No Churn Black Sesame Ice Cream

Black sesame transforms a basic no churn ice cream base into something sweet and nutty like you've never tasted before!

Inspired by the flavours of Japan

Black sesame might not seem the most obvious choice of flavours to turn into ice cream but then neither did red bean or matcha right? The one thing these three flavours have in common is that they are often used in sweet treats in Japan.

I first came across black sesame paste when I worked for Indigo Herbs at the start of the year. I was completely baffled about what to do with it. Eaten straight out of the jar it has this rich, earthy, nutty flavour. Jon was happy to leave the research at that and to just eat it with a spoon but I soon put a stop to that!

I follow a lot of Japanese foodie Instagram accounts and time and time again I saw black sesame sofuto (soft serve ice cream) appearing in my feed. It comes in all shades of grey - some bordering on black - and I can only imagine that the flavour is more intense the darker the ice cream is.

Since creating this recipe I've now had the amazing opportunity of travelling to Japan and trying black sesame, red bean and matcha ice cream and I can confirm they are all amazing. You must give this recipe a try.

Black sesame paste

To make this ice cream you're going to need black sesame paste.

Purists will say that under no circumstances should you swap authentic Japanese black sesame paste for black sesame tahini. But sometimes needs must. If all you can get your hands on is black sesame tahini then don't panic. I've tested it and it still tastes delicious.

If you're after the real deal then you should be able to pick some up at your local Asian supermarket. Black sesame paste is often used in Chinese cooking too so don't be afraid to ask.

Why the fuss about black sesame paste versus tahini? Well the authentic stuff is made from roasted un-hulled sesame seeds which gives it a much more intense flavour. Your ice cream will also be a darker colour if you use paste instead of tahini.

No churn ice cream

I've kept things simple by just adding black sesame paste to a basic no churn ice cream recipe. In roughly 3 hours you too can be enjoying one of Japan's favourite ice cream flavours!

The "no churn" technique is so popular because it doesn't require you to make custard from scratch or a specialist ice cream machine to keep the ice cream mix moving as it chills. If you get the custard wrong, or don't churn the custard as it cools then you won't end up with a lovely velvet smooth ice cream.

With no churn recipes like this, we simply mix double cream and condensed milk with whichever flavourings we are using. This makes a rich, smooth ice cream that can just be placed in the freezer and left alone until set. It's that simple.

The recipe

More ice cream recipes

If you like this recipe then why not try another one of my non-churn ice cream recipes. The technique is the same but the flavours are different. Just click the images below.

More recipes inspired by Japan

Since my trip to Japan I've been cooking more and more Japanese inspired recipes. From miso roasted aubergines, to Japanese souffle pancakes. You can check them all out in the Japanese Recipe Archive.