Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/26/22
Tested by
Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers
Tested by Noah Velush-Rogers
Noah Velush-Rogers works on food prep for several area caterers. He has worked with a team of prep chefs for a private school group. He was an assistant cooking teacher for children and teen group cooking classes. Noah was hired as an intern and was then trained as a recipe tester for Fine Cooking Magazine. 
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Peanut butter swirl ice cream

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Chill and Freeze Time: 2 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Vanilla ice cream can be so, well, vanilla, but when it is swirled with a homemade peanut butter sauce, it becomes anything but ordinary. This recipe calls for making a custard-based vanilla ice cream as well as a sauce made of peanut butter, whipping cream, corn syrup, and brown sugar. The two are layered together before swirling the sauce through the creamy ice cream, creating a rich and delicious frozen treat. Extra peanut butter sauce can be warmed and served on top for an additional hit of nuttiness.

You can follow this recipe for the vanilla base, which includes heavy cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract, or make your own recipe. Keep in mind you will need an ice cream maker. Scoop into cones or cups and add your favorite ice cream toppings.

“A dangerously addictive flavor so make this at your own risk of being hooked on it. The sauce itself is pretty great for just adding to other flavors, especially a chocolate based one. So even if you’re not sure about making the ice cream itself, do yourself a favor and try the sauce.” —Noah Velush-Rogers

Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream Recipe/Tester Image
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Ingredients

For the Ice Cream:

  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 4 large egg yolks, beaten

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

Steps to Make It

Make the Ice Cream

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make ice cream

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium heavy-duty saucepan.

    A sauce pan with cream, milk, and sugar

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot.

    A spoon stirring a saucepan of cream, milk, and sugar

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Pour about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly. (This is called tempering.)

    A small bowl of milk mixture with egg yolks

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.

    A sauce pan with egg yolks whisked into the milk mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the hot mixture is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil.

    Hot milk and egg mixture coating the back of a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  7. Strain through a mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the vanilla.

    Strained milk mixture with vanilla added

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  8. Cover and refrigerate until completely cold, about 1 hour. Churn according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Freeze while you make the peanut butter sauce.

    Ice cream maker churning ice cream

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Make the Peanut Butter Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make peanut butter sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Combine the peanut butter, whipping cream, light corn syrup, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

    Warmed peanut butter sauce in a pan

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Transfer to a bowl and chill thoroughly.

    Bowl of chilled peanut butter sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Swirl the Ice Cream

  1. Transfer the finished ice cream to a rectangular container. Dollop 3 to 4 large spoonfuls of the peanut butter sauce evenly over the ice cream.

    Container of ice cream with alternating peanut butter sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Swirl the peanut butter through the ice cream lightly with a knife to create ribbons. Cover and freeze until the mixture is solid, about 1 hour.

    Container of swirled ice cream and peanut butter sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Serve in cones or cups; offer some warmed extra peanut butter sauce to use as a topping, if desired.

    Peanut butter swirled ice cream in a cone topped with extra peanut butter sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
623 Calories
50g Fat
37g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 623
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 50g 63%
Saturated Fat 27g 135%
Cholesterol 237mg 79%
Sodium 160mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 34g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 134mg 10%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 281mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)