brown butter cherry ice cream
If you’ve ever baked with brown butter, you know it’s magical. The rich nutty taste enhances the flavor of just about anything, especially cherries. One of my absolute favorite recipes with brown butter are brown butter cherry bars, so on a whim, I applied the flavor profile to ice cream.
The result was even better than I anticipated: the lusciously creamy ice cream boasts a rich cherry flavor with notes of brown butter and Amaretto. Dotted with jewel-like slivers of cherries, this is the only cherry ice cream you’ll ever need and one I’m stocking the freezer with all season long.
Brown Butter Cherry Ice Cream
- Yield: 4 cups
Ingredients
- 3 cups Bing cherries, pitted
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Amaretto
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cups half-and-half, divided
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp Amaretto
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine cherries, sugar, and Amaretto in a medium bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Meanwhile, cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown, about 6 minutes. Pour brown butter in a glass measuring cup and let settle; pour off clarified butter and reserve brown butter solids.
- Wipe out saucepan and add cherries with juices. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to reserve 1/2 cup cherries; place remaining cherries in a food processor and puree until smooth.
- Whisk together cornstarch and 3 tablespoons half-and-half in a small bowl; set aside. Return cherry puree and brown butter solids to saucepan. Add remaining half-and-half, sugar, Amaretto, and salt to saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat while whisking constantly. Whisk in cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then cover and chill for 6 hours in the refrigerator.
- Pour chilled ice cream mixture into frozen cylinder of ice cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Slice reserved cherries and add to mixture in the last minute of freezing. Spoon mixture into a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer for several hours, until firm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 200
This is seriously heaven in a cone! I love everything about this: the brown butter, the cherry and the color!
You don’t even know how much I want this ice cream right now!!
Mmm…scrumptious!! My kingdom for an ice cream machine. 😀
Woah – brown butter in ice cream?? Yes, please!!
Loving these cherry posts, Laura… on a grey winter’s day they bring some summer to my kitchen!
Oh, my. Brown butter, Amaretto, and cherries? Best ice cream ever!!!
The beautiful Brown Butter Cherry Ice Cream just screams summer! I imagine the rich flavor from the brown butter is beguiling!
I can’t wait to try this – looks divine!
Hehe you know me, I’m there wherever brown butter is! I’ve never thought to use it in ice cream though-that’s so clever! 😮
There are so many enticing aspects to this ice cream — I am fascinated by the browned butter, I guess I just have to give this recipe a try!
This flavor combo is the best!! Brown butter, cherries and booze? Heck yes!
Naomi and I are dying over the flavors in this. LOVE this ice cream!
This looks amazing I love your photos
Aimee x
You put browned butter in ice cream with cherries?! I could die I seriously love this so much!!!
I keep seeing recipes talking about ”brown butter” but have never tried. Must do quickly!!!!!!
This is a winning combination! I would love a big scoop right now.
Ohmahgoodness, Laura. I didn’t think it was possible to love ice cream any more than I do, but this recipe has me head over heels. It’s all I can think about. YUM.
Love brown butter ice cream. Totally 🙂
Brown butter in ice cream?! Wah. I need a bigger freezer or to actually clean out my freezer, which I feel like I’ve been saying for years!
This looks heavenly. Brown butter in ice cream?! Can’t get over it.
You are seriously contributing to the huge backlog of ice creams I need to try 🙂 This sounds delicious. Cherry ice cream is my weakness and brown butter just has to make it better!
Brown butter, cherries, ice cream… those three things, together?? THAT is the language of LOVE!
Gawdgeouz!
Wow, what a brilliant idea Laura. I would have never thought of brown butter in ice cream but it sounds wonderful!
You seriously take the most amazing ice cream photos! How I wish I could do the same, it’s not easy!
LOVE the addition of brown butter! Your ice cream looks simply divine!
Wow, so fruity and flavorful! A delicious ice cream.
Cheers,
Rosa
wonderful flavor!
Even though it’s winter, I’d love to make this ice cream!
I’ll be forever thankful for introducing me brown butter. Seriously, I can’t describe how “magical” it is! And I couldn’t realize it till I tried it. I want to make these cherry ice cream… and I miss my own kitchen…. I’m saving this recipe!
I agree with Jaclyn, taking photos of ice cream is an art and you have it down pat. These look wonderful! Pinning! 🙂