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Goat Milk Ice Cream Bases

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Vanilla goat milk ice cream. Custard style. No cow milk used.

Vanilla goat milk ice cream. Custard style. No cow milk used.

These vanilla and chocolate goat milk ice cream bases are luscious on their own, and can be dressed up with your favorite add-ins. Both are a smooth and creamy custard style, so they’re a great way to use eggs and goat milk from local farms or from your own backyard.

A billy goat shares a pasture with a flock of sheep at a small farm in Massachusetts.

A billy goat shares a pasture with a flock of sheep at a small farm in Massachusetts.

The hard part of making goat milk ice cream without any cow milk products, is the cream. Goat milk is naturally homogenized, so you need either a cream separator, or the patience for a slow, natural separation process, and a low yield. I’ve got neither the mechanical separator nor the patience, so I don’t use cream.

Instead, I add goat cheese and powdered goat milk, to increase the fat and protein content of whole goat milk. And, of course the eggs add velvety smoothness when cooked with the milk into a custard.

To make it even richer, you could use 6 yolks instead of 3 whole eggs, but I don’t like to develop recipes with just yolks, for fear of encouraging waste of the whites. (An exception is my Chocolate Goat Milk Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe, in which I the yolks in the ice cream and the whites in the cookies.) And this recipe makes quite a rich ice cream as written. All in all, it makes a very “creamy” all-goat milk ice cream, using readily available ingredients.

I’ve tested both of these recipes with Meyenberg whole goat milk, to make sure that the flavor is good with ingredients that are available to most people. And it’s not just “good”, it’s decadent. But if you’ve got your own goats or a local source, all the better.

The smoothest texture is achieved by using an ice cream maker. I swear by my Cuisinart, which I have been using for over a decade. I also love our zeroll scoop (comes in several sizes), and, for toting homemade ice cream to parties, these quart sized paper containers:

Add-ins

Each recipe makes a little less than a quart, so be careful not to go overboard with additions. About 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, crumbled cookies, chopped cookie dough, or chocolate chips is enough. For homemade chocolate chips that are pleasantly crunchy but not jaw-breaking, see my recipe for “soft chocolate chips” on this page.

Vanilla goat milk ice cream

Yield: a bit more than 3 cups

  • 3 large, whole eggs
  • 2 oz. fresh goat cheese (chevre) – a smooth and spreadable kind works better than a crumbly cheese
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 6 tbsp dry, full fat goat milk powder, such as Meyenberg Whole Powdered Goat Milk, Vitamin D, 12-Ounce Cans (Pack of 3)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups whole goat milk
  • 1 tbsp tapioca syrup (may substitute with corn syrup, but NOT high fructose corn syrup)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate goat milk ice cream

Chocolate goat milk ice cream with walnuts. An all goat milk, custard style ice cream.

Chocolate goat milk ice cream with walnuts. An all goat milk, custard style ice cream.

Yield: About 3 and 1/4 cups

  • 3 large, whole eggs
  • 2 oz. fresh goat cheese (chevre) – a smooth and spreadable kind works better than a crumbly cheese
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder (choose a brand you know you like; flavor varies substantially from brand to brand)
  • 6 tbsp full fat, dry goat milk powder
  • 1/8 tsp of salt
  • 2 cups whole goat milk
  • 2 tbsp tapioca syrup (may substitute with corn syrup, but NOT high fructose corn syrup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

