Mascarpone Ice Cream (2024)

Have you ever had Mascarpone Ice Cream? If not, I’m about to blow your mind. Its rich, creamy, and unique flavor will tickle your taste buds and make you crave another scoop. Serve it with a honey rosemary peach sauce to add a little bit of tang and fruitiness to this otherwise buttery frozen treat.

Nothing beats the summer heat like a scoop of homemade ice cream. Whether you prefer it simply by itself, or with a variety of sauces and mix-ins, you’ll love this creamy mascarpone ice cream. You can also try this orange mascarpone ice cream for a zesty twist.

What is mascarpone?

Mascarpone is a soft Italian cheese, made with heavy cream, which has been coagulated with the addition of something acidic like citric acid, lemon juice or vinegar. Because it is made with cream, mascarpone is very rich. It has a mild, buttery flavor with a hint of sweetness.

How to make Mascarpone Ice Cream

This Mascarpone Ice Cream recipe is made with a custard base, which uses egg yolks to thicken. The mascarpone cheese and the egg custard both contribute to this ice cream’s silky, luscious, and extremely rich taste.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 4 egg yolks.
2. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add sugar while beating.
3. Continue beating until the mixture iscreamyand light in color. When you lift the whisk up, it should fall off the whisk slowly in a thick stream.
4. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering and temper it into the egg mixture.

What is tempering and how do I use it for ice cream making?

When making ice cream, you’ll need to add hot milk or cream to a room temperature egg mixture. In order to avoid cooking the egg immediately, you’ll need to temper it.

Tempering means adding a very small amount of hot liquid to the egg mixture, while whisking, to slowly heat it up. Continue adding just a little bit of hot liquid, a few tablespoons at a time, until about half of the hot liquid has been incorporated. At this point, the temperature of the mixture would have been warm enough that you can pour in the rest of the hot liquid without cooking the egg.

5. Once all of the hot milk has been added to the egg mixture, pour the entire liquid mixture back into the saucepan and heat on medium low heat until the mixture thickens and reaches 175°F – 180°F. I use a candy thermometer to monitor. This will take approximately 3 – 4 minutes.
6. Take the custard off the heat. It should coat the back of a spoon, and not run off when you swipe your finger across the middle.
7. Add the room temperature mascarpone to the hot custard mixture.
8. Add corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to the hot custard mixture.
9. Stir until completely dissolved and allow to cool to room temperature uncovered. Refrigerate overnight or until cold enough to use in an ice cream maker.

Do I have to refrigerate my ice cream base overnight?

Not necessarily, as long as you are able to cool your ice cream base to 39°F, the same temperature as a refrigerated base, you are welcome to churn it the same day.

10. Add cold custard mixture to an ice cream maker. I use my KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment. If you don’t have a KitchenAid mixer, there are a variety of ice cream makers you can purchase.
11. Churn according to manufacturer’s directions. I churn mine for 15 minutes.
12. When finished, it will be of soft serve consistency. Transfer churned ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

How to store Mascarpone Ice Cream

Store churned ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer. You can layer a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice forming on the surface and to keep out some funky freezer flavors.

How to serve Mascarpone Ice Cream

This mascarpone ice cream is excellent paired with:

• Honey Rosemary Peach Sauce or Mixed Berry Compote spooned over the top
• A slice of Peach Coffee Cake or Peach Galette on the side
• A few crumbled up Chocolate Espresso Shortbread Cookies or Lemon Shortbread Cookies as mix-ins.

Substitutions

Do I have to use corn syrup?

Corn syrup is used to lower the freezing point of water in the ice cream mixture. This will prevent large ice crystals from forming, keeping the ice cream creamier and less icy.

For this particular ice cream recipe, because the ice cream base includes cheese with a heavy fat content, you may or may not notice the iciness if you omit corn syrup. You may substitute it with 2 tablespoons of sugar and heat the sugar along with the milk before tempering the hot milk into the egg mixture.

Can I use cream or half and half?

You can use cream or half and half for an even richer and creamier ice cream. However, for this recipe, I find that the mascarpone cheese adds just enough richness to the final product that if you use anything other than milk, it will be too rich. I recommend sticking with whole milk for this recipe.

Can I use cream cheese instead of mascarpone?

You can use cream cheese instead of mascarpone in certain recipes. However, expect that the flavor will not be the same. For this particular Mascarpone Ice Cream recipe, I would advise against substitution because mascarpone is the main ingredient and we want its unique flavor to shine through.

Mascarpone vs. Cream Cheese

Are Mascarpone and cream cheese the same thing?

No, mascarpone is not the same as cream cheese. Although they are both soft cheese made from milk and cream, mascarpone has a much higher fat content compared to cream cheese, and therefore has a richer and creamier taste.

Does Mascarpone taste like cream cheese?

No, mascarpone does not taste like cream cheese. Mascarpone has a mild and sweet taste, while cream cheese is tangier with a more savory taste.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, send me a photo, rate it and don’t forget to tag me @wildwildwhisk on Instagram. I’d love to see what’s cooking up in your kitchen. Cheers!

Cook’s Tip: Not all mascarpone cheese are created equal. Some are smoother and creamier, some leave a chalky aftertaste. I prefer Cello brand mascarpone cheese because it’s super smooth and sweet, and is perfect for recipes where mouthfeel is important, especially this ice cream or this Peaches and Cream Pie.

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This post was originally published on 9/5/2014. The recipe has been updated and republished on 7/23/2019 with the latest improvements, extra tips and process photos to help you in the kitchen.