133 ice cream base recipes

Pecan angel pie folds toasty pecans and graham cracker crumbs into stiff meringue, then bakes into a chewy-crisp dessert topped with whipped cream or ice cream. No flour, no fat in the base, just nuts and crumbs holding sweet meringue together.

Creamy coffee punch with vanilla ice cream floats, sweetened coffee-milk base, whipped cream, and freshly grated nutmeg. A Southern-style punch bowl dessert drink for parties.

Tipsy chocolate pecan crunch ice cream with homemade chocolate-caramel coated pecans, dark rum custard base, and real heavy cream. A boozy, crunchy, from-scratch frozen indulgence.

Friendship fruit starter ferments pineapple, peaches, apricots, and cherries in brandy and sugar for three weeks. A boozy heirloom base for cakes, ice cream, or gifting.

Fig ice cream made from fresh figs cooked into a puree and folded into a rich egg custard base with heavy cream, vanilla, and a splash of Cognac. A unique, honey-sweet frozen dessert.

Homemade chocolate ice cream spiked with whiskey-soaked raisins. Eight egg yolks and heavy cream create an ultra-creamy custard base loaded with melted chocolate and boozy fruit.

Rocky road frosting with chocolate, miniature marshmallows, and salted peanuts folded into a buttercream base. The classic ice cream flavor turned into a chunky cake topping.

Iced maple cream parfait with fresh summer berries in warm raspberry jam. A silky no-churn frozen sabayon made with pure maple syrup, served over a juicy berry base.

Cashew nut cookies with brown sugar, sour cream, and a buttery vanilla icing topped with whole cashews. Soft drop cookies with a caramel-like depth from the brown sugar base.

Pistachio kulfi pops made the traditional Indian way: whole milk slowly reduced to a concentrated, caramelized base, then frozen with chopped pistachios. No ice cream maker required.

Simple frozen dessert made with ice cream and a splash of sherry, frozen in a tray. A no-bake, 2-ingredient base you can customize with nuts, chocolate, or fruit.

Cardamom kulfi pops made the traditional Indian way, whole milk reduced down to a thick, caramelized base with ground cardamom, then frozen into creamy cones or popsicles. No ice cream maker needed.

Peach caramel crisp: ripe peaches baked over a hardened caramel base and crowned with ground almond praline streusel, served warm with vanilla ice cream. Summer fruit dessert elevated with French patisserie technique.

Homemade chocolate Irish cream with whiskey, rum, creme de cacao, sweetened condensed milk, and a touch of chocolate syrup. A blender-based copycat of Bailey's that costs less and tastes richer. Serve over crushed ice.

De Luxe rennet custard, an old-fashioned milk-based pudding set with rennet and dressed up with cranberry sauce, toasted coconut, orange segments, raspberries, walnuts, and pineapple. A vintage dessert that tastes like an ice cream sundae, minus the freezer.

Fried Mexican ice cream coats frozen ice cream balls in cinnamon-sugar cornflake crumbs, then flash-fries for a crunchy hot shell over cold creamy center. Restaurant-style dessert at home.