Salted Honey & Sesame Crunch Ice Cream

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BySarah | Grains & Greens Kitchen Posted on

This salted honey custard ice cream, swirled with homemade sesame brittle and a pinch of sea salt, is smooth, crunchy, and oh-so scoopable. Thanks to raw honey, it might just be the tastiest cold remedy you’ll ever take!

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Salted Honey Ice Cream being scooped from a freezer container into a small white bowl with a fluted rim, next to a small plate holding a honey spoon. The filled ice cream scoop rests on top of the ice cream, showing the melting edges of a super creamy scoop.
Salted Honey Ice Cream being scooped from a freezer container into a small white bowl with a fluted rim, next to a small plate holding a honey spoon. The filled ice cream scoop rests on top of the ice cream, showing the melting edges of a super creamy scoop.

This homemade ice cream is the perfect slightly fancy, fall dessert. Better than that, it’s also a treat with benefits!

On the surface, it’s a sweet and salty, velvety ice cream, with a swirl of crunchy, candied sesame seeds, and a soft-serve consistency straight from the fridge.

But there’s more beneath the surface. Sweetened with raw honey, the custard becomes a gentle remedy against colds and sore throats. So, instead of killing your honey in a steaming cup of ginger tea this season, might I suggest a scoop of healthy ice cream instead?

Why You’ll Love This Salted Honey Ice Cream Recipe

  • Raw Honey Benefits — Cooling the base before adding honey preserves its natural goodness. It’s the tastiest cold-remedy you’ll ever take.
  • Oh-So-Scoopable — The honey keeps the ice cream soft and creamy, straight from the freezer. Perfect for instant soft serve scoops or sneaking a spoonful at midnight.
  • Homemade Sesame Brittle — The recipe yields a little extra. Perfect for sprinkling over ice cream, yogurt, or oats.
  • Holiday Ready — Special enough for your holiday table and simple enough to make ahead.
  • Make-Ahead Dessert — The candied sesame crunch keeps for at least a month, and the ice cream stays fresh for two weeks. Keep your sanity this holiday season.
Two scoops of Salted Honey Ice Cream served with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of candied sesame crunch in a small white bowl with a fluted rim. The ice cream container and a small plate holding a honey spoon sit beside the bowl on a floral linen tea towel.
Two scoops of Salted Honey Ice Cream served with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of candied sesame crunch in a small white bowl with a fluted rim. The ice cream container and a small plate holding a honey spoon sit beside the bowl on a floral linen tea towel.

Tools You May Need

Wide (Non-Stick) Pan For melting sugar and making brittle.

Digital Thermometer (Optional) To avoid overheating and curdling the ice cream custard.

Ice Cream Maker If your model requires it, make sure to freeze the bowl 24 hours in advance!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Sugar I use raw cane sugar both for caramelizing the sesame seeds and a little bit in the custard. Most granulated sugars will melt the same, so use what’s in your pantry.

Sesame Seeds You can use either hulled or unhulled sesame seeds, whatever you prefer or have on hand. For an extra show stopper, replace half of the sesame seeds with black sesame seeds.

(Raw) Honey I prefer local raw honey, for its more complex flavors and benefits. Any honey you love the taste of will be fine though.

Egg Yolks Use the freshest eggs you can for best taste. Even though the eggs won’t be cooked all the way, the custard will be heated enough to pasteurize the yolks.

Sea Salt Flakes I use Maldon’s sea salt flakes. Saltiness can vary by brand, so I’d stick with Maldon’s, just to be on the safe side. Don’t use table salt or any other salt with a fine texture, but rather something where the salt crystals come in the iconic, pyramid shape.

How to Make Salted Honey & Sesame Crunch Ice Cream (Step-by-Step)

Make the Candied Sesame Crunch

01

Raw cane sugar spread evenly across the bottom of a black, non stick frying pan.

Line a baking sheet (or other sturdy surface) with parchment paper.
In a wide skillet over medium heat, warm the sugar for a minute, without stirring.

02

Golden brown sesame seeds spread across a bed of raw cane sugar at the bottom of a black non stickk frying pan.

Scatter the sesame seeds over the sugar and leave the pan undisturbed until the sugar begins to melt (keep a close eye).

03

Sesame seeds being stirred into melting sugar in a black non stick frying pan.

With a wooden spoon (or silicone spatula), quickly stir the sesame seeds into the liquid sugar, incorporating any unmelted sugar as you go.
Once most of the sugar has coated the sesame seeds, remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the butter.

