Hojicha Ice Cream (Printable)

Creamy Japanese dessert infused with roasted green tea featuring nutty, aromatic flavors and smooth custard texture.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups whole milk
02 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Tea

03 - 3 tablespoons hojicha loose leaf tea

→ Yolks & Sugar

04 - 4 large egg yolks
05 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar

→ Salt

06 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Combine milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.
02 - Add hojicha tea to the hot dairy mixture. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to extract maximum flavor.
03 - Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing on tea leaves to extract all liquid. Discard tea leaves and return infused liquid to the saucepan.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt until pale and creamy in texture.
05 - Gradually pour the warm hojicha mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
06 - Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened and coating the back of the spoon, about 6-8 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
07 - Pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until thoroughly chilled.
08 - Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions until reaching soft-serve consistency.
09 - Transfer churned ice cream to an airtight container, cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.

# Tips from dashanddishes:

01 -
  • Hojichas natural roasted notes create this sophisticated caramel-like flavor that people swear must have coffee or chocolate in it, but its pure tea magic
  • The custard base is incredibly forgiving compared to other ice cream recipes, so even beginners can nail that professional texture
  • Its one of those desserts that feels elegant enough for dinner parties but simple enough to make on a Tuesday night
02 -
  • Over-steeping the tea leaves is the most common mistake, and those extra few minutes transform the lovely roasted flavor into something unpleasantly astringent
  • Tempering the eggs properly is non-negotiable, unless you want scrambled egg bits in your otherwise smooth ice cream
  • The custard needs to be completely cold before churning, or youll end up with icy, grainy texture instead of that creamy consistency
03 -
  • Invest in good quality loose leaf hojicha, and store it in an airtight container away from light and heat to preserve that precious roasted flavor
  • Temperature matters so much more than you think, and rushing the chilling step is almost always what separates okay from incredible

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