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Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream

Orange creamsicle ice cream made with a silky vanilla custard churned until thick, then swirled with a quick orange zest syrup. Bright citrus color twists through creamy white ice cream for that frozen creamsicle cross-section in every scoop.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 510
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vanilla custard base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar divided
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Orange swirl syrup
  • 0.5 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp orange zest
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar remaining 1/4 cup
  • 1 Orange food coloring (optional) add a drop or two for a more vivid orange, if desired

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 small saucepan

Method
 

Make the vanilla base
  1. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk until steaming, then whisk into the egg yolks beaten with 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
  2. Return the mixture to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches 175F.
  3. Strain the custard, then whisk in vanilla extract and salt and cool completely.
Make the orange syrup
  1. In a small saucepan, combine fresh orange juice, orange zest, and the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
  2. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly syrupy, then cool completely.
Churn and swirl
  1. Churn the vanilla custard in an ice cream maker until thick.
  2. In the last 2 minutes, drizzle in the orange syrup and do not fully mix to keep visible swirls.
Freeze to set
  1. Transfer to a container and layer spoonfuls to maintain the swirl pattern.
  2. Freeze at least 4 hours until firm.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, chill the custard completely before churning and make sure the orange syrup is also fully cool. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks; for best scoopability, let sit 5 minutes at room temperature. Freezing is yes—though the swirl may soften slightly over time. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of the heavy cream (texture will be less rich but still swirls well).