04

Caramelized sesame seeds spread out to cool on a piece of white parchment paper.

Immediately spread the sesame seeds on to the prepared baking sheet, pressing them into an even layer with the back of a spoon or spatula, Leave to cool.
Break the sesame seeds into tiny clusters by hand. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Cook THe Custard

01

Milk and sugar being warmed in a small stainless steel pot with a wooden spoon.

Heat milk and sugar in a medium pot until steaming and the sugar dissolves.

02

Deep orange-yellow egg yolks whipped thick and frothy in a light blue mixing bowl.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale.

03

A light blue mixing bowl, full of super frothy, pale yellow tempered eggs.

Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolks, whisking the entire time, to temper the eggs.

04

Golden yellow ice cream custard, cooked in a small stainless steel pot. The mix is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon.

Pour the milk and egg mix back into the pot and heat over medium-low heat until it reaches 77-80°C (170-176°F) and coats the back of a spoon.
(A digital thermometer is really handy here.)

05

White cream being poured from a silver measuring cup into the golden yellow ice cream custard in a stainless steel pot.

Stir in the heavy cream to stop the cooking and cool down the custard.
(Make sure the mix is below 42°C (108°F) if you want the honey to remain raw.)

06

Thick, pale yellow ice cream custard rests in a small stainless steel pot with a wire whisk.

Combine the honey and salt in a bowl and add a few tablespoons of the cooled custard and stir to combine. Keep adding more until the mix is loose enough to stir back into the custard.
Move to the fridge to chill completely.

Churn and Freeze

01

Pale yellow salted honey ice cream has finished churning in a thick swirl in the bowl of an ice cream maker.

Churn according to your machine’s instructions once the custard has cooled down.

02

Pale yellow salted honey ice cream is being layered with the candied sesame crunch into a freezer safe container, sitting on a floral linen tea towel.

Fill your freezer container with about a third of the salted honey ice cream. Sprinkle over half of the caramelized sesame seeds, followed by another third of the ice cream.
Sprinkle the rest of the sesame seeds and then finish with the remaining ice cream. Freeze for at least two hours (or until set).

Tips

  • Keep an eye on the sugar and sesame in the pan when making the sesame crunch. Sugar can burn insanely fast. As soon as you see the first little bit of sugar melting, start stirring the sesame seeds to coat. Make sure you have the butter ready at hand so you can add it immediately.
  • Keep the finished sesame brittle in a sealed jar in the fridge while you churn the ice cream. That way it won’t warm up the ice cream while you make the swirl.
  • Cook the custard low and slow. It’s better to stay and stir for a while than to end up with curdled custard.
  • If you want to keep the benefits of raw honey, let the custard cool down to below 42°C (108°F) first.
  • No need to set the ice cream out before scooping. Thanks to the honey, it scoops like a dream straight from the freezer.
  • Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Close-up of a scoop of salted honey and sesame crunch ice cream in a orange spoon, resting on the surface of the ice cream container.
Close-up of a scoop of salted honey and sesame crunch ice cream in a orange spoon, resting on the surface of the ice cream container.

How to Serve Salted Honey Ice Cream

Recipe FAQs

No, but it really helps if you’ve never done it before. It can be difficult to tell what “coating the back of a spoon” really looks like until you’ve actually done it once. And while you’re wondering, the custard might get too hot and curdle after all. So if you’re a total beginner, either invest in a thermometer or keep the heat really low, so things cook more slowly.

That’s because of all the honey in the custard. It keeps the ice cream at soft serve consistency, even in the freezer. It’s a feature, not a bug! I’ve been making this recipe for many years and this is honestly one of my favorite things about it.

Only if you want to benefit from the anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties of raw honey. But any honey you love the taste of can be used.

You can try, but the sea salt flakes melt a lot quicker into the custard. More than that, different brands of table salt can very a lot in saltiness, so you’ll have to taste-test your way forward. Start with a very small amount (like 1/8 teaspoon) and add it to the milk and sugar, so it has time to dissolve properly. Taste and adjust as needed.

It happens to all of us. As long as it’s just a few bits of curdled egg, you can still save it! Just pour it through a fine-mesh sieve before churning.

It’s possible, but you’ll need to stir the mixture every 30–45 minutes as it freezes, to reduce iciness. The texture won’t be quite the same, but still delicious (obviously).

