An almond-flavored ice cream chock full of nutty pieces of chopped, toasted almonds, there is nothing quite like a scoop of Toasted Almond Ice Cream topped with dripping homemade caramel sauce and sprinkled with extra chopped almonds! Just like Fenton's!

If you love making homemade ice cream too, be sure to try some of our other favorite flavors like Caramel Oreo Fudge Ripple Ice CreamGraham Canyon Ice CreamBurnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream, and Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream.

Toasted almond ice cream being scooped out of a pan with an ice cream scoop.


Toasted Almond Ice Cream

Toasted Almond Ice Cream is the perfect ice cream for anyone who is nuts about nuts!

You know in the movie "Up" when Russell, the Wilderness Explorer who befriends his curmudgeonly old neighbor Carl, talks about getting ice cream at Fenton's with his dad? Well if you are from the California Bay Area, you are probably familiar with Fenton's which is an institution.

We LOVE going there for huge, amazing sundaes dripping with homemade caramel or hot fudge sauce and topped with extra cherries.

Everything is amazing there - the black & tan sundae, the banana splits, the hot fudge brownie sundae.

But my most favorite thing to get at Fenton's is a simple little bowl of toasted almond ice cream topped with caramel and extra chopped toasted almonds.

But since we can't always trek over to Oakland to get our ice cream fix, and I love making ice cream at home anyway.

Enter this wonderful recipe for toasted almond ice cream that you can make in your own kitchen. Yes, please!

I love the process of making the ice cream custard - mixing the cream and milk and sugar and heating it to temper the egg yolks for a perfectly creamy base.

It smells amazing, especially when you have the scent of almonds toasting in the oven at the same time. The hardest part about making toasted almond ice cream at home is waiting for the custard base to cool completely before churning (it takes at least 4 hours in the fridge to get it really cold before pouring the base into your ice cream maker).

But oh is it worth the wait.

Homemade toasted almond ice cream in a freezer-safe pan on a yellow checkered mat.

This is cold and sweet and full of almond flavor from almond extract and chopped toasted almonds. The mouthfeel of the ice cream is superb - it's smooth, not grainy or icy, and studded with chopped nuts.

Golly, I'm geeking out over here but for reals, this ice cream is the best! And eating it while everything else around you (not just the ice cream) is melting from the July heat is practically a transcendent experience.

A scoop of toasted almond ice cream.

Need more ice cream recipes? These are the best!

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Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.

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Toasted Almond Ice Cream

4.94 from 29 votes
Amy Nash
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
An almond-flavored ice cream chock full of nutty pieces of chopped, toasted almonds, there is nothing quite like a scoop of toasted almond ice cream topped with dripping homemade caramel sauce and sprinkled with extra chopped almonds! Just like Fenton's!

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 ¾ cups whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • â…“ cup crushed roasted almonds

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast 10-15 minutes, until fragrant and toasted, but be careful not to burn them. Let cool, then chop into small pieces and set aside.
  • In a medium sauce pan, mix the sugar, milk, half of the cream and pinch of salt and heat over medium heat just until the edges start to bubble and steam. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins steaming and bubbling around the edges. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and set aside.
  • When milk mixture is steaming and bubbling around the edges, remove 1 cup of it and slowly drizzle the hot milk mixture into the beaten yolks while whisking continuously, to temper the eggs. Make sure not to scramble the eggs by adding all the hot liquid too fast. Add remaining milk mixture and stir to combine into a thin custard. Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and continue cooking until it starts to coats the back of a wooden spoon (between 170 and 175 on a candy thermometer (affiliate link)) - typically only 1-2 minutes.
  • Pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream into a medium bowl, then add the warm custard by first pouring through a clean mesh strainer into remaining heavy cream and stirring to combine. Add vanilla and almond extract, then cover and cool completely in the refrigerator (4-6 hours or overnight) before churning.
  • Once the custard base is thoroughly chilled, pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream is about halfway churned, add in the chopped roasted almonds and allow the ice cream to continue to churn until it is done. My ice cream maker only takes about 20 minutes to reach a soft serve stage. Pour churned soft-serve ice cream into a freezer-safe container, cover and place in a freezer to cure for at least 4-6 hours so the ice cream can harden all the way through.

