Featured Comment:
“I made this about a month ago… and it was BEYOND fantastic. You’ve made me something of a living legend in a family and extended family of die hard rhubarb devotees. They are demanding I make it again for 4th of July. And of course I will… with GREAT PLEASURE.” ~Cleareyed
Rhubarb Ice Cream is a throwback to simpler times when you made your own frozen treats every summer with ingredients you grew yourself. But even if you don’t have a backyard patch or a rhubarb-sharing neighbor, grab a few stalks from the produce aisle, this is too good to miss!
Rhubarb makes a fabulous ice cream flavor
Rhubarb is famously tangy, and that actually helps the flavor shine through in this creamy rubarb ice cream (you can taste a similar effect in my fresh lemon ice cream). The perfect soft pink color comes from several stalks of rhubarb sliced and cooked down into a thick compote, it takes just a few minutes on the stove. After chilling I fold into a classic vanilla custard ice cream base. It churns up into the prettiest summer ice cream you’ve ever seen. Oh, and definitely steal a taste while it’s churning, that’s one of the best perks of making your own.
rhubarb ice cream recipe starts with fresh rhubarb…
- RHUBARB
- It’s actually a vegetable, but we tend to use it as a fruit in cooking. You can see it looks like celery, even though the two aren’t related at all. You can eat the stalks raw, but they’re suuuuuper tart (not recommended,) so most of the time we cook it with sugar and make it into amazing desserts. Rhubarb’s a hardy perennial that grows almost like a weed in many parts of the country, so you might well have some growing nearby. Note: You can use red, pink, or green rhubarb in this recipe, it won’t matter for the flavor, but the darker your rhubarb, the prettier your ice cream will be.
- MILK AND CREAM
- the combination produces the best ice cream texture.
- EGGS
- this is a custard based ice cream recipe, and the eggs provide a rich texture and flavor to the finished product.
- SUGAR
- a little is necessary to counter the tart rhubarb. Feel free to use a substitute of your choice.
- LEMON JUICE
- this reinforces that famous rhubarb twang we love!
- VANILLA
- use extract, vanilla bean paste, or the seeds of a vanilla bean.
How to make old fashioned rhubarb ice cream
- It starts with cooking the rhubarb. Why do I cook it? Because cooking it down enhances flavor and reduces the moisture in the fruit. Water is the enemy when it comes to ice cream because water creates ice crystals when it freezes.
- Next make a custard base with eggs, sugar, milk, and heavy cream. This makes the ice cream extra rich and creamy. And don’t stress about cooking up a custard, you’ll give it a quick strain through a sieve so we’ll catch any stray ‘scrambled’ eggs!
- Chill both mixtures until cold. I often do this the day before. Your ice cream base needs to be perfectly cold before adding it to your ice cream machine or it won’t churn as well.
- Churn the ice cream in your machine. Mine takes under 20 minutes.
- Spread the soft rhubarb ice cream into a freezer container and freeze until scoop-able.
tips for making homemade rhubarb ice cream
Chill ingredients: after making the ice cream base, make sure to chill it thoroughly. Chilled ingredients help achieve a smoother texture and faster freezing.
Freeze the ice cream bowl: If you’re using an ice cream maker with a removable bowl, make sure to freeze the bowl according to the manufacturer’s instructions before using it. A cold bowl will freeze the mixture more efficiently.
Churn properly: Follow the instructions of your ice cream maker to churn the mixture correctly. Churning incorporates air into the base, creating a creamy texture. Be patient and allow the machine to do its job, usually taking around 20-30 minutes.
Add mix-ins: If you want to include mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or fruit pieces, add them during the last few minutes of churning. This ensures they are evenly distributed throughout the ice cream.
Freeze for additional firmness: After churning, the ice cream will typically be in a soft-serve consistency. For a firmer texture, transfer the ice cream to a lidded container and freeze it for a few hours or overnight.
Freeze at the right temperature: Set your freezer to a slightly higher temperature (around -10°C/14°F) to prevent the ice cream from freezing too hard. Avoid storing the ice cream near the freezer’s coldest areas, such as the back or the bottom.
Thaw before serving: If your rhubarb ice cream does become too hard after freezing, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for a few minutes before serving. This will help soften it slightly and make it easier to scoop.
it’s rhubarb mania here in the Great Island kitchen
- Rhubarb Scones
- Rhubarb Applesauce
- Forgotten Rhubarb Recipes
- Rhubarb Shortbread Crumble Tart
- Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Jelly
- Norwegian Rhubarb and Almond Cake
- Rhubarb Shortcake
Rhubarb Ice Cream
Equipment
- an ice cream maker this is the one I use and love
Ingredients
compote
- 13 ounces chopped rhubarb, (about 4 cups)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more, to taste
custard
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or vanilla bean "caviar"
Instructions
- Stir together the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, and a splash of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until some of the liquid has evaporated and the rhubarb is thick and soft. Be careful not to let it scorch on the bottom of your pan.
