Brown Butter and Peanut Brittle Ice Cream

From the kitchen of Carly

Brown butter gives this ice cream a deep, nutty richness that plays beautifully against shards of crunchy peanut brittle. The custard base is silky and indulgent, turning each spoonful into something genuinely craveable rather than just another frozen dessert.

Brown Butter and Peanut Brittle Ice Cream

Brown butter is a cheat code for ice cream. The nutty, toasted depth it brings to a custard base transforms something already rich into genuinely craveable. Fold in chunks of peanut brittle during the churn and you get texture contrast, that snap against the creamy base. Tempering the egg yolks properly (and hitting 178°F) keeps everything silky without scrambling.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 6 tbspunsalted butter
  • 2 cupheavy whipping cream
  • 1 cupwhole milk
  • 6 largeegg yolks
  • 1/3 cupsugar
  • 1/3 cupdark brown sugar
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 3/4 tspvanilla extract
  • 2/3 cupcoarsely chopped peanut brittle

Instructions

  1. Set a small skillet over medium-low heat and melt the butter, stirring occasionally, until it deepens to a dark amber, about 6 minutes. Watch it closely so it doesn't tip into burnt. Pour the brown butter through a fine strainer into a small bowl and set aside. In a large saucepan, bring the cream and milk up to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, both sugars, and salt in a large bowl until the mixture is thick and well blended, then whisk in the brown butter. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture in a steady stream, whisking constantly, then return everything to the saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 178°F, about 5 minutes. Strain the custard into a large bowl, then nestle that bowl over a larger bowl of ice water and stir until the custard is completely cold. Stir in the vanilla.

  2. Churn the custard in your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. In the last 1 minute of churning, add the chopped peanut brittle. Scrape the finished ice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Strain the brown butter through a fine mesh or cheesecloth to catch the solids. You want the pure, clear fat, not the milky residue at the bottom of the pan.
  • Don't skip the ice bath. Chilling the custard completely before churning makes the texture smoother and the ice cream scoop-able straight from the freezer.
  • Add peanut brittle pieces in the final minute so they stay crunchy instead of softening into the custard. If your brittle is large, chop it fine.

Variations

  • Use almond brittle or cashew brittle instead, swapping the nut entirely for a different but equally satisfying crunch.
  • Skip the brittle and fold in salted pretzel pieces instead for a sweet-salty contrast.
  • Brown the butter to the edge of burning for deeper, almost smoky flavor, but pull it off heat immediately before it actually blackens.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps frozen for up to 2 days. Let it soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping for the best texture.