Hazelnut praline ice cream – a rich, creamy vanilla custard swirled with crunchy and toffee-like hazelnut praline. A comforting treat any time of year.
I made this hazelnut praline ice cream before Christmas and only just found the photos during a tidy-up, so I’m sharing the recipe now. It’s one of those flavours that feels indulgent and simple at the same time: a silky vanilla custard base studded with hazelnut praline for crunch and caramel notes.
Homemade ice cream beats shop-bought every time, and a well-made vanilla custard is unbeatable. Adding hazelnut praline elevates it: some praline breaks down into nutty, chewy swirls while other pieces stay crisp, giving a lovely contrast of textures in each spoonful.
This ice cream is excellent on its own and pairs beautifully with warm desserts — pies, tarts, brownies or crepes — but it’s equally delicious straight from the tub. I find it a perfect year-round dessert; cool weather is no excuse to skip ice cream, especially when it’s served with something warm.
Hazelnut Praline Ice Cream
Dessert
20 minutes
15 minutes
3 hours
35 minutes (plus chilling)
Domestic Gothess
Ingredients
Custard:
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) double (heavy) cream
- 500 ml (2 cups) full fat milk
- 160 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or the seeds from one vanilla pod
- pinch salt
Hazelnut Praline:
- 150 g (5.3 oz) hazelnuts
- 125 g (⅔ cup) caster sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Pour the cream into a large bowl and set a fine mesh sieve over the top. Heat the milk and sugar in a saucepan just until it starts to boil.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolks while whisking constantly, then return the mixture to the pan.
- Cook over low heat, stirring continuously until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be careful not to overheat or it may scramble. Strain the custard through the sieve into the bowl with the cream, whisk to combine, then stir in the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate until completely cold (overnight is ideal).
- While the custard chills, make the praline. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2. Spread the hazelnuts on a tray and roast for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant.
- Place the roasted hazelnuts in a clean tea towel and rub to remove as much of the skins as you can — it’s fine if some remain.
- Line a heatproof tray with baking parchment. In a small saucepan combine the sugar and water, bring to the boil and swirl the pan (do not stir) until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking until the caramel turns an amber colour. Remove from the heat, add the hazelnuts and a pinch of salt, toss to coat, then spread the praline on the prepared tray to cool completely.
- Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. Break the cooled praline into pieces, then pulse in a food processor or place in a bag and bash with a rolling pin until you have a mix of small pieces and finer crumbs.
- When the ice cream is ready, fold in about two-thirds of the praline, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and sprinkle the remaining praline over the top. Freeze for a couple of hours to firm up before serving.