. While whisking constantly, slowly add around 1/3 of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Then whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the pot. Return pot to medium-low heat and cook while whisking until slightly thickened (170º F). Stir in vanilla extract.
• For the smoothest ice cream, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 5 hours. Churn according to your ice cream machine's instructions. Serve directly from the machine for a soft serve consistency, or transfer to a separate container and freeze for firm ice cream. If freezing overnight or longer, allow the ice cream to thaw in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For super creamy ice cream and the best texture, I really recommend using milk powder and xanthan gum, but I definitely understand that many people don’t have these ingredients on hand. If you are not using milk powder or xanthan gum, increase the number of egg yolks to 6. If you are using milk powder but not xanthan gum, increase the number of egg yolks to 4.