This No Churn Black Sesame Ice Cream is an easy 4-ingredient recipe which features fragrant and nutty black sesame, a common Asian flavour. It has an earthy, creamy, and toasted flavour that will be sure to be your new favourite!
When you think of sweet Asian flavours, there are a few that come to mind instantly:
It can be difficult to find Asian-flavoured ice cream, but it’s really easy to make at home.
I find many of the ice creams at the store are lacking in flavour — however, this one is truly for black sesame lovers!
What is black sesame?
You’ve probably seen white sesame seeds, which are tiny seeds that are eaten all over the world.
They’re commonly used as a topping on buns, or ground into a paste.
Black sesame seed is a dark-coloured seed which is commonly found in Asia.
It’s used in many Asian desserts, such as: Black Sesame Paste, Matcha Black Sesame Rolls or as a filling in Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls).
What does black sesame taste like?
It has a nutty, earthy taste that can be construed as slightly bitter.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This Black Sesame Ice Cream is really simple to whip up, and comes together quickly.
It’s not very sweet, and you can really taste the earthy, nutty notes from the sesame.
As this recipe uses a “no churn” method, you don’t need any fancy equipment to make this ice cream.
It only consists of 4 ingredients!
What is no-churn?
Traditional ice cream making requires churning, which incorporates air into the ice cream and produces more volume and a smooth texture.
No-churn means that there’s no need to do this step, yet we’ll still end up with a creamy ice cream.
Tools you’ll need
- wire whisk: or if you have access to a stand mixer/electric mixer, you can use that as well
- chilled mixing bowl: the cream whips up much easier when the bowl is cold
- smaller bowl: for mixing the condensed milk/black sesame/vanilla extract
- spatula: I prefer using a rubber or silicone spatula
4 ingredients
There are only 4 ingredients:
- chilled heavy whipping cream (at least 36% milkfat [MF])
- condensed milk: is a thick, sweetened milk that acts as the “custard” base
- vanilla extract: I like using a pure alcohol-based vanilla extract; as the alcohol will lower the freezing point of the ice cream by preventing the formation of ice crystals, thereby keeping it creamier
- black sesame powder: finely ground, if possible
Note: if you can’t find black sesame powder, you can easily make your own by grinding whole black sesame seeds, until it resembles a powder. Be careful not to over pulse the seeds, or it will turn into a “seed butter.”
How to make it
In a chilled mixing bowl, add in the heavy whipping cream.
With a whisk, whip until the cream holds medium firm peaks.
In a smaller bowl, combine the condensed milk, black sesame powder and vanilla extract.
Give the black sesame mixture a stir until combined.
With a spatula, fold in about ⅓rd of the whipped cream into the black sesame mixture to lighten it up.
Transfer the black sesame cream back into the plain whipped cream and lightly whisk until the black sesame mixture is incorporated.
The mixture should reach firm peaks.
Note: Be careful not to overwhip or it will turn to butter.
Transfer the black sesame ice cream to a freezer-safe jar and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
How to store
Store the ice cream in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month.
Keep the Black Sesame Ice Cream in the freezer until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, remove from the freezer for a few minutes before scooping.
Serving suggestions
Serve the Black Sesame Ice Cream with Matcha Red Bean Mochi.
Or try it paired with Chestnut Black Sesame Waffles.
Tips & troubleshooting
Can I decrease the amount of black sesame?
If you find the black sesame taste too overpowering and/or too grainy for your liking, you can adjust the amount of black sesame powder to 50g.
Why did my ice cream curdle?
Be careful not to overwhip the heavy whipping cream, or it will turn into butter.
Unfortunately, once it is taken too far, you can’t make the ice cream anymore.
Save the whipped butter (strain off the liquid) for another application, like making breads and buns.
How come my cream isn’t whipping up?
Make sure your bowl (and whisk) is cold.
Ensure you are using a heavy whipping cream of at least 36% milkfat (MF) or higher.
Also, ensure that you give the heavy cream a shake as the milkfat may have settled to the bottom.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these other no-churn ice cream recipes:
And if you’re a fan of black sesame:
Black Sesame Brochi (Brownie Mochi)
Be sure to let me know if you try out this recipe — tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
No Churn Black Sesame Ice Cream
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 240 ml heavy whipping cream
- 100 ml condensed milk
- 75 g black sesame powder finely ground
- 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- To a chilled mixing bowl, add in the heavy whipping cream.
- With a whisk, whip until the cream holds medium firm peaks.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the condensed milk, black sesame powder and vanilla extract.
- Give the black sesame mixture a stir until combined.
- With a spatula, fold in about ⅓rd of the whipped cream into the black sesame mixture to lighten it up.
- Transfer the black sesame cream back into the plain whipped cream and lightly whisk until the black sesame mixture is incorporated.
- The mixture should reach firm peaks.
- Note: Be careful not to overwhip or it will turn to butter.
- Transfer the black sesame ice cream to a freezer-safe jar and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Yummy! This is really easy to follow and make! Will try it soon! Thank you Michelle!
I love drizzling my vanilla ice cream with tahini, and I’ve also made tahini ice cream once (So delicious – reminds me halva!) But I’ve never used black sesame seeds. This ice cream looks splendid, and I bet it tastes awesome Michelle!
This would be so intriguing! It looks so black – so cool!!! I bet I’d love this one Michelle and it would be a fun one to serve to guests.
Wow! What a fun ice cream flavor. Once you mentioned it, I realized that Asian flavored ice creams aren’t really very common at all. However, this one not only sounds delicious, but it’s super unique, too. Folks would certainly remember it if you serve this one at a party! And I do enjoy the flavor of black sesame – now I just need to try it in ice cream form!
Such a fun and unique ice cream!! I love sesame, so I would really love to try this one out! Perfect for this time of year.
I love Asian desserts made with black sesame and tried a few different kinds. I don’t think I’ve had black sesame ice cream yet. I looks so good. I wish all the ice cream shops would discover the flavor of black sesame and include it in their arrays of of ice cream flavors. Hopefully someday soon.
I made this ice cream and it was delicious! My family enjoyed it very much! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks for making the recipe, Jewel! And for sharing it on Instagram too 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it.
Black sesame seeds are something I use frequently when making Asian foods and I love the flavor. This ice cream is so unique and I’m looking forward to giving it a try!
Wow you gave me an idea, I was thinking of making a unique ice cream flavour this weekend and you just saved me from it. Great simple recipe!