Homemade Raw Milk Ice Cream Bases

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Quick, easy, and exceptionally creamy recipes for vanilla and chocolate homemade raw milk ice cream bases. Giving recipes for both vanilla and chocolate makes it possible for you to adapt them to many, many different flavors. Customize them with your own delicious add-ins, if you like!

Homemade vanilla and chocolate raw milk ice cream

Last week I finally got ahold of some raw milk. I was warned that it tastes “strong” in comparison to pasteurized milk, but I found it sweet, mild, and delicious. Despite the fact that I had skimmed off the cream, the milk tasted as rich as supermarket “whole milk” And “rich” is exactly right for home made ice cream, my plan all along for this farm fresh milk and cream. Aside from the fresh, creamy deliciousness, the best thing about these raw milk ice cream bases is their simplicity. Just blend the ingredients and let the ice cream maker do the rest.

About the ingredients

Raw milk

Why raw milk? Glad you asked! I was curious about it, it happened to be available, and I’d heard claims of health benefits, though I hadn’t yet read up on the pros and cons. Also, I tend to think that warnings about food borne illness go a bit over the top when the risk is actually quite low.

But, by now, I have read up on it. There is an excellent 2014 article reviewing the actual studies on the risks and benefits of raw vs. pasteurized milk – see the Sources section at the end of this post. It was interesting to learn that some studies suggest reduced allergies in rural children who consume raw milk, but the reviewers wisely caution that urban children, who usually have little or no direct contact with farm animals, might have a different immunological response to raw milk consumption. Without further studies showing benefits in urban and suburban populations, it doesn’t seem wise to recommend raw milk in general.

As for nutritional value, vitamins B12, B2, and E are all significantly reduced in pasteurized milk, but the reviewers remind us that even raw milk is not an important source of B12 or E, and B2 can be found in many other common foods. So, all of this weighed against the real and significant risk of food borne illness? Maybe for rural children, but not in general, at least not unless future studies show reduced allergies in other children. At this point I personally am not committed to consuming raw dairy products on a daily basis, but I’m willing to take the risk every now and then. Do your own research and make your own decision.

By the way, you might need up to a full gallon of milk to get the 2 cups of cream needed for this recipe. Let the milk sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, to allow the cream time to rise to the top. Some people give it 2-3 days, but you’ll get most of the cream after just 24 hours. If you want to use pasteurized milk and cream for these recipes, use heavy cream and whole milk.

Raw eggs

You will notice that these ice cream bases also contain raw egg. I’ve been eating gobs of raw egg containing cookie dough for almost 50 years, with nary a problem, so I figure a little raw egg in a scoop of ice cream is nothing new to my diet. As for possible health benefits of raw over cooked eggs, you might see claims of substantially higher levels of vitamin D, omega-3 fats, etc., but according to the USDA National Nutrient Database, the differences are modest. See the links to that site in the Sources section at the end of this article.  So I wouldn’t recommend consumption of raw eggs on a regular basis, but an occasional scoop of ice cream with a small amount of raw egg works for me. Make your own decision.

If you want an egg free ice cream, you may substitute the egg with an additional 1/4 cup of whole milk, as indicated in the recipes. I prefer to use the egg because it slightly improves the flavor and mouth feel of the ice cream. But in winter when the hens lay fewer eggs, I often make egg free ice cream.

Cocoa

As always, I will warn that the flavor of a chocolate treat is no better than that of the chocolate or cocoa you use. The flavor of cocoa, in particular, varies enormously from brand to brand, so be sure to use one that you know you like. If you don’t like the flavor of the cocoa you use, you won’t like the ice cream. For this chocolate ice cream, I like to use 1-2 tbsp of Omanhene natural cocoa, and 2-3 tbsp of Valrhona Dutch process cocoa.

About The Technique

Raw ice cream, with or without eggs, often has a gritty, icy texture, but you’ll find that these recipes produce a smooth and creamy ice cream. The egg helps, and the small volume is even more important. Most recipes for standard 1.5 quart ice cream makers call for a larger volume base, but a smaller volume freezes faster. And faster freezing discourages the formation of gritty crystals. If you have a 2 quart ice cream maker, don’t double these recipes. A 1x or 1.5x recipe in a 2 quart ice cream maker will yield a very smooth ice cream, but a 2x recipe is likely to give you some grit.

