Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream

A sweet, utterly luscious rhubarb crumble ice cream with creme fraiche for a truly decadent summer dessert.

I’ve been dreaming about making a creme fraiche ice cream ever since I had some while away at cheese camp with Vermont Creamery. It was so smooth and creamy and probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever tasted. Seriously, you’ve never had ice cream so luscious and decadent before. I needed to make it at home.

I have two rhubarb plants. One is my baby. I’ve had it as long as I’ve had this blog and it’s one of the most consistent relationships I have outside of my relationship with my daughter. The second is newer. My first rhubarb is a green variety. It tastes the same as the red variety most people know, but it’s green. I wanted a red one to give that classic hue to my dishes. It takes a few years before you can harvest and this was my first year being able to do so. I decided to celebrate with a pretty pink ice cream. Because I love homey flavors, I folded in bits of crumble topping to give it a rhubarb crumble flavor. And because I can’t help myself, I added a touch of rose to the rhubarb crumble ice cream which adds a lightness and a bit of fun. It’s totally optional though. Don’t stress if you can’t get your hands on some rosewater.

The rhubarb crumble ice cream is sweet and homey and such a pretty color. I guess it kind of falls into that “millennial pink” category. Which isn’t actually a thing, but still, so pretty. I don’t know how this term ever became a thing, but I admit that I love the shades of pink that fall into that category. I even bought a purse that perfectly matches the rhubarb crumble ice cream.

If you are dying for ice cream, but don’t have an ice cream maker, not to worry, because you can make ice cream without an ice cream maker. To make the recipe, I use my rhubarb jam that I made for my lemon rhubarb macarons.

Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream

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Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

A velvety smooth rhubarb crumble ice cream that will make you welcome a hot summer day

Author: Amanda Powell

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: approx 2 quarts

Ingredients

Crumble

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup all purpose flour
⅓ cup old fashioned oats
⅓ cup brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt

Rhubarb Creme Fraiche Ice Cream

4 egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rosewater, optional
¾ cup rhubarb jam
1 cup creme fraiche

Instructions

Prepare your ice cream maker, if using. This may require you to chill your maker in the freezer overnight. If you don't have an ice cream maker, use my guide on making ice cream without an ice cream maker.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Mix together the ingredients for the crumble in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour and oats to form large crumbles.
Place the crumbles on the baking sheet and bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Place the yolks and half the sugar into a bowl and whisk together.
Make an ice bath that is heavy on the ice.
Add the remaining sugar, cream, milk, and salt together in a medium saucepan and mix. Heat until the mixture is steaming and gently simmering at the edges. Do not allow to boil.
Whisk the egg yolks vigorously as you slowly drizzle half the milk mixture into it. Begin to whisk the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan and drizzle the egg/milk mixture back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture in the saucepan until it begins to thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon when dipped into it. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla, rosewater, if using, and rhubarb jam. Place the saucepan in the ice bath, being careful not to allow any water into the custard mixture.
Once the mixture is cool, transfer the custard into a gallon freezer bag. Place in the refrigerator until it is completely chilled - at least four hours, preferably overnight.
Place the ice cream in your ice cream maker. This recipe makes a lot, so you may have to do it in batches for the best results. Make the ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions, drizzling in the creme fraiche as it churns. During the last minute of churning, add in the crumble. You may not use up all of it.
Pour the finished ice cream in air tight containers and freeze until solid - at least four hours.