How to make goat milk ice cream

  1. In a small-medium bowl, whisk eggs until yolks and whites are well combined. Set aside.
  2. In a small-medium bowl, warm goat cheese until soft, and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
  3. For chocolate ice cream only: Whisk dry ingredients in a small bowl, until mixture is free of lumps. Set aside.
  4. Add the 2 cups of milk and tapioca syrup to a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, and heat over medium-high, stirring frequently, until it reaches a simmer.
  5. Add dry ingredients to the hot milk, and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat.
  6. Temper the eggs by drizzling a generous cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, while vigorously whisking the eggs.
  7. Carefully pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the hot milk, while whisking the milk.
  8. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly (preferably with a heat proof spatula, but a spoon will do), scraping all portions of the bottom of the pan, until mixture thickens and reaches a temperature of 170-175 degrees F. It should be obviously thicker than uncooked milk, and should take 7-14 minutes. Remove from heat.
  9. Gradually add some (about 1/2 to 1 cup) of the hot custard into the softened cheese, whisking after each addition until smooth.
  10. Pour the cheese mixture into the saucepan, and whisk until combined.
  11. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl.
  12. Pre-cool in cold water bath for about 30 minutes, or place directly in refrigerator. Stir occasionally during first 30 minutes of cooling.
  13. Cool completely, at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  14. Stir in vanilla extract, and churn in ice cream maker, such as Cuisinart ICE-20 Automatic 1-1/2-Quart Ice Cream Maker, White according to manufacturer’s direction.
  15. Transfer to a 1 quart freezer storage container, stirring in any desired additions as you do so.
  16. Store in freezer.
  17. Enjoy!

Have you made goat milk ice cream? I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to share your experiences, or just post a comment or question!

Shared on: The 104 Homestead Blog Hop #6, Thank Goodness it’s Monday #57, Motivation Monday #78, Simple Life Sunday #4, Homestead Barn Hop #146, Mostly Homemade Mondays #67, Natural Living Monday #60, Mix it up Monday, Tuesday’s Table, Backyard Farming Connection #67, Tuesdays with a Twist #45, Growing Homemakers Link-up, Tuesday Greens #59, Wordless Wednesday #79, Waste Not, Want Not Wednesday #61, Wicked Awesome Wednesday #147, Wow us Wednesday, Fluster’s Creative Muster #58, HomeAcre Hop #57, Homemaking Party, Time Travel Thursday #186, Show and Tell #64, Pin it Thursday, Think Tank Thursday #68, Weekend re-Treat #54, BFF Open House #144, From the Farm blog hop, 104 Homestead hop #7, Freedom Fridays #15, Real Food Fridays #25, Simple Saturday, Simply Natural Saturday, Homesteaders Hop #1, Tasty Tuesday, Down Home Blog Hop #77

Comments

Goat Milk Ice Cream Bases — 58 Comments

  1. Both recipes sound delicious! Adding cut-up cookie dough hadn’t occurred to me. We’ve made goat milk ice cream, but not the custard style. Our favorites were peanut butter, and cherry chocolate chip. It’s been awhile, and I can’t remember how I got around the “no cream” issue; I’ll have to look up my recipes.

    Stay warm! Kathi at Oak Hill Homestead

  4. I have made Goats Milk Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt.
    I do use half and half when I make the ice cream.
    I would like to get a separator, someday 🙂
    These recipes looks great. I never thought of adding chevre.

  6. I love this and am so glad that you are linking up to #MotivationMonday! Pinning this right now for the time when this weather breaks!!

  7. Ok, I’m flipping out at these luscious looking ice creams, and I love goat cheese, but haven’t tried goat’s milk! In the chocolate, is that the cheese flecked in? It almost looks like macadamia nuts…

    • Hi Angela, those are chopped walnuts in the chocolate. The cheese is softened and blended totally into the base, so you can’t see it at all. If you like goat cheese, you will probably like goat milk ice cream. Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. I’ve made a lot of ice milk from goat milk because I don’t have a separator. I’ll definitely be trying this. It looks delicious.

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  13. Here I am again. I apologize, but I am not finding my message, never mind your response! I am not usually this technically challenged. Looking for your response about the goats milk powder, Thanks.

    • I already responded via facebook, but am copying your question and my answer here, in case anyone else has the same question:

      Question:

      I am trying your goat milk ice cream recipe. I live in rural Minnesota and without having to wait over a week, do not have access to the powdered goat milk. Can I substitute something or omit this ingredient still with good results? Thanks for your response.

      Answer:

      The easiest thing to do would be to use powdered whole cow milk. That should be easier to find. If you can’t find that either, I’d use nonfat dry cow milk, which is pretty widely available. But, since that adds protein and not fat to the ice cream base, I would add an extra ounce or two of cheese, and/or use 5-6 egg yolks instead of whole eggs. This will change the flavor and texture, though.

      If you want to keep it free of cow milk, then I’d probably add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup whole goat milk, increase cheese to about 3 oz, and use 5-6 egg yolks instead of whole eggs. But again, flavor and texture will be different.