If you prefer a custard style vanilla ice cream, use my chai spiced vanilla ice cream recipe, omitting the cardamom and cinnamon. Custard has a distinct flavor, which is quite noticeable in custard style vanilla ice cream. It will taste different from raw vanilla ice cream. Chocolate largely masks the custard flavor, and if you want the absolute ultimate in mouth feel, see this custard style chocolate ice cream.  To minimize changes due to cooking the milk, cook the custard on low heat. It will take longer, but thickening will occur at a lower temperature, sometimes as low as 160 degrees F. A temperature of 180 degrees F would kill most of the potentially probiotic bacteria. Notice I said “potentially probiotic”. Whether or not raw milk contains probiotic bacteria is the subject of a debate which goes beyond this post.

Quick, easy, and exceptionally creamy recipes for vanilla and chocolate homemade raw milk ice cream bases. Giving recipes for both vanilla and chocolate makes it possible for you to adapt them to many, many different flavors. Customize them with your own delicious add-ins, if you like!

Follow directions exactly, and you’ll find that these homemade raw ice creams are never gritty.

Homemade Raw Milk Ice Cream Bases

Some will contend that only custard style or cornstarch thickened ice creams are “the real thing”, but I say that’s nonsense. There’s no “real” or “right” way to make ice cream. If you like it, it’s real and it’s right. Period. I used a raw base here rather than a custard (which I also love) because cooking would diminish some of the presumed benefits of raw milk, which would defeat the purpose of buying it.

Vanilla raw milk ice cream base

The egg, milk, and cream should be at refrigerator temperature before beginning, because you want the base cold when you put it in the ice cream maker.

Makes 1 quart

  • 1 large to extra large egg (or an extra 1/4 cup of whole milk)
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
  • Beans of 1 vanilla bean pod (optional)
  • 2 cups raw cream (heavy cream if using pasteurized cream)
  • 3/4 cup raw milk (whole or 2% if using pasteurized milk)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg until yolk and white are well blended.
  2. Whisk in the sugar.
  3. If using the vanilla bean, slit the vanilla bean pod lengthwise, scrape the tiny black beans into the egg mixture, and whisk to blend. Save the pod for another use. (The pod can be steeped in hot milk or cream to flavor a custard, for example.)
  4. Add the cream, milk, and vanilla extract to the egg mixture, and whisk to blend.
  5. Pour into a 1.5 quart ice cream maker, and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.
  6. Transfer to a quart size freezer container. Eat as soft serve, or freeze for several hours for scoopable ice cream.

Chocolate Raw Milk Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart

The egg, milk, and cream should be at refrigerator temperature when you start. Be sure to whisk the cocoa with the sugar as directed because it blend better with the liquid ingredients. If the cocoa is added directly to the liquid ingredients, it will be difficult to blend it.

  • 1 large to extra large egg (or an extra 1/4 cup of whole milk)
  • 1/2 cup raw milk (whole or 2% if using pasteurized milk)
  • 2 cups cream (heavy cream if using pasteurized cream)
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg until yolk and white are well blended. Whisk in the milk and about a cup of the cream, and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, and salt until mixture is free of lumps.
  3. Add the cocoa mix to the medium bowl containing the milk and some of the cream, and whisk until well blended.
  4. Add the vanilla and the rest of the cream to the large bowl, and whisk until well blended.
  5. Transfer to a 1.5 quart ice cream maker, and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.
  6. Transfer to a quart size freezer container. Eat as soft serve, or freeze for several hours for scoopable ice cream.

Variations

You can use these recipes as bases for many different flavors. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cups of chocolate chips, crumbled cookies, small chunks of raw cookie dough, etc. Substitute mint or other extract for the vanilla. Substitute some of the sugar with honey, maple syrup, molasses, or brown sugar.

Sources:

  1. Davis, B. J. K. et al. 2014. A literature review of the risks and benefits of consuming raw and pasteurized cow’s milk. Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins University.
  2. USDA National Nutrient Database, Basic Report: 01128, Egg, whole, cooked, fried
  3. USDA National Nutrient Database, Basic Report: 01123, Egg, whole, raw, fresh
Quick, easy, and exceptionally creamy recipes for vanilla and chocolate homemade raw milk ice cream bases. Giving recipes for both vanilla and chocolate makes it possible for you to adapt them to many, many different flavors. Customize them with your own delicious add-ins, if you like!