If you make this Salted Honey & Sesame Crunch Ice Cream…

I’d love to hear how it turned out!

P.S. If you’re into honey ice cream, you might love this non salted recipe for Honey-Scented Buttermilk Ice Cream, too.

happy Churning!

Salted Honey & Sesame Crunch Ice Cream

This salted honey custard ice cream with homemade sesame brittle swirls and sea salt flakes is smooth, crunchy, and oh-so scoopable. Think of it as the ultimate fall dessert, a treat with benefits: The inclusion of raw honey makes this the tastiest cold remedy you’ll ever take!
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Salted Honey Ice Cream served with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of candied sesame crunch in a small white bowl with a fluted rim.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Churning and Freezing:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours 15 minutes
Servings:8
Calories:255kcal
Equipment
  • wide (non-stick) pan - For melting sugar and making brittle.
  • digital kitchen thermometer - To avoid overheating and curdling the ice cream custard.
  • Ice Cream Maker - If your model requires it, make sure to freeze the bowl 24 hours in advance!
Ingredients

Candied Sesame Crunch Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp sugar - (25 g)
  • ½ cup sesame seeds - (70 g)
  • ½ tsp butter

Honey Ice Cream Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk - (240 ml)
  • 2 tbsp sugar - (25 g) I use raw cane sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup heavy cream - (240 ml)
  • ½ cup honey - (8 tbsp, or apr. 170 g) raw is best
  • ¾ tsp Maldon’s flakey sea salt
  • 4-6 tbsp candied sesame crunch
Instructions

Make the Candied Sesame Crunch

  • Line a baking sheet (or other sturdy surface) with parchment paper.
  • In a wide skillet over medium heat, warm the sugar for a minute, without stirring. Scatter the sesame seeds over the sugar and leave the pan undisturbed until the sugar begins to melt.
  • With a wooden spoon (or silicone spatula), quickly stir the sesame seeds into the liquid sugar, incorporating any unmelted sugar as you go. Once most of the sugar has coated the sesame seeds, remove the pan from the heat and quickly stir in the butter.
    2 tbsp sugar, ½ cup sesame seeds, ½ tsp butter
  • Immediately spread the sesame seeds on to the prepared baking sheet, pressing them into an even layer with the back of a spoon or spatula, Leave to cool.
  • Break the sesame seeds into tiny clusters by hand. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Cook the Ice Cream Custard

  • Heat milk and sugar in a medium pot until steaming and the sugar dissolves.
    1 cup whole milk, 2 tbsp sugar
  • In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until pale and frothy.
    4 large egg yolks
  • Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg yolks, whisking the entire time, to temper the eggs. Pour the milk and egg mix back into the pot and heat over medium-low heat until it reaches 77-80°C (170-176°F) and coats the back of a spoon.
  • Stir in the heavy cream to stop the cooking and cool down the custard. Make sure the mix is below 42°C (108°F) before you continue, if you want the honey to remain raw.
    1 cup heavy cream
  • Combine the honey and salt in a bowl and add a few tablespoons of the cooled custard and stir to combine. Keep adding more until the mix is loose enough to stir back into the custard. Move to the fridge to chill completely.
    ½ cup honey, ¾ tsp Maldon’s flakey sea salt

Churn and Freeze

  • Churn according to your machine’s instructions once the custard has cooled down.
  • Fill your freezer container with about a third of the salted honey ice cream. Sprinkle over half of the caramelized sesame seeds, followed by another third of the ice cream. Sprinkle the rest of the sesame seeds and then finish with the remaining ice cream.
    4-6 tbsp candied sesame crunch
  • Freeze for at least two hours (or until set).
Notes
  1. Make sure you have the butter ready at hand so you can add it immediately. Sugar burns incredibly fast.
  2. Keep the finished sesame brittle in a sealed jar in the fridge while you churn the ice cream.
  3. Cook the custard low and slow, so it doesn’t curdle.
  4. If you want to keep the benefits of raw honey, let the custard cool down to below 42°C (108°F) first before stirring it in.
  5. No need to set the ice cream out before scooping. Thanks to the honey, it doesn’t fully set and retains a soft-serve consistency in the freezer.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Author: Sarah | Grains & Greens Kitchen
Calories: 255kcal
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it turned out!

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Two scoops of Salted Honey Ice Cream served with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of candied sesame crunch in a small white bowl with a fluted rim. The ice cream container and a small plate holding a honey spoon sit beside the bowl on a floral linen tea towel.

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