      I’d love to hear how it comes out, however you make it. Also, it would be great if you could leave the message in the comment section of the goat milk ice cream post, so other people looking at that recipe can see it. Thanks!

  14. This is soooo good. A really premium icecream! Tried it out with our duck eggs for extra richness. A very premium icecream. Can’t wait to share and impress. Thanks !

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  21. I am on my second batch of making this recipe…I have been trying to find a way to make ice cream more creamy without cream since I have goats and am thrilled to find your recipe!
    I don’t have any powdered milk and would rather not use what I can’t readily make, so I still have a tad harder ice cream. I just saw your post about upping the cheese and using yolks instead of whole eggs, so I will try that next time.
    last time I made this I added cajeta bits to it and it blended in nicely while churning. I’m going to try your straight up cajeta ice cream too…at leasb I think that was your recipe! 🙂
    thanks so much, I will update again when I try the yolks and added cheese!

    • Hey, Colie, thanks so much for commenting, you’ve just made my day. I love when someone actually tries my recipes. Yes, upping the cheese and using lots of egg yolks instead of whole eggs should do the trick in making a nice, rich ice cream. I love your idea of adding cajeta bits – sounds scrumptious!

  22. Have you ever made pumpkin ice cream. If so, did you have to make adjustments to the vanilla recipe (assuming that is the base)?

  23. I’m guessing most of you have young chledrin. Mine are in the tween/young teen age, but I remember those days well. The solution for me was to stop taking them anywhere. I used to love going to store (in the evening or on weekends so my husband could spend some quality time with the kids). It was so peaceful walking thru the aisles. Sometimes grocery shopping would take hours. Now their just happy if I take them anywhere. We do special activities once a week at most. Definitely lower the expectation! The down times are when they grow the most.

  24. Pingback:20 Recipes To Make With Goat Milk | Goat's Milk Recipes

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  26. This worked great for me! It took longer than the previous goat milk recipe I used but it was worth it because it didn’t turn out icy and rock hard. It truly is nice and creamy. Two things I did different were, I used maple syrup instead of tapioca syrup and I used an ice water bath to cool down the custard quicker. Worked perfectly. I made a double batch, next time I’ll do a triple batch. I have a big ice cream churner so I might as well right?! Thanks for working out this recipe and sharing it!!!

    • Thanks for the feedback, Kari. I’m so glad to hear it worked well for you. This was one of the more difficult recipes to work out, for sure. Also it’s good to know it works well with maple syrup – thanks for letting me know!

  28. Is it possible to make raw goat milk bases? I’m not interested in cooking the life out of the milk because it becomes indigestible to my kids. We love your raw milk bases post but only one of the kids can handle the cow milk.

    • Yes, it is, but the ice cream will not be as creamy. The point of cooking a custard is to create a silky smooth texture. If you try it raw and find that it’s too gritty for your liking, you could try the cooked recipe above, but cook the custard on LOW heat. The lower the cooking temperature, the longer the custard takes to form, but it will thicken at a lower temperature (as low as 160 degrees), which allows most of the bacteria to survive.

  29. I’m making this recipe right now. I’m loving the wholesome ingredients but would like to try it with honey instead of sugar. Currently making a double batch of vanilla and used honey instead of tapioca syrup as it does produce a gummy effect in baked goods (and do not have the syrup) ***I’m also wondering (I do see the same question above) if there is a way to use raw milk and preserve it’s rawness. Such as, use half the amount of milk for all of the heating steps and whisk in the rest of the raw milk during chilling. Do you think it would still work?

    • You can hold back some of the milk till after the cooking, but the final result will not be as smooth. Also, my experience with honey in ice cream is that it increases grittiness. So your idea might make a delicious ice cream, but if a smooth mouth feel is really important to you, you might be disappointed. If smoothness is not that important, it might be just perfect.

  30. Janet, I am excited to find your goat milk ice cream recipe with such great detail! I just ordered the ice cream maker. 2 things:

    First: for those who can’t find powdered goat milk, Vitacost (an online company) has it and I order many of my household and other products form them regularly. Great prices and great customer service.

    Second: what is the purpose of the tapioca syrup? I was happy to see someone had used maple syrup. If I know what it’s purpose is I can make better substitutions.