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Comments

Homemade Raw Milk Ice Cream Bases — 41 Comments

  1. Hello, i was wondering if you have tried recipe with more raw milk versus heavy cream. I have dexters that don’t give a lot of cream ( or only to baby) would like your take on this. Hate to ruin a a good batch. But then again , can it be ruined?

    • Hi Donna, I’m not familiar with the milk of Dexter cows in particular, so I don’t know how well it would work. A raw base relies on the fat content for richness and smoothness. If you made it with more milk or with all milk, the mouth feel wouldn’t be as good. Not that it would be bad – it really depends on how you like your ice cream; how picky you are about texture and richness. Try it and see if you like it. If it’s not smooth enough for your liking, you could try adding to the next batch, 1-2 tbsp of vodka and/or tapioca syrup (corn syrup works, too), both of which help smooth the texture, and prevent it from freezing rock solid, which lowfat ice creams tend to do. Good luck!

    • I know I am behind on this, but I have Dexters also, and get lots of cream, more so when the calf has been weaned. The other thing is, the less grain and more forage (grass and hay/alfalfa) the more cream you get. I give only a small amount of grain, and get about 1/2 cup cream per 1/2gal.
      Totally looking forward to trying this recipe.

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  3. Hi! I just got a gallon of raw! Do I really have to use cream? What would happen if I just used that (instead of milk and 2 c cream)? I’m so lazy! 🙂

  4. I’m trying to do an all-raw ice cream. Can you substitute all the sugar for raw honey? If so, would that be an equal amount of honey for the sugar?

    • Hi, yes the same amount of honey are slightly less. In my experience, though, honey makes ice cream a little grittier and icier, so don’t expect the smooth texture you would get if using white sugar.

      • I just made homemade icecream with honey and it was supurb! No grittiness at all…I’m guesssing it was the quality of the honey? Totally smooth here and it was my first time.

        • I think the fact that honey can make ice cream gritty is due to the water in the honey (the higher the water to fat ratio in the ice cream, the less smooth it will be), and maybe also due to the water binding ability of the sugars in honey vs that of table sugar. But there are factors other than the sweetener that influence the texture of the ice cream (such as the fat content of the milk and cream, and how rapidly it freezes in the ice cream maker). And of course, texture is subjective. The important thing is that you like it, and since you do, it was a success!

  5. This was delicious. Used milk from jersey cows which has a higher cream content. Added peaches. Just yum!!

  6. Wasn’t sure about the raw egg, but it definitely made the texture better. I used raw cacao. Perfect!

  7. I wondered if I could use maple syrup instead of white sugar in the recipe. Or half of each? Do you think it would be smoother with maple syrup or sugar?

    • Maple syrup does make it a little grittier, but it’s still a very good ice cream. I usually prefer to make a custard based maple ice cream, and have a recipe for it. You can find it in the post index (see tab at top of page) if interested.

  8. When I make raw milk ice cream with my machine I get bits of butter that form in it. Does yours ever do this? Any ideas on how to over come this problem?

    • If you can slow down your mixer. I have a kitchen Aid ice cream mixer and only use the first setting. With the increase speed your going to get butter instead of ice cream.

      • Interesting to read about the issues with different brands of ice cream machines. I’ve used these recipes hundreds of times with my Cuisinart, and have never gotten butter, not even little bits. The Cuisinart must be slower, or less agitating. At least the one I have – which is probably 20 years old by now.

  9. I am trying this with date paste in place of sugar, and added some cinnamon!

  10. Yesterday, I had my first experience with raw milk. To say it was an epiphany is not to indulge in hyperbole. I’ve never been much of a milk drinker because of GI issues, though I can drink small sips. At any rate, I tried raw milk for the first time.

    Right away it looked different, with a vaguely yellow tinge that bore little resemblance to supermarket milk. When I took my first taste I was bowled over, I’d never tasted anything quite like it. The richness, the INCREDIBLE mouth-feel, the… butteriness of the milk blew me away. Now that I know what “real milk” tastes like, there’s no going back. Given my love of ice cream, I can’t wait to try one of these recipes! I have the bowl in the freezer

    Warning: This is not for people who get squeamish over minor things. It is, after all, not pasteurized and much relies of the cleanliness of the farmer processing it. If the facilities are cleaned daily, and people wash their hands

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  12. We found a dairy that sells full cream raw milk from Jersey and Brown Swiss cows. We buy it in bulk and freeze most of it (the dairy is 50 miles away). I pour off about a cup of cream from each gallon so the bottled milk will have room to expand in the freezer. What to do with all this cream? Hmmm . . . ice cream! It seems insane to make a custard ice cream with raw milk. Thanks for your raw ice cream tips.

