Irish Whiskey Ice Cream with Salted Caramel
As a reasonably responsible adult capable of navigating public transportation, paying bills on time, and operating a washing machine, I recognize that certain days demand restraint. We best fasten our top button, order a club soda, and keep our elbows off the table. Today is not that day.
Irish Whiskey Ice Cream with Salted Caramel is neither timid nor demure. It’s boisterous, decadent, and baby is it boozy. St. Patrick’s Day is no time to be reserved.
As I shared last week, I’m Irish, and in addition to celebrating my heritage via this must-bake recipe for Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread, I’ll be enjoying Irish whiskey in a multitude of forms, the best of which is today’s whiskey ice cream. Although the whiskey flavor is definitively pronounced (and no, it does not cook out), because Irish whiskey is quite smooth, its flavor blends beautifully with the velvety custard and caramel.
The whiskey ice cream base is an easy stovetop vanilla custard that takes less than 10 minutes to prep. Even if this is your first time making ice cream from scratch, I have complete faith that you will dominate. Take your time heating the custard—you’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of the spoon and a line stays in place. Feel free to take an extra sip of whiskey for encouragement.
This whiskey ice cream has very little sugar, because I wanted to leave room for my new favorite condiment: Fudge Everything Salted Caramel Sauce, which I both swirled into the ice cream itself and drizzled liberally over each scoop, followed by a shower of crunchy toasted pecans.
Fudge Everything makes two products: the salted caramel sauce (used in the whiskey ice cream) and a dark chocolate fudge sauce, a.k.a. Nectar of the Gods Part I and Nectar of the Gods Part II. Both are outstanding. Unlike grocery store fudge and caramel sauces, which are made almost entirely of corn syrup, Fudge Everything sauces contain the same ingredients you would use to make them from scratch yourself: milk, cream, butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. It’s a clear difference; the sauces taste homemade.
Another reason I love Fudge Everything (aside from the fact that it’s fab on everything from vanilla ice cream, to brownies, to my spoon) is that it is a small company owned by two female entrepreneurs, Anne and Debbie. These ladies are kind, fiercely dedicated to the quality of their product, and honestly just want to make the world a sweeter place. I hope the three of us get to hang out and eat caramel and fudge sauce straight from the jar one day.
As a special St. Patrick’s Day treat, Anne and Debbie are offering all Well Plated readers 15% off the Fudge Everything online store with the discount code WELLPLATED (valid through 3/23/15). Stock up for Easter entertaining, gifts for the sweet-lovers in your life, and your own personal happiness. Although these sauces do cost a bit more than what you’ll find in the grocery store, in my mind, the real ingredients and fact that you are supporting a small business make them worth the splurge.
In addition to the discount, we’re having a Fudge Everything giveaway. Anne and Debbie have graciously offered to send five (yes five!) lucky winners a combo set of the fudge and caramel sauces. To enter the giveaway: use the widget below. Please be patient, as it may take a few moments to load.
One final celebration suggestion: for a year’s worth of St. Patrick’s Day good fortune, make a grown-up float by topping a monster scoop of Irish Whisky Ice Cream with Guinness. Then call me—I’m coming over immediately.
Sláinte!
Irish Whiskey Ice Cream with Salted Caramel
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup 2% milk — or whole milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup Irish whiskey, — plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons Fudge Everything Salted Caramel Sauce — plus additional for serving
- Toasted chopped pecans — for serving
Instructions
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Warm the cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until the milk begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edge. Do not boil.
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In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Once the cream mixture is heated, very slowly and gradually pour about half of it into the bowl with egg yolks, stirring constantly (this tempers the yolks so that they do not scramble). Return the saucepan to the stove, the slowly pour the egg yolk-cream mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
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Remove the saucepan from the heat, then stir in the whiskey and vanilla extract. Pour the custard through a mesh sieve and into a container, then refrigerate until completely chilled (at least 4 hours), or overnight.
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Once the custard is thoroughly chilled, freeze it according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Once the ice cream is finished churning, spread 1/3 of it into the bottom of a freezer-safe storage container. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce. Add the next 1/3 of the ice cream in another layer, then 2 more tablespoons caramel, then the final 1/3 of ice cream. Drizzle 2 remaining tablespoons of caramel over the top. With a butter knife or chopstick, swirl the caramel throughout, being sure you reach all the way to the edges. Place in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight to firm up. Serve in big scoops, topped with additional caramel and pecans.
Did you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
Don’t forget to try this Irish Whiskey Brownie Pie (dare I suggest topped with the Irish Whiskey Ice Cream?). Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I’m sharing this post in partnership with Fudge Everything. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands and companies that make it possible for me to continue providing quality content to you!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
I want to eat the sauce with this ice cream, stat!
First thing I’d want to eat is ice cream, but I don’t know if mine’ll come out quite like yours. We’re partial to pistachio ice cream, so if mne doesn’t turn out, I’d serve up some pistachio ice cream with fudge sauce.
