Dandelion Ice Cream

5 from 1 vote

Rich, coffee flavored ice cream made from roasted dandelion roots and maple syrup. It tastes like espresso cookies and cream.

Prep Time30

Cook Time2

Churning Time1

Total Time3 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dandelion ice cream recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 456kcal

Author: Alan Bergo

Cost: 10

Equipment

1 quart sauce pot stainless steel
1 Whisk
1 wooden spoon
1 Ice cream machine ideally one with a compressor
1 mixing bowl

Ingredients

Dandelion Coffee

1 cup water
¼ cup dried dandelion root or chicory root
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Ice Cream Custard

½ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon organic corn syrup
2.5 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract I use my homemade white clover extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Harvest and Clean the Dandelion or Chicory Roots

Dig up dandelion or chicory roots before the plants flower in the Spring or Fall. Remove the crowns and greens for another purpose.
Scrub the roots in warm water with a scouring pad until very clean. Cut the roots into small pieces and wash again until the water runs clear.
Dehydrate the roots until bone dry. 145F in a dehydrator works, or you can leave them on a tray with a fan on them for a few days.
Alternately, buy dried dandelion or chicory roots online or from a local coop.

Dandelion Coffee

Roast the dandelion roots for an hour in a cast iron pan at 300 F. Cool and grind to a coarse powder.
Combine the ground roots, water, pinch of salt and vanilla, bring to a boil and reduce until ½ cup (4oz) remains. Transfer to a small mixing bowl.

Maple Custard

Add the maple syrup and corn syrup if using to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium and simmer until the mixture's thickened and you can see the bottom of the pot when it's stirred.
Add the dandelion coffee to the pot, then continue heating, stirring regularly, until the maple syrup softens and disperses through the mixture. Reserve the sweetened coffee and keep hot.
Whisk the eggs and cream well in the mixing bowl, then slowly add the hot root coffee-maple mixture, whisking constantly.
Transfer the custard back to the pot and cook on low heat, stirring regularly until thickened, about 1 hour, or between 170-175 F. Allow the custard to cool overnight for the best texture.

Finish The Ice Cream

Pour the ice cream base into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. It usually takes my machine 45-60 minutes.

Video

Notes

Corn Syrup

I completely understand some of you will have an aversion to corn syrup. I use organic corn syrup here, but trimoline can also be used. You can also skip it entirely, just make sure to use heavy cream. Trimoline, glucose and corn syrup are inverted sugars (technically maple is too but is weaker) and they help ensure a perfect emulsion.

Other Roots

Dandelion and chicory are only two of many different roots you can likely use to make a similar dessert. For inspiration, consider different things that were used as coffee substitutes over the years. Parsnips, burdock, or even barley and other roots like thistles could be used to make a wild root blend.

Nutrition