St. Patrick’s Day is no time to be reserved! This tasty treat is neither timid nor demure. It’s boisterous, decadent, and baby is it boozy. As I shared last week, I’m Irish, and in addition to celebrating my heritage via this must-bake recipe for Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread, I’ll be enjoying Irish whiskey in a multitude of forms (including this Irish Whiskey Brownie Pie). So, let’s celebrate in style starting with whiskey ice cream with a homemade salted caramel swirl for dessert. The whiskey ice cream base is an easy stovetop vanilla custard that takes less than 10 minutes to prep. Even if this is your first time making ice cream from scratch, I have complete faith that you will dominate (this Banana Ice Cream is also great for beginners). Take your time heating the custard—you’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of the spoon and a line stays in place. Feel free to take an extra sip of whiskey (or a sip of Whiskey Smash) for encouragement. In no time at all, your ice cream will be ready to be churned and frozen to boozy perfection.

How to Make Whiskey Ice Cream

The whiskey flavor in this ice cream is definitively pronounced. However, since Irish whiskey is quite smooth, its flavor blends beautifully with the velvety custard and sinfully sweet caramel.

The Ingredients

Heavy Cream. Make the ice cream lusciously rich, decadent, and satisfying (this Rhubarb Swirl Buttermilk Ice Cream is also insanely creamy).Milk. For best results, opt for either 2% or whole milk. Good ice cream needs a certain percentage of milk fat in the recipe to turn out right (the exception being this Oat Milk Ice Cream).Sugar. I made this ice cream with reduced sugar in the base since there’s PLENTY of sweetness in the caramel.Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors of the ice cream.Egg Yolks. Add richness and color to ice cream making it silky smooth like frozen custard.Irish Whiskey. Being Irish, you know I didn’t go easy on the whiskey. This boozy ice cream is not for the faint of heart. (Nor is this Flourless Whiskey Cake.)Vanilla. Accents and enhances the smoothness of the whiskey.Salted Caramel Sauce. Whiskey’s perfect partner and one true love. You can either make your own (try this Vegan Caramel Sauce or Apple Cider Caramel Sauce) or buy your favorite storebought variety.Pecans. I love to add a shower of toasted pecans over the top before serving for a little contrasting crunch to the silky smooth ice cream.

The Directions

Storage Tips

To Store. Keep frozen in the freezer. Homemade whiskey ice cream will keep for up to 6 months when stored in a freezer-safe, airtight container.

One final celebration suggestion: for a year’s worth of St. Patrick’s Day good fortune, make a grown-up float by topping a monster scoop of Irish whiskey ice cream with Guinness. Then call me—I’m coming over immediately. Sláinte!

More Frozen Sweet Treats

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