    When I found your site I had already started a raw milk ice cream using coconut sugar which turns it a caramel color. Hmmm . . . caramel. It tastes like caramel! I am adding a fresh egg following your instructions and adding in toasted pecans. Yummm. Next I will try your chocolate suggestions.

  13. Also, Sally Fallon (Weston Price Foundation) suggests in her book, “Nourishing Traditions,” to put some arrowroot powder in for extra creaminess.

  14. Tried this today with maple syrup in place of sugar and used raw cacao powder. It was delish! Thanks so much for the recipe!

  15. Has anyone tried to substitute Stevia for the sugar? Diabetic but I LOVE chocolate ice cream. I also use raw milk for daily use but want to keep my cream in the milk. I may have to sub raw cream for store bought.

    • I use about 15 drops of liquid stevia and then one half cup of zylitol, which i have put in my magic bullet and made into powder, not diabetic but do keto diet, this is good, raw cacao powder.

    • I haven’t used stevia, but was told to use allulose because it doesn’t freeze hard. You may need to increase the amount as it is 70% the sweetness of sugar.It works great in this recipe.

  16. Hi Janet! First, I have to tell you that your recipe for chocolate ice cream is fantastic! I use raw cacao pwd and I like it much better than roasted. But your system of mixing the batter I think is the trick. Mine was always a little gritty before. New question! I’d love to make peanut butter ice cream. Any suggestions? I have dry roasted unsalted peanuts, and also creamy peanut butter. Thanks for your help!

  17. Hello Janet
    Thanks for the Raw Ice Cream Recipe.
    I have been drinking Raw Milk for Years with no side effect, but you have to be careful as to the source , that is you have to have confidence in the farm from which you buy it.
    As for your Raw Ice Cream recipe , it sounds great and I am going to try it.
    Your method requires an ice cream maker.
    There is a second method which I use which does not require an Ice Cream maker, and that is by using Whipping Cream and Milk to create the Ice Cream Base. Basically you Whip the Cream until it is very thick with a Hand held whipping machine, and then you add the milk and your cocao powder or vanilla extract and put it directly in the Freezer without going through a churning process. This way it makes excellent ice cream. Very tasty. Have you tried this method?
    I also plan to use next organic Cacao Powder and possibly try also some of the Raw Cacao Powder, the problem with this one is that it is very bitter and does not taste much like chocolates as it is unroasted ( or roasted below 118F).
    For Vanilla Extract, I do my own extract and dont use the artificial flavor extract.

    • Hi Steve, yes I’ve made ice cream with that whipped cream method and it is nice and smooth but also airy and light. I prefer a dense ice cream. Although I go back and forth between raw vs. custard base, at this point I really love the dense, rich, velvety taste and texture of a custard base. (Although I still often make a raw base because it’s so much quicker.) Funny you mention making your own vanilla extract. My daughter made me some for Christmas. It still needs to be steeped for a couple more months but I can’t wait to use it. You probably know this but not all store bought vanilla extract is artificial. Real vanilla extract is widely available in grocery stores. It’s much more expensive, however.

  18. I bought an organic icecream made with Jersey cream, 25% fat. It was the tastiest, smoothest I ever tried – vanilla flavor.
    Jersey cows are an oldfashioned breed with a healthier protein.

  19. Made this tonight. And I’ll save and refer back to this recipe the rest of my life. I substituted on the sugar and used a blender to frith it before hand. Also chocolate drops all chopped up, is a fantastic treat.

  20. I cut this recipe in half because I have a tiny HB ice cream maker… but it was AH~mazing!!

    I even used a little less sugar than the recipe calls for because this was a cheat on my low-carb diet, but it’s delicious 🙂

    Thanks so much. We can’t wait to experiment with flavors!

  21. Hello I don’t have an ice cream maker, have you got a recipe without ice cream maker
    Kind regards
    Goel

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