Simple Rhubarb Honey Ice Cream – Easy No-Cook Recipe
Rhubarb season is truly a highlight, and what better way to celebrate it than with homemade rhubarb honey ice cream? Utilizing fresh or frozen rhubarb, this recipe creates an ice cream that is creamy, tart, and just the right amount of sweet.
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If you’ve been here before, you know that I can’t get enough of rhubarb. This rhubarb honey ice cream takes things to another level. It’s easy to prepare, easy to put together, and easy to enjoy and share with friends.
It’s smooth and utterly delightful. With a reliable ice cream maker, you can whip up this rhubarb honey soft serve ice cream in less than an hour! This is the perfect treat for anyone looking to enjoy a quick and delicious homemade ice cream that combines the unique flavours of rhubarb with the natural sweetness of honey.
Why You’ll Love This Rhubarb Honey Ice Cream
- Low-sugar and free of refined sugar
- No-cook and easy to make
- High in good quality animal fats
- Pairs perfectly with berry rhubarb crumble or apple and rhubarb crumble bars
Health Benefits of Rhubarb
Rhubarb isn’t typically used for any medicinal purposes but I think all whole-foods have some health benefits and it’s interesting to me to know what they are.
Rhubarb is a good source of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and manganese, which support bone health, immune function, and blood clotting.
It is high in dietary fibre, aiding digestion and promoting regular bowel movements. Its antioxidants help protect cells from damage and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The fibre content in rhubarb can help lower cholesterol levels and regulate blood pressure, supporting cardiovascular health.
Rhubarb is low calorie and has high fibre content making it a filling food that supports the microbiome. With its natural anti-inflammatory properties and potential liver-protective effects, rhubarb contributes to overall wellness.
What Kind of Ice Cream Maker Should I Use?
For this recipe, I’m using a vintage manual ice cream maker I found at the thrift store for $8. There is a newer version of our manual ice cream maker but it’s pricey, we lucked out.
I prefer a manual ice cream maker because I like using things that don’t require a plug or batteries. Manual means there are fewer things to break, replace, or burn out. The insert needs to be frozen solid but other than that, your arms do the work.
How To Make Without an Ice Cream Maker
Before I found the amazing manual ice cream maker, I was making ice cream by hand. It took longer and turned out icy when fully frozen but it works! All you have to do is make your mix and place it in your freezer-friendly dish. After about 2 hours, fold in the frozen edges every hour until soft serve is made. If you prepare it in the morning, it should be done by the evening for dessert!
How Long Does it Store in the Freezer?
This ice cream will store well in the freezer for 2-3 months. However, it probably won’t last that long as it tastes the best the first few days.
Materials You’ll Need
Ice Cream Maker: You can use manual or electric, just make sure the insert is fully frozen. Ignore if you plan on mixing it by hand.
Medium Mixing Bowl: To mix your ingredients in.
Whisk: The whisk together your ingredients.
Freezer-friendly Container: To store your ice cream in, it should be large enough to hold 1 quart. Opt for a wide and shallow dish – glass, plastic, or stainless steal will work. A tall and narrow container will work but it will take longer to freeze and will freeze less evenly. I like stainless steel for ice cream but glass would be my second option, it just takes a bit longer.
Silicone Spatula: For mixing stewed rhubarb and for scooping out the soft ice cream from the maker.
Small Saucepan: For stewing your rhubarb.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Milk: Any kind of milk. The higher the fat content the softer the ice cream.
Heavy Cream: That good ol’ 35% fat kind of heavy cream.
Egg Yolks: We won’t be cooking the mixture so the highest quality egg yolks you can get your hands on. I’ll be using the egg yolks from our chickens. You can use whole eggs but using only egg yolks increases the fat ratio, making a smoother end product. I was using whole eggs but it freezes harder and icier.
Honey: The smoothest honey you can afford.
Vanilla: You can use a splash of vanilla or half a vanilla bean for hella depth of flavour.
Salt: A bit of sea salt to bring everything together.
Nutmeg: A secret ingredient that highlights and pairs perfectly with the rhubarb.
Rhubarb: Chopped rhubarb, either fresh or frozen will work fine for stewing.
How To Make Rhubarb Honey Ice Cream
Prep: Ensure the ice cream maker insert has been frozen for at least 24 hours.
Stew the Rhubarb: Simmer 2-3 cups of chopped rhubarb in a saucepan over low-medium heat until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
Mix the Base: Whisk together egg yolks and soft honey in a bowl. Add milk, heavy cream, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt, mixing until smooth.
Churn: Set up your ice cream maker with the frozen insert. Pour the mixture in and churn to your desired consistency.
Combine: Scoop the ice cream out of the ice cream maker into your dish for freezing. Fold the cooled rhubarb into the churned ice cream for a marbled effect. Enjoy immediately as soft serve or freeze in a covered container for firmer ice cream.
Enjoy!
Notes
If using fresh rhubarb, add 1-2 tbsp of water to your pan to add steam. This will speed up the process and make a smooth product. If using frozen, the moisture held in the rhubarb will melt and provide steam. I don’t add anything extra but you can add 1 tbsp of sugar to cut the tartness if you wish.
My technique for churning was to leave it for 1-2 minutes at the beginning to freeze the outsides and then churn steadily for a couple minutes with a short 1-2 minute break in between churns. The process could take 20-30 minutes to achieve desired consistency. We stopped at the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
If you make this recipe early morning or late afternoon, you’ll have the perfect consistency for ice cream in time for dessert after dinner.
Homemade ice cream can freeze harder than ice cream from the store because it doesn’t have all those anti-freeze chemicals in it. To make scooping easier after its been fully frozen, pull 10 minutes before you want to serve to let it soften up a bit.
Watch The Magic Happen
Rhubarb Honey Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 75 g Honey
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1 + 1/2 Cups Milk 360g
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream 420g
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 2-3 Cups Chopped Rhubarb fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Prep: Ensure the ice cream maker insert has been frozen for at least 24 hours.
- Stew the Rhubarb: Simmer 2-3 cups of chopped rhubarb in a saucepan over low-medium heat until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
- Mix the Base: Whisk together egg yolks and honey in a bowl. Add milk, heavy cream, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt, mixing until smooth.
- Churn: Set up your ice cream maker with the frozen insert. Pour the mixture in and churn to your desired consistency.
- Combine: Scoop the ice cream out of the ice cream maker into your dish for freezing. Fold the cooled rhubarb into the churned ice cream for a marbled effect. Enjoy immediately as soft serve or freeze in a covered container for firmer ice cream.
Enjoy!
Notes
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