Oh myyyy goodness! Boozy ice cream+caramel sauce= done and done, I’m dead.
Would want to try the sauces on yonanas.
Oh my GOODNESS, yes. This is the BEST. I love that sauce, the complete indulgence…amazing!
Love this recipe
This is perfection if I ever did see one. That perfect custard. To the caramel. To the whiskey. You have won over this ice cream lovers heart forever and ever!
Oh my goodness, I need this ice cream in my life. I absolutely love your description of it: “Irish Whiskey Ice Cream with Salted Caramel is neither timid nor demure. It’s boisterous, decadent, and baby is it boozy. ”
Well you KNOW that I’m all over this! You made this just for me, right? Love it. And that sauce! Killer. After consuming about half the jar straight from the spoon, I would probably put it on some ice cream!
I’ll eventually use it one ice cream, but I think its first vehicle will just be a spoon :)
Oh I just love chocolate sauce yummy!!
I would love to drizzle this fudge on my brownies!
you make everything so easy and I just want to drink this bowl of ice cream. With lots and lots of that caramel sauce!!
This. LOOKS. AMAZIIIIING. I would put it on ice cream!
Now, this is how you get into the St. Patty’s Day spirit!! Pass me a GIANT spoon.
I’d start simple with a turtle sundae. The biggest turtle sundae you’ve ever seen.
Erinnnnnn, I really don’t have any words to say that even make sense right now. I just…want….this now…All of it.
This looks and sounds positively glorious. That salted caramel sauce?? Dreamy.
First up would be to just stick my spoon in the jar. Second would be a drizzle over some plain yogurt or a sliced apple. A pretzel or two would take the plunge into the jar too.
I’d make a banana split sundae with whipped cream and a cherry on top of vanilla frozen yogurt!
I’d eat it right out of the jar for the first bite, then probably with some fruit (apples or strawberries) or with some vanilla ice cream or gelato!
It would be great with ice cream and/or brownies!
Oooh.. so many things to try it on first! Apple Pie, Ice Cream, Brownies, Cheesecake, etc. Would have to try it on everything!!!
I’d love to drizzle it over a homemade apple pie!
Oooh girl. Can I come over? I need to come over.
Dark chocolate and salted caramel?! My two favorite dessert flavors.
I got so excited, I hit enter by accident! I’d make chocolate stout cupcakes, topped with spiced whipped cream, and drizzled with both flavors of fudge.
I would have it over vanilla ice cream first of all.
Hopefully I could wait until I got the ice cream scooped, but I would probably eat it right out of the jar.
Yum, I would love to have it for St. Patrick’s Day. I am a huge fan of anything caramel:)
Both of these sauces indeed look and sound heavenly! I hope I win them, and if so, I will be trying them on every thing. :)
I want to eat all the ice cream! And that sauce sounds amazing!
definitely ice cream
It would depend on what I have on hand when it arrives!
A hot from the oven double chocolate brownie drizzled in the Sea Salted Caramel sauce.
ON top of pancakes!!
Wow, Erin! This sweet treat is incredible. Do you think it would work with sherry too? I have a lot left over from a gathering.
What an awesome idea, Erin, love this!
Now that the weather is finally turning, I’ve been craving an old fashioned hot fudge sundae. That’s totally what I’d make first!
I’d put this in brownies!
Yum! I’d pour it over ice cream!
Ice cream, now!! Or a spoon.
It’s so hard to find dessert sauces that don’t contain soy! These look amazing. and I would probably dip fruit into them. Or eat them with a spoon.
I’d use the fudge sauce in a peanut butter sandwich.
I would eat the sauce with vanilla ice cream and a hot fudge brownie!
I’d swirl the sauces in brownies for my family!
OMG! Stahhhp! I can’t contain myself with the deliciousness! And definitely have to pair it with the irish whiskey pie! SO YUM!
Either flavor would not make it to any cake or ice cream! I would be eating the sauce right out of the jar with a spoon.
I would try both over French vanilla ice cream.
I’ll start by putting it on ice cream, and then we’ll see what else I can think of.
gluten free brownies a la mode!
i want to make this an everyday ritual with brownies, vanilla whiskey icecream and the sauce.
That looks amazing! I want to dunk apple slices in the salted caramel sauce.
I could definitely go for a scoop or two of this ice cream right now.. and that fudge sauce looks pretty damn incredible too.
I would love to eat either sauce on my oatmeal!
I’d drizzle it over cookies
Dip my girl scout cookies in it!
I’m drinking a cup of hot tea tonight for “dessert” and man is it looking lame compared to this! Looks amazingggg!
Nothing beats vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce (unless there’s some apple pie under the ice cream!).
That ice cream looks fantastic. I would eat that sauce first on… oh I don’t know… ice cream, strawberries, bananas, chocolate pound cake… A SPOON!
Coffee ice cream
I think the first thing I would do is take a big ole spoonful of each and just enjoy them alone. Then I would get some really good vanilla ice cream and make a yummy sundae!
