How to Make Ice Cream Like Van Leeuwen: The Van leeuwen Ice Cream Base Recipe

Wondering how to make ice cream like Van Leeuwen?

We were, so we did some research. We read Van Leeuwen’s cookbook: Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream. We encourage you to click the link and do so the same. It’s an amazing cookbook for the ice cream lover.

Below you’ll find our copycat ice cream base recipe for Van Leeuwen.

But first, let’s summarize what Van Leeuwen does differently to make its premium ice cream base so extraordinary:

Milk and Cream: two parts cream to one part milk, similar to Jeni’s Ice Cream and Ben & Jerry’s. This is about dialing in the butterfat percentage. Certainly Van Leeuwen is on the high end of butterfat percentages given the large amount of cream used in their recipe. But then add in the fat from the egg yolks and—wow! Their recipe probably has the highest butterfat of all the base recipe we’ve reviewed so far. So expect a very rich and decadent ice cream base from Van Leeuwen.

Egg yolks: 8 of them! The recipe from Coolhaus also uses this number of egg yolks. The yolks thicken the base, adding structure and texture. The egg protein also emulsifies the base—it binds to water in the base to prevent ice from forming, keeping the base creamy, not icy.

Heat: twice-cooked, similar to Häagen-Dazs, Coolhaus, and Big Gay Ice Cream. Heat loosens the proteins in the milk, making for a richer, milkier-flavored base. Van Leeuwen’s recipe doesn’t specify time or temperature, instead instructing the cook to watch for steam and thickening. These non-specific instructions remind me of that older cook in the family who has cooked their secret recipe so many times that the process is now almost entirely intuitive. Eschewing timers and measuring cups, these expert cooks know how much of each ingredient to add by touch—a handful of this, a pinch of that—and they know when the food is ready just by glancing at it.

Rest: Much like Salt & Straw, Van Leeuwen recommends that the base rest in the fridge after cooking, ideally overnight. This gives the cooked milk proteins time to relax, resulting in a more complex, milkier flavor, and a smoother texture. Why? Because proteins taste better the day after they’re cooked when they’ve had some time in the fridge to relax and develop a more complicated flavor.

Contents

VAN LEEUWEN COPYCAT ICE CREAM BASE RECIPE

Yield

1 quart

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 large egg yolks

Instructions

Pour cream and milk into double boiler or heatproof bowl over saucepan of gently simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.
Whisk in salt and 1/2 cup of sugar until dissolved.
Warm mixture until steam rises.
Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Set another bowl over it. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until of a uniform color and consistency. While whisking continually, add splashes of the heated dairy mix, bit by bit, until half is added.
Pour the yolk mixture into double boiler with remaining dairy mixture.
Set heat to medium. Cook the mixture in the double boiler stirring continually with a wooden spoon until steam rises and custard thickens to coat back of spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low periodically if necessary to avoid overheating the mixture. (Note: some cookbooks recommending holding the egg yolk mixture at 176° F for at least 25 seconds to pasteurize; they also recommend not exceeding 180° F as this will scramble the eggs.)
Pour mixture through a sieve into the bowl sitting over the prepared ice bath. Stir 3 to 5 minutes until custard cools.
Pour cooled mixture into container and cover. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Pour mixture into your ice cream maker. Process as you usually would, following manufacturer instructions. The ice cream will keep frozen for up to 7 days.