This cereal milk ice cream is a simple recipe with an unforgettably unique flavor that both kids and adults will enjoy!
Even though summer here in Ottawa is quite a bit milder than those that I’m used to in mid-Missouri, the heat still gets to me. I’ve never been a summer girl. That means plenty of frozen desserts and treats throughout summer in our house. This Cereal Milk Ice Cream ranks as one of my all-time favorite summer treats! It is such a unique flavor. I’ve been obsessed with cereal milk ice cream since I first heard about it on a random You tube video. So you better believe that I made the trip from Columbia, Missouri to NYC to check out this glorious cornflakes ice cream at the famous Milk Bar! 🙂 Not once, but twice!
I love the idea of cereal milk so much that I even created this fantastic No Bake Wake Me Up Breakfast Cheesecake recipe from my Secret Layer Cakes cookbook! Complete with a fruity pebbles crust with popping candy and a cereal milk cheesecake and cereal milk whipped cream! The funny thing though is that I’m not a big fan of cornflakes, but the cornflakes-soaked milk at the bottom of your cereal bowl… now that’s a different story!
Is this recipe a copy cat of the original Milk Bar cereal milk ice cream?
Not really. This ice cream tastes EXACTLY like the cereal milk ice cream at Milk Bar, BUT it has a thicker consistency. The original cereal milk ice cream has a soft serve consistency, and probably has very little (if any) eggs in the recipe. This however is an actual ice cream recipe, made with egg yolks, so it has a richer and thicker consistency than that of a soft serve. However, if you eat this ice cream as soon as it’s churned, it still has a soft serve consistency too!
How do you get the cornflakes flavor into the ice cream?
I’ve tried a number of ways to infuse cornflakes flavor into ice cream.
Cook cornflakes and milk together and let the cornflakes soak in the milk? Cook or soak cornflakes with all of the ice cream ingredients? Simply soak cornflakes in just milk, or milk and cream? Soak overnight or just for a few hours?
I’ve tried ’em all! And here’s the best way to do it.
Tips for making cereal milk ice cream at home
Soaking cornflakes in just milk, or a mixture of milk and cream gives the best results. I prefer to use just milk, so I can control the milk to cream ratio in the recipe. You’re more than welcome to do an overnight soak, but the shortest time I’ve tried is 2.5 hours and that works just as great! This way, you can make the custard on the same day and let that sit overnight in the fridge to chill. I prefer using Kelloggs cornflakes, and I wouldn’t recommend using off-brand cornflakes since they may not add the same amount of flavor. I tried it once with a cheaper store-brand cornflakes and the lack of flavor was very prominent. Also remember to really push on the cornflakes to get ALL that flavored milk out of it. Salt and sugar! Salt really enhances the flavor of this ice cream, so don’t forgo it! And since cornflakes is neutral in flavor, sugar is also a must to make this ice cream dessert-worthy. And since the salt enhances the sweetness, don’t skip the salt and sugar combo. Next, milk to cream ratio. For vanilla ice cream, I prefer to use more cream OR 1:1 milk to cream. However, for this cereal milk ice cream, I’m using a 2:1 milk to cream ratio. Since the cereal is infused into the milk, I wanted more of the milk in this ice cream. This also makes the ice cream lighter, and taste delightfully milky.
How to make cereal milk ice cream
Just like the other ice cream recipes I shared with you guys last month, this one’s super easy too. The only extra step is having to soak the cornflakes in the milk for a few hours before making the custard. The egg yolks are whisked with the sugar and salt. Once you get a smooth paste, whisk in the cereal milk and cream. Then you heat up the mixture until it starts to steam. I heat the custard until it registers at 165 – 170°F on my thermometer. I don’t add any vanilla in this cereal milk ice cream, just so that the cereal milk flavor is the lone and shining star. Next, chill the base in the fridge (for a few hours or overnight), until it’s at the right temp. for your ice cream machine. Once you’ve churned the ice cream, you could serve it as is, for a soft-serve type of ice cream, OR you can let it freeze for a few hours to let it harden for a regular ice cream. I personally LOVE adding crushed cornflakes on top when serving and eating this ice cream. The crunchiness of crushed cornflakes stands beautifully in contrast against the silky smooth, creamy, milky ice cream!
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EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE
ICE CREAM MAKER – An inexpensive freezer bowl ice cream machine will be perfect for the average cook/baker. I have used & recommend this Cuisinart model. If you do constantly make ice cream in summer, then I would recommend investing in an ice cream maker with a built in compressor. These machines do not require to be pre-chilled and you can make many batches of ice cream over and over again. I currently own, and recommend this Cuisinart model. THERMOMETER – An inexpensive Cooking thermometer or a more expensive instant read thermapen. LARGE STRAINER – A large strainer or nut milk bag to strain the cereal milk.
