Blue Moon Ice Cream (Print Page)
A whimsical, vibrant blue frozen treat with a mysterious fruity flavor—beloved Midwestern classic.
# What You Need:
→ Ice Cream Base
01 - 2 cups whole milk
02 - 1 cup heavy cream
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/8 tsp salt
→ Flavor & Color
05 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
06 - 1/2 tsp raspberry extract
07 - 1/2 tsp lemon extract
08 - 1/2 tsp almond extract
09 - 3–5 drops blue food coloring
→ Other
10 - 4 large egg yolks
# Directions:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture is steaming but not boiling.
02 - In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper them and prevent curdling.
03 - Slowly pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5–7 minutes.
04 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, raspberry extract, lemon extract, and almond extract. Add blue food coloring 3–5 drops at a time, mixing until evenly colored to your preferred intensity.
05 - Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Allow the custard to cool to room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
06 - Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 1–2 hours or until firm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of raspberry, lemon, and almond extracts creates that iconic fruity mystery flavor nobody can ever quite identify.
- You control the color intensity, so you can go subtle sky blue or full neon depending on your crowd.
02 -
- If your custard gets too hot and the yolks scramble, pour it through the sieve immediately and start over with fresh yolks if the texture is grainy.
- Chilling the base overnight instead of just three hours makes a noticeable difference in how smooth the churned ice cream turns out.
03 -
- Keep your freezer container chilling in the freezer while the ice cream churns so the transfer does not cause melting.
- The extract blend is where the magic lives, so taste the chilled custard before churning and adjust any of the flavors by a drop or two to suit your palate.