- Let the compote cool slightly then puree in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Chill until cold.
- Meanwhile make the custard. Whisk the egg, yolks, sugar, and milk, making sure to break up the eggs completely. Heat the cream in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan until it starts to steam and gets little bubbles around the edge. Drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the whole thing back into the pan and heat on medium, stirring constantly, until the mixture just starts to thicken. Do not bring it to a boil.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill until cold.
- Mix the cold rhubarb with the cold custard sauce and thoroughly blend. Pour into your ice cream maker and churn according to the instructions. Spread the soft ice cream into a container and freeze until scoopable.
Notes
Nutrition
Absolutely fabulous! My first time making ice cream and it was delicious!
I am so pleased I have recently subscribed to your newsletter. Sue, you are just what I have been searching for. You are bookmarked on my tablet as my all time source of wonderful recipes.I am so excited to have discovered you.I look forward to working my way through the recipes ?
Welcome in Alison ~ I’m excited to have you here with us! You chose such a fun recipe for your first ice cream 🙂
Hi Sue! This recipe comes at such a good time and I never have heard of rhubarb ice cream before! How can that be? So I have the same ice cream maker and I do love it. I just finished a batch of rose water,cardamom ice cream that was delicious and I had never made that particular flavour before but I know you would love it since it has that lovely cardamom in it.
So I have this beautiful rhubarb and I made 2 huge banana rhubarb loaves yesterday and today thought i will make strawberry rhubarb pie, but it still would not use all the rhubarb! Until I cam across this recipe. Now I know it was meant to be. I cannot express how much I am looking forward to trying this ice cream!
You sound like a true rhubarb fanatic, love that Carol!
I will make this after I purchase the ice cream maker you like which is in my Amazon cart (you’re welcome!) Everything I’ve made from your recipes has been delicious so no doubt about this. I’ve never made Ice cream before and I love rhubarb. My question is what containers to use for
Storage? Thanks
For your time.
Donnamarie I can’t recommend the ice cream machine enough, it’s a life changer. Such fun when it’s hot out, and you can get so creative with easy ice cream recipes. Healthy ones too 🙂
I recommend getting yourself a plastic storage tub for ice cream that’s long and thin, like a loaf pan. It makes chilling quicker and scooping easier. I always use a loaf pan, but I’ve been meaning to purchase one specifically for ice cream.
I made this about a month ago… and it was BEYOND fantastic. You’ve made me something of a living legend in a family and extended family of die hard rhubarb devotees. They are demanding I make it again for 4th of July. And of course I will… with GREAT PLEASURE. I have your website on “speed dial” any time there is a holiday or important dinner party brewing… I go to see “The Wise Old Man On the Mountain” (a.k.a. Sue Moran at View from Great Island for wisdom and recipe ideas and tips! I thank you again and again and again.
Haha, I’m saving this comment to cheer me up when I’m feeling a bit down 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. I’m buying rhubarb this year as my patch failed due to no water when I was ill last year, but that won’t stop me from enjoying rhubarb treats
What a shame, but I think rhubarb is pretty resilient ~ hopefully it will come back this year 🙂
Delicious! I made it with last year’s rhubarb that was still in my freezer. My rhubarb is mostly green but it still gave a beautiful sweet ice cream. Will make it again!
This is fantastic! Recipe was easy to follow, I really appreciate having the weights listed for things like rhubarb, since it really depends how you chop it, etc. I used the ice-cream attachment for my KitchenAid mixer, and it churned up great in about 15 minutes. A tiny bit much for the bowl, it climbed the paddles a bit, but not to a problematic degree. I served it with some ginger oat cookies and my husband thought it might be the most delicious ice-cream he’s ever tasted!
We love it too, Chelsea 🙂 And glad it worked in your KitchenAid!
Sounds yummy! About how long does it take to chill before freezing? And how long should it freeze after churning before I serve it?
Plan on several hours for the hot custard to chill. And ice cream can be eaten right away after churning, but it will be like soft serve consistency. It is scoop-able after several hours in the freezer.
Utterly delicious!
This is absolutely delicious. We made ice cream sandwiches with this and some oat shortbread cookies and it was like eating a frozen rhubarb pie.