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This delicious Pear Ice Cream combines Bartlett pear puree and candied pears in an easy-to-make vanilla ice cream base that’s super creamy and smooth. It’s a revelation!
» Here are 50 of our favorite ice cream maker recipes. We think this chocolate chip ice cream is to die for!
If you’ve ever visited Salt & Straw in Portland, Oregon, or one of their other locations, you might have indulged in their deliciously creative Pear & Blue Cheese Ice Cream. That was the inspiration for our recipe today.
We unfortunately live quite a ways from the nearest Salt & Straw, but my husband gifted me their Ice Cream Cookbook and the first ice cream I wanted to make was their Pear & Blue Cheese Ice Cream. Since blue cheese is pretty polarizing, I decided to just make Pear Ice Cream. You can add the blue cheese to yours, if you want.
If you’ve made any of the other ice cream recipes on our site, you probably know that I use my favorite custard ice cream base for nearly every recipe. However, the Salt & Straw cookbook introduced me to an even easier base recipe that I’ve used for this Pear Ice Cream. Now I’m really on the fence about which is better.
This base has some expensive ingredients, like milk powder and xanthan gum, but you use them in small quantities, so you can actually make something like 10-15 batches of ice cream from one purchase, if you look at it that way. Plus this one has no eggs, and no complicated egg tempering process.
We do use an ice cream maker for this recipe, so be sure to put the barrel in the freezer a day ahead so it’s good and frozen by the time you want to use it.
What is Pear Ice Cream?
Everyone’s had strawberry or peach ice cream, but have you ever tried pear ice cream? It’s definitely an underutilized fruit for ice cream. But it’s really, really good. This recipe uses pears in two ways. First you make a pear puree that is added to the base of the ice cream to flavor it.
But the folks at Salt and Straw decided that alone wasn’t enough pear flavor, so they decided to add candied pear pieces to the ice cream as well. These pieces are so full of flavor and texture. They add just the needed burst of pear flavor to the ice cream.
Since blue cheese pairs really well with pear, it’s not that far of a leap to think it could be added to the ice cream for an extra layer of flavor and texture. If you do add the blue cheese, be sure to find one that you really enjoy eating by itself. The flavor of the blue cheese is very important. They use Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese from Oregon, which is a fantastic choice, if you’re able to find it.
Equipment Needed
- Ice cream maker
- Spatula
- Sauce pan
- Bowl
- Freezer container
- Ice cream scoop
Ingredients You Need
This ice cream uses the Salt & Straw ice cream base, which has a few different ingredients in it than you might expect. I’ve found these to be a bit expensive, and often sold in much larger quantities than you need. Just think of all the other ice creams you can make with!
- Dry milk powder – There are many brands you can choose from. I prefer to buy it in a carton that can be easily resealed, because you won’t use it all.
- Xanthan gum – This is pretty easy to find at the grocery, though it can come in a pack that’s rather large. It’s also great for thickening gravies and soups!
- Light corn syrup – The corn syrup cuts down on the amount of granulated sugar you need. I don’t know the science behind the corn syrup, so I wouldn’t replace it with sugar (not knowing what the effect will be).
- Heavy cream – There is a debate out there about how much butterfat the best ice cream has. It can range anywhere from non-fat all the way up to 20%. Using heavy cream and whole milk results in the best texture and fat level.
- Whole milk – Always use whole milk – we’re not pretending this is a low-fat dessert.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is fine in this recipe. If you’re going to replace it with a sugar substitute, I recommend using only allulose, because it doesn’t harden like erythritol and the others do. This makes a big difference.
- Pears – Bartlett pears are the preferred. You want them to be just ripe, not overripe. The flavor of the pears will greatly affect the ice cream, so only use juicy, delicious pears.
- Blue Cheese – To take this pear ice cream to a new level, you might consider adding crumbled blue cheese to the ice cream. You’ll want a crumbly blue that has great flavor on its own. Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese is recommended.
- Cinnamon stick / nutmeg – The pear puree will take on some warming cinnamon flavor. If you don’t want to add cinnamon to the mix, you can leave it out. Same with the nutmeg.
- Salt – A little bit of salt helps to balance the sweetness.
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Pear Ice Cream
Ingredients
For the ice cream base:
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) dry milk powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.75 g) xanthan gum
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) light corn syrup
- 1 1/3 cups (315 ml) whole milk
- 1 1/3 cups (315 ml) heavy cream
For the pears:
- 2 ripe Bartlett pears peeled and cubed, divided
- 2 1/4 cups (450 g) granulated sugar divided
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) water divided
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Mix together the sugar, milk powder, and xanthan gum in a bowl.
- In a saucepan, combine the light corn syrup and milk. Whisk until fully combined. Pour in the sugar mixture. Whisk vigorously, until sugar is dissolved.
- Set the pot over medium heat and bring up just to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat. Add the heavy cream and whisk to combine.
- Pour the mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate until completely cooled, preferably overnight.
- To make the pear puree, combine half of the cubed pears in a pot with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, cinnamon stick, and pinch of salt and nutmeg. Bring to a slow simmer and cook until the pears are very soft. Remove the cinnamon stick. Let cool completely.
- Once cool, pour the mixture into a blender or chopper and blend until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to churn.
- To make the candied pears, combine the remaining pears, water, and sugar in a pot over medium-low heat. Simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and cool for one hour. Transfer the mixture to a container and refrigerate until ready to churn.
- Right before churning your ice cream, mix the pear puree and the ice cream base together. Pour into the ice cream maker and churn until the ice cream reaches soft serve stage.
- Strain the candied pears from the sugar syrup and place them in a bowl to be ready to add them to the ice cream when it’s done.
- Scoop half of the ice cream into a freezer container. Arrange half the candied pear pieces on top and cover with the remaining ice cream, then top with the remaining pear pieces, pressing them down into the top of the ice cream. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- If you want to add blue cheese to the ice cream, place the crumbled blue cheese in the middle layer with the candied pears.
- This recipe makes half a gallon.
Nutrition
Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes.