First I would try it off of a spoon. Then with Ice Cream!
First would be vanilla ice cream. My homemade.
Oh my goodness, now I know my whisky loving boyfriend will be begging me to make this. Guess I better go to the store and get ingredients!
I’d love to make a vanilla ice cream sundae!
I’d make a big brownie sundae!! Yummy!!!!
at’s ah nice desert!
I would love to make a skillet cookie, top with some vanilla bean ice cream and these two sauces! Heaven!!!
This is so perfect for St. Patty’s!!!
Holy bajinkas…. WOWZA! This is amazing. Booze fueled ice cream w/ caramel sauce. Positively naughty! Want it, want it, waaaaaant itttt! :)
French vanilla ice cream
First, I would eat a giant spoonful of each. Then, attempt to make ice cream. Yours looks so good and it’s so hot in Vegas already. I could eat ice cream all the time!
The first thing I’d want to eat with these sauces would be brownies and ice cream!
Ok I’m pretty much drooling over this! Happy St. Patty’s Day!
I think the first thing I would do is make homemade strawberry ice cream like me grandmother used to and top it with the Fudge Everything Fudge Sauce!
Can’t wait to try it!
On top of brownies!
sounds awesome!
I would drizzle these sauces over crepes! Possible stuff some french cruller french toast with them….
Beer floats with this ice cream and Guiness sound a-ma-zing! Love it!
I have GOT to get an ice cream maker :) My Irish husband would LOVE THIS!
This boozy ice cream is what dreams are made of!!! I am dying over that drippy caramel from the first shot! Love the sound of those sauces!
HAPPY ST.PATTY’S DAY TO YOU!
I would eat this on top of a brownie with ice cream of course.
I would love this on organic vanilla bean ice cream
First off, with a spoon straight out of the jar to make sure it’s not poisonous of course, then onto vanilla ice cream with crushed up Heath bar or Butterfinger!!! Yummers!!!!
I would use it in oatmeal. Baked, overnight, or stovetop… Any which way. Plus some extra spoonfuls while preparing said oatmeal ;)
Perfect over ice cream… and right out of the jar. Yummy!
I’d love to add the fudge one to a bowl of coffee ice cream.
I would want to eat it with homemade vanilla ice cream and chopped pecans!
With a heavy hand, I’d pour it on brownies!
I would love to try this on this ice cream or brownies — this.looks.amazing.
The First thing that I would put the sauces on would be a brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and a cherry and maybe some nuts.
Oh my! I’d want to put the fudge sauce on dark chocolate brownies! I’d put the carmel sauce on your delicious looking ice cream.
The first thing I would want to eat with either one of the sauces is vanilla bean ice cream.
I would love both of those sauces on any type of ice cream! I could dive in headfirst into this ice cream recipe! I love all that drippy caramel!
Just a spoonful of the salted caramel right away. As delicious as the ice cream (especially irish whiskey ice cream) looks, first thing would be a spoonful.
With bananas and vanilla ice cream!
I would love to put some caramel and fudge sauce on a warm brownie sundae! :)
fudge sauce on fresh strawberries.
I would make some homemade ice cream and have it on that. YUM!!!
My weakness is ice cream! So a big bowl of vanilla bean ice cream with both sauces!
I’d pour the caramel sauce on some pancakes
I would dive into that caramel sauce with pretzels and apple slices stat!
I would make this ice cream… it sounds so delicious
I’m kinda curious if it would make tasty chocolate milk. But ice cream would be a must.
Fudge Everything must not sell the salted caramel sauce anymore. I was going to order it – this looks yummy!
Bummer! Thanks for the heads up, Kathy… this recipe would also be delicious with another salted caramel sauce, so I hope you still get to enjoy it!
I made this recipe and the salted Carmel by Bobby Flay – and I have to say – what a fabulous dessert-
I made it for an Irish celebration. I went to a local candy specialty shop and purchased some sprinkles in the shape of a shamrock (green) and the topping on the cake so to speak was some edible gold glitter – just like a pot of gold- it was a great looking dessert and the taste – unbelievable. Great recipe. Can’t wait for March 17, 2018!!!
Margaret, I am so happy to hear how much you love this ice cream! Your presentation sounds absolutely beautiful. I hope you had a very happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Loved it. However, I used Seagrams american whiskey instead (got lazy and didn’t want to go out to purchase a bottle of Irish). I like it because the flavor is not over the top sweet unless you load your dish with the caramel sauce. Next time around I am going to experiment with reducing the whiskey portion to somewhere between 1/8C and a bit under 1/4C (you can really taste the whiskey when turned and after the ice cream freezes) AND increase the Vanilla Extract to 1 1/4 tablespoon and add a dash more sugar. Thanks for sharing this it was a great treat during the Super Bowl.
Veronica, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this review and your notes!
Do you have to use an ice cream maker to make the Irish whiskey ice cream ( custard).
Hi Danielle! Yes, this recipe does require and ice cream maker.