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4.91 from 10 votes

Coconut Macadamia Nut Ice Cream

If you love Hawaii and ice cream, then you are probably going to fall head over heels for this easy Coconut Macadamia Nut Ice Cream recipe.  This creamy, easy ice cream has buttery macadamia nut flavor and there are chunks of chopped nuts in each bite.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Additional Time5 hours
Total Time5 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 545kcal
Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 2 teaspoons additional cornstarch
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, softened (4 Tablespoons)
  • 1 cup roasted and unsalted macadamia nuts, finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 ⅔ cups coconut milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch to make a slurry. In a separate large bowl, mash the softened cream cheese with a spoon until smooth.
  • In a medium saucepan, add the chopped macadamia nuts and butter, cooking and stirring over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the butter has melted and the macadamia nuts are a light golden brown. Be careful not to burn. Transfer to a separate bowl.
  • In the same saucepan, add the milk, coconut milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, and salt, then bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
  • Return the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute, until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
  • Slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the cream cheese, whisking until smooth, then cool completely. You can speed up the process by transfer the mixture to a gallon size Ziploc freezer bag and submerging it in an ice bath, adding more ice as needed, until cold. This only takes about 30 minutes. If chilling the mixture in the fridge though, plan on at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
  • Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn until thick, about 20-30 minutes. Add the chopped macadamia nuts right at the end, then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for at least 4 hours until the ice cream is firm.

Notes

  • I find the easiest way to chop macadamia nuts is by using the food processor. Just pulse them a few times, taking care not to process them too much or it will turn into macadamia nut butter.
  • Yield: Makes approximately 1.5 quarts or roughly eight ½-cup servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 888IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg