Why isn't Cantaloupe ice cream a mainstream thing already? The reaction from people when I mention it is pure excitement. Their ears and eyes light up with interest.
There are two distinct methods for making Cantaloupe ice cream. One method involves using a blender and freezing the mixture. The second method utilizes the classic French technique called Crème Anglaise.
The recipe takes about 15 minutes, then 3 to 4 hours in the freezer to become ice cream.
⬇️ Table of Contents
👪 Why This Recipe Works
It's simple. 4 ingredients. Two Methods
- First method is like making a Granita, a semi-frozen dessert made with sugar, water, cream, and other flavorings.
- Second method, my favorite, is making real cantaloupe ice cream. We cover the key to success, which is tempering the eggs. So easy. Use a temperature probe to check the exact temperatures. We'll get to that in a minute.
🥘 Ingredients
- Ripe Cantaloupe
- Three Egg Yolks 🥚
- Fine White Sugar
- Heavy Cream of Half & Half
I like adding in salt as well 🧂
📖 Variations
Eggs:
Replace the eggs with one of the following:
- Chia Seeds: Use 1 tablespoon per egg replacement. Chia seeds act as a binder, creating a thicker texture similar to eggs in baked goods.
- Mashed Bananas: Use ¼ cup per egg replacement.
- Avocado: Use ¼ cup per egg replacement.
- Nut Butter: Use 3 tablespoons (60 grams) per egg replacement.
Heavy Cream:
Replace heavy cream with one of the following:
- Yogurt
- Soy Milk: To substitute 1 cup (237 ml) of heavy cream, combine ⅔ cup (159 ml) of soy milk with ⅓ cup (79 ml) of olive oil.
- Silken Tofu: Mix with soy milk to achieve the creamy consistency for good ice cream.
Sugar:
replace sugar with one of the following:
- Honey
- Stevia
- Coconut Sugar
- Banana Puree
- Brown Rice Syrup
- Splenda
Instructions
I'll show you how to make cantaloupe ice cream in an easy and classic way.
Remove the Cantaloupe from the Rind
- Cut the cantaloupe in half.
- Check the cantaloupe for ripeness by making an impression.
- Remove the seeds (refer to photos 2 & 3).
- Refer to photo 4 for the depth to remove the cantaloupe and the quantity provided by one cantaloupe.
🍨 How To Make An Ice Cream Base
- Add 2 cups of heavy cream to a pot over medium heat.
- Add ½ cup of white sugar.
- Bring the heat to just below boiling, around 180 degrees, to melt the sugar.
🥚 How To Temper Egg Yolks
- Remove ⅓ of the base liquid into a side bowl and allow it to cool down to 140 degrees.
- Mix in 3 egg yolks into the side bowl.
- Stir together until well combined.
- Pour the mixture back into the main pot with the heat off (once at 140 degrees).
- Keep stirring the ice cream base, which will continue to thicken.
💭 Faqs
Yes, the rule of thumb is you'll need to increase the amount of sugar. Cantaloupe that has had time to ripen off the vine will provide a sweeter melon/cantaloupe
The oldest trick in the book is to thump the melon/cantaloupe with your middle finger. Flick it and listen for a deep thud. That's the one you want.
Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Honeydew Melon, Avocados Dragon Fruit, Peaches.
Each state has a different growing season for cantaloupe. Here's a link to check when your area is in season
📖 Recipe
Cantaloupe Ice Cream Recipe
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ripe Cantaloupe Melon / best to buy 3 to 4 days before using for max sweetness
- ½ cup White Table Sugar
- 2 cups Heavy Cream / Half & Half will work
- 3 Egg Yolks / do not use the egg whites making ice cream
Instructions
Making Cantaloupe Ice Cream
- Prep the cantaloupe. For best results allow the cantaloupe to ripen (denature) on the counter for 3 to 4 days.
- Cut the cantaloupe in half through the middle. Remove the cantaloupe pulp from the rind of the cantaloupe.
- Add the cantaloupe to a blender or food processor and blend into a puree and set it aside.
- Place a medium-sized pot on the stovetop and add the heavy cream and sugar, bring to a soft simmer over medium heat. Around 180 degrees. Just hot enough you'll begin to see bubbles breaking the top surface of the heavy cream.
- Once to temperature, add the sugar. Stir to melt the sugar. Once melted turn off the heat.
Tempering the Eggs
- Tempering eggs is the technique of incorporating egg into a hot liquid to avoid scrambling the eggs.Using a bowl that is room temperature. Ladle in a ⅓ of the hot heavy cream.Allow to cool down to a temperature around 140 degrees. I suggest using a temperature probe.
- After heavy cream and sugar are cooler, add in 3 egg yolks at once and whisk together quickly.
- Pour the tempered eggs into the larger pot with the heavy cream and sugar.Whisk together very quickly with the heat off.
Finishing Setups
- If using an ice cream maker, be sure to place the machine freezing base into the freezer for a few hours before making ice cream.
- Pour the ice cream into the machine and turn it on, following the machine instructions. Ice cream will take a few hours in the freezer to set up.
Cantaloupe Granita
- Using a blender or food processor add in the cantaloupe and pulse a few times.
- Add the heavy cream and sugar, plus a teaspoon of salt. Add more salt if desired
- Blend everything together until smooth.
- Pour the cantaloupe granita base into an ice cream maker or simply use a large bowl.Place into the freezer for 4 plus hours to set up / freeze.
Video
Notes
- Older cantaloupe will be sweeter than freshly picked
- See above for a list of alterations and substitutes ingredients
- Use a little bit less sugar when making cantaloupe granita
- Substituting different fruits using the same recipe and technique works perfectly
- Find out when cantaloupe is in season in your state
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Gail Marie says
What a yummy recipe! I've had a lot of homemade Ice Cream in my past and have used a lot of different fruits in it, but never cantaloupe! This sounds amazing and makes a really pretty dish. Thank you Chef for sharing this.
Steven Pennington says
Hi Gail, This recipe has turned out to be a big hit. I love sharing it with guests. In the latest batch, I skipped the salt since the cantaloupe was so sweet on its own. Enjoy!