Figs might seem like an unusual choice for ice cream, but this recipe for Fresh Fig Ice Cream will quickly make you a devoted fan!
Fresh Fig Ice Cream
I know that figs are an iffy fruit for some people. They are for me too. There are a few exceptions. I love my caramel fig bread made with dried figs, and my baked brie with fig jam is pretty droolworthy too. And in the fresh fig department, I’ll have a fig old fashioned with my chicken paillard with fresh fig salad any day of the week.
Fresh figs have a distinct, sweet flavor with subtle floral notes. When incorporated into ice cream, this flavor profile shines through, offering a unique taste experience that is different from typical fruit-based ice creams.
🛒 Ingredients Needed:
- fresh figs
- water
- granulated white sugar
- heavy whipping cream
- half and half cream
- whole vanilla bean
✏️ How to make Fresh Fig Ice Cream:
*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.
- Cut off stem ends of the figs, and then cut each fig into 8 pieces. Put the figs in a medium saucepan with the water. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until the figs are tender. Remove the lid, add the sugar and continue to cook until it reaches a jam like consistency, stirring often. This could take about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour into a bowl and stir in the cream, half and half and vanilla bean seeds. Cover and chill until very cold (overnight is preferable).
- Process in your ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop into a freezer safe container and freeze until firm.
➡️ Tips and Substitutions:
- You can use dried figs in place of fresh figs in this recipe. Since dried figs have a more concentrated flavor, use 10 dried figs for the ice cream instead of 20. In a bowl, cover chopped dried figs with hot water and let them soak for about 30 minutes to soften. Drain the figs before using.
- Fresh figs are in season in the late summer through fall months in the USA.
- Make a milkshake out of this fresh fig ice cream by combining scoops of fig ice cream in a blender jar with some milk. It’s delicious!
✔️ Make Ahead Tips:
Transfer churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, smoothing the top with a spatula. Cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm.
Remove the fig ice cream from the freezer a few minutes before serving to soften slightly. Scoop into bowls or cones and enjoy!
❤️ What I Love About This Recipe:
- I have tried fig milkshakes and date milkshakes at a farm once, and they were fabulous… so I knew this homemade fig ice cream recipe would be good too.
- It’s creamy and flavorful, and it’s not too high in sugar. The figs provide extra sweetness!
- I’ve used this ice cream to create ice cream sandwiches with white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. So good!
Favorite Ice Cream Recipes:
Fresh Fig Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (about 20) fresh figs
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup half and half cream
- 1 whole vanilla bean, scraped
Instructions
- Cut off stem ends of the figs, and then cut each fig into 8 pieces. Put the figs in a medium saucepan with the water. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until the figs are tender. Remove the lid, add the sugar and continue to cook until it reaches a jam like consistency, stirring often. This could take about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour into a bowl and stir in the cream, half and half and vanilla bean seeds. Cover and chill until very cold (overnight is preferable).
- Process in your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. Scoop into a freezer safe container and freeze until firm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
