Guinness Ice Cream (coconut milk base)
Beer might not be on your list of favorite ice cream flavors, but it should be. A stout beer commonly has flavors of coffee, chocolate, or molasses, all of which pair nicely with sweet cream. The bitterness of the beer balances the sweetness of the dessert, and the result is the unexpectedly delicious Guinness ice cream.
The beer you choose will have a significant impact on the end result, since beer provides the primary flavor. Choose a good quality stout that you enjoy drinking. Guinness, a smoother sweeter stout, will yield a milder flavor. While I enjoy this recipe using Guinness, I actually prefer it using Founders Dirty Bastard scotch ale, which packs more of a flavor punch and gives the ice cream a slight hint of smokiness.
The recipe showcases the flavor of the beer and highlights the molasses notes in the stout, but you can customize it to highlight your favorite flavors in a stout, like coffee or chocolate. Check the recipe notes for advice. Pretzels make a great topping, but I don’t recommend using them as a mix-in, because they’ll get soggy. For the most decadent and satisfying way to consume Guinness ice cream, put a few scoops in a pint glass and pour over them whatever beer you used in the recipe. It’s a Coke float, but beer, and as good as any Coke float you remember having as a kid.
I’ve used protein powder (whey in this case) to increase the protein and reduce the sugar, without sacrificing texture. For more details on how that works, click here.
The Sumo ice cream container shown below is my favorite. Here’s a link to where to get it [affiliate link].
Guinness Ice Cream (coconut milk base)
This recipe calls for whey protein. Other protein powders (unsweetened, unflavored) will work too. Check the notes below for advice on making substitutions.
Makes ~1 quart
Ingredients
Instructions
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REDUCE THE BEER
In a large sauce pan on the stove, heat the beer to boiling. Cook until the beer reduces to 2 oz, creating a thick liquid, then remove the pan from the heat. This should take about 12-13 minutes, but watch it closely near the end. The syrupy liquid can easily burn if left too long.
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ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS
Add all remaining ingredients to the sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. The mixture will not be smooth as this point. It will be blended fully in the next step.
As soon as the mixture reaches a low simmer, take it off the heat.
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BLEND
Blend in the sauce pan with an immersion blender or transfer to a standard blender and blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides with a spatula, until fully combined and smooth. This might take a couple of minutes!
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CHILL
Transfer to a container and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
For a quicker chilling time, place the bowl containing your mixture in an ice bath (a larger bowl containing ice water) for a few hours. Stir the mixture occasionally. As the water in the ice bath warms up, pour off some water and add ice to keep the mixture chilling as quickly as possible.
Ideally, the mixture will be about 40 degrees when you churn it.
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CHURN
Before you start churning, set up everything you'll need to quickly transfer the ice cream from the machine into a container for freezing. I use a knife to scrape down the dasher (or paddle) and a wooden spoon to scoop out the ice cream.
Set up your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour your mixture into the ice cream maker and churn. In my machine the perfect churning time is 25 minutes, but your experience may vary.
The ice cream is finished churning when it looks like soft-serve and is pulling away from the sides of the canister.
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STORE
When the ice cream has finished churning, scoop it as quickly as possible into your storage container. Cover it with plastic wrap or parchment paper, if using. (Placing a sheet of parchment paper between the container and lid will help prevent frost, or you can press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream.) Put the container in the freezer. The ice cream will be fully firm in a few hours.
Note
You can use any unflavored, unsweetened protein powder you want. Whey, collagen, and egg white work the best. Vegan protein powders can work too, but sometimes create a chalky texture. Because different protein powders have different textures, the same volume of different powders may weigh different amounts. Weighing is the best method for ensuring you get the 65 grams the recipe calls for, but here are some estimates for using a cup measurement:
- 65 g collagen powder = 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
- 65 g whey protein = 1 scant cup
- 65 g egg white protein = 3/4 cup
- 65 g soy protein = 1 cup
- 65 g pea protein = 3/4 cup
Optional additions:
- 2-3 teaspoons of cocoa powder
- 1-2 teaspoons of instant coffee or espresso powder [affiliate link]
- Chocolate flakes (see the mint chocolate chip recipe for instructions)
Suggested toppings:
- Pretzels, plain or chocolate-covered
- Ginger snaps
- Graham crackers
- Chocolate sauce