Notes

  • Storage: Store your ice cream covered with plastic wrap in the freezer for 2-3 weeks to prevent ice crystals from forming on the top.
  • Topping: Try topping your toasted almond ice cream with homemade hot fudge or caramel sauce for a delicious ice cream sundae!
  • Ice cream maker: This recipe was tested using a Cuisinart 1 ½ quart ice cream maker. If you have a larger capacity ice cream maker, go ahead and double the batch!

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 727IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!

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About the author

Hi, I'm Amy

I enjoy exploring the world through food, culture, and travel and sharing the adventure with mostly from-scratch, family friendly recipes that I think of as modern comfort cooking.

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Reader questions and reviews

  1. 5 stars
    We LOVE Fentons! I make a point to go every time I visit home. My favorite is a scoop of Swiss Milk Chocolate topped with caramel. The caramel sauce is to die for. I always buy a pint to take back to Idaho with me but its just not the same with out Fentons ice cream to go with it. I'll have to give this recipe a try and top it with the the caramel I have in my fridge right now.

    1. Oh I am right there with you about their caramel! It is something I really want to figure out how to make at home because it is so, so good. I have tried caramel sauce a few different times but haven't come anywhere close to the amazingness of Fenton's.

  2. 5 stars
    This looks so creamy, I love ice cream. I really love it in the winter sitting on the sofa, when I've got my hot water bottle and lots of blankets to keep me warm. Good thing its winter her 🙂 I should give this ago.

    1. We definitely eat ice cream year round too! It's been so hot here that cold weather sounds heavenly right about now!

  3. 5 stars
    This ice cream was so deliciious! It does taste like Fenton's. I was skeptical, but it delivered. I put in twice the almond extract and 1 1/2 times the vanilla because the custard seemed a little bland, and it tastes spot-on. I had Fenton's a week ago, so it's fresh in my memory. Thank you!!!!!

  4. 5 stars
    made this tonight in my Breville. Can't wait to surprise hubby with it for dessert tomorrow. It's his all time favorite ice cream!

  5. Perfect timing, it is still very hot here in the South of France and my ice-cream machine is still at hand. Making custard when the almonds are toasting in the oven,,,that is too tempting, cannot wait any longer!

  6. 5 stars
    Even though I am 70, I have only made ICE CREAM 3x. I just got my machine.
    First batch,, a mix, no cream.....ice milk,
    2nd time was your strawberry recipe, I added mini choc chips,
    it was ok,, strawberries, a little too tart.
    O.K. Amy, we have a winner here.
    The last time I had Toasted Almond was , had to be,
    well over 5 years ago. I used to get it from Dryers, here in So. Cal.
    Discontinued now.
    So last week I purchased a Rival Ice Cream Maker,
    I used your exact recipe, and yes, I, have made
    THE BEST TOASTED ALMOND ICE CREAM ,
    that I have ever tasted.
    Melting Toased Almond was always my favorite.
    If I could give more stars I would.

    1. Fred, thank you so much for your comment. It absolutely melts my heart and makes my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed this and shared your experience!

  7. Thank you!  This is recipe is such a gift.  Fenton’s was right between my elementary school and my house.  I live on the east coast now and so miss Black and Tans.  You can order the sauce but not the ice cream.  If you can now just teach me the trick for that super rich whipped cream.  It always left a layer of fat in your mouth.  Joy.  

  8. I can't wait to try this recipe! I have never commented on a post before but the toasted almond ice cream from Fenton's is my literal favorite and I'm freaking out over here. This is going to be delicious!! Thanks!

  9. 5 stars
    Thank you! Did you know that Fenton's is charging $18.50 for a Black & Tan - even after we stand in line for nearly an hour outside in "beautiful" Oakland or Vacaville?
    My wife, who has been a Fenton's Fanatic for 50 years says your recipe is great!