Every bite of this roasted fig goat cheese crumble ice cream is tangy with swirls of sweet fig against a crunchy crumble.
With National Ice Cream Month almost over, I have one last ice cream recipe to share with you, roasted fig goat cheese crumble ice cream. Every bite of ice cream is tangy with swirls of roasted fig against a crunchy crumble. It’s my first time making ice cream with goat cheese and it turned out better than I expected.
Ingredient notes
Figs: for this ice cream, I used Black Mission figs. The sugar content and flavor on these figs are perfect for making ice cream. They are sweet and jammy. Other figs that are great alternatives include tiger figs (panache figs), St John Adriatic figs, and Kadota figs. Look for soft fruit (not bruised) that smells fresh. If you can’t find fresh figs, use fig jam as an alternative.
Goat cheese: pick quality goat cheese that is creamy with tangy flavor. The distinctive taste of goat cheese lends an incredible flavor to the ice cream custard. Some of my favorite brands are Montcherve and Cypress Grove.
Tips for roasting figs
Roasting figs in the oven brings out the flavors and sweetness of these wonderful fruits as their natural sugars broke down from the heat. The roasted figs get blended and the jammy mixture is folded into the ice cream custard right before churning. Use fig jam if you can't find fresh figs to roast.
Tips for making ice cream base
When making the custard, keep the heat low and gentle otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled egg. Pay attention to the consistency as the base cooks and goes from liquid to a thin soup like texture. You can test for readiness by dipping a spatula into the base, running your finger across the spatula to see if the path created by your finger holds for a few seconds. If the base doesn’t start running down the spatula, the custard is ready. I always strain my base to remove any solids. The goat cheese is blended into the custard and refrigerated overnight for the flavor the develop.
After churning, you get an incredible tangy ice cream that perfectly complements the swirls of roasted figs layered with crunchy crumble, almost like a cheesecake but even better. This roasted goat cheese crumble ice cream is the perfect way to celebrate figs from late summer until fall.
For ice cream inspiration, check these recipes: rhubarb crumble ice cream, roasted strawberry balsamic ice cream, mulberry crumble ice cream.
Roasted fig goat cheese crumble ice cream
Equipment
- Ice cream machine
Ingredients
Roasted figs
- 8 ounces Black Mission figs, halved
- 2 tbsps maple syrup (or honey)
Ice cream base
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup 2% milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 small egg yolks
- 8 ounces plain goat cheese
Crumble
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsps turbinado sugar
- 4 tbsps unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Roasted figs
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay figs in a single layer with cut side facing up. Drizzle maple syrup over figs. Roast the figs in the oven for 20 minutes until the figs are softened and caramelized.
- Let the figs cool to room temperature. Transfer them to a processor and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
Cinnamon crumble
- To make the crumble, in a medium prep bowl, combine flour, sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Use your fingers and rub the mixture together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Refrigerate the crumble for 15 minutes until chilled.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spread the chilled crumble mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let it cool completely before breaking it into small pieces. Store the crumble in a tight-lidded container until ready to use.
Ice cream base
- In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the yolks just to break them up and whisk in ¼ cup sugar. Set aside.
- In a heavy non-reactive saucepan, combine cream, milk, salt and ¼ cup sugar.
- Put the pan over medium heat and let the mixture boil gently to bubbling just around the edges (gentle simmer). Reduce the heat to low.
- Carefully measure out ½ cup of hot cream mixture. Whisk in the hot cream mixture while whisking the eggs constantly. Continue tempering the eggs by adding another ½ cup of hot cream to the bowl with the yolks.
- Pour the cream-egg mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it is thickened and coats the back of a spatula, about 12-15 minutes.
- Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container.
- Pour the custard in a food processor, add goat cheese, and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziplock freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in an ice bath until cold, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate the ice cream base for at least 2 hours or overnight. I like to refrigerate the base overnight for the most flavor.
- When ready to churn the ice cream, fold in the pureed figs and ½ cup of crumble into the ice cream base.
- Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister of your ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Spin until thick and creamy about 25-30 minutes.
- Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.
- When ready to serve, scoop ice cream into bowls. Top with extra crumble. (optional)
Chloe
The eggs are missing from the recipe! How many do we need?
Vy Tran
Hi Chloe! 4 small egg yolks! Thank you for catching that! I will add that in the recipe card.
Jessica
If using fig jam how much do you suggest?
Vy Tran
Hi Jessica! I would use about 3/4 cup to about 1 cup depending on how much you like the fig jam.
Tiffany Hansen
The most delicious ice cream I've ever made. I added sourdough starter to the crumble along with ground roasted fig leaf and cardamom. Amazing. I will definitely make again.