    Thanks! Karen

    • The sugar in tapioca syrup binds water very well, creating a smoother texture than you get with table sugar, honey, or maple syrup. Corn syrup also works. You can sub in maple syrup or honey but the texture won’t be as smooth. And of course, the flavor will be much different.

  31. Janet,
    Karen again.

    Your goat milk ice cream recipe is awesome, thank you so much. My vanilla bean ice cream with salted caramel swirl came out spectacular!!

    Great recommendation on the ice cream maker too.

    3 follow ups.
    First, I realized tapioca syrup is cassava which made it very easy to find and yes it makes it very creamy. (Vitacost online has it.)

    Second, I did it with and without the goat cheese and like it better without and still just as creamy.

    Third, I have taken the temperature to 180-185 and I find it gets creamier. It does get a little lumpy and I have to whisk fast and hard to release the lumps and then they don’t show up in the final yummy delicious product.

    And now my question?

    What is the reason for the 170-175 temperature? Thanks again for putting this basic recipe together! Karen

    • Hi Karen, I’m glad you liked it! Custard formation is complicated and the target temperature depends on both the cooking temperature and the cooking time. The 170-175 degrees is the approximate temperature at which a custard is formed if you cook it on medium-low, which will ensure good results for most people. That’s just an average though. The lower the cooking temperature, the longer it takes, but the custard will form at a lower temperature, as low as 160 degrees. And, if you are cooking at a really low temperature, you can take up to 185 for even thicker texture, without it getting lumpy (the lumps are pieces of cooked egg and are ok if there’s just a little of that, but ruin the texture of the ice cream if there’s a lot of it). On the other hand, if you cook at a higher temperature (say on medium or medium-high), it will take less time, but you have to take it to a higher temperature for the custard to form, probably 175-180, which is perilously close to the temp. at which lumps form. So a high cooking temperature means there is a very narrow window of good results. A low cooking temperature gives you a wide window which means less chance of ruining it. I recommend medium-low heat and a target temperature of 170-175, because most people can do that without getting terribly frustrated with how long it takes, and will get a thick enough custard without getting lumps. I hope that makes sense.

      • Yes ..your explanation was very helpful! Thank you for taking the time to explain it all. I will switch to a lower temp and stop just before lumps so as not to risk it.

        As I type this my mint ice cream with dark chocolate chunks are churning into ice cream…yummy!

  32. I have had a really hard time making a good chevre cheese from my goat’s milk (it always turns out grainy).
    Was wondering if a mild tasting cream cheese made from cultured buttermilk would produce similar results?
    Have also considered using a really thick greek style yogurt (mine is actually from a Bulgarian yogurt culture) and blending it into the mix when I put it into the churn.
    Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

    • I’m sure cream cheese would work very well, as I have used it in other recipes with great results. It improves the texture more than chevre does. I chose chevre for this recipe because I wanted the ice cream to be derived from 100% goat milk, because it’s widely available, and because a lot of people who raise goats make their own chevre.

      Not so sure about yogurt. It tends to make ice cream crumbly; even Greek yogurt. The small amount you would use in this recipe probably wouldn’t hurt it much, but it wouldn’t help either. I’d go with cream cheese, and if you try it, I’d love to hear about your results.

  33. Definitely putting this recipe on my short list. I’m allergic to cow and so many recipes purporting to be goat milk bases will ask for heavy cream in addition to goat’s milk! I would like to know what the tapioca syrup is for, though. Is it to prevent ice crystals? And would golden syrup work?

  34. Hi. Noticed you use goats milk powder. Could this be made using 2 cups reconstituted goat’s milk from powder instead of fresh goats milk?

  35. This has become my go to recipe ice cream base. I’ve tried so many flavors I can’t list them all and this base works perfectly every time. Thank you so much for posting it. My friends and family also thank you.

  36. I can’t process cows milk and I’ve been looking for a good goats milk icecream because the stuff in the store is either nonexistent or really expensive. This was so creamy and dreamy. I will definitely make it again thank you so much!

  37. I just tried the chocolate base yesterday. Really great recipe!!! Checked it this morning, still creamy and scoopable. Thank you!

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