Peach Crisp Ice Cream

Creamy homemade vanilla ice cream, 4-ingredient peach compote and a delicious brown sugar crisp make for the perfect summer frozen treat: Peach Crisp Ice Cream! This recipe is adapted from the Blackberry Crisp Ice Cream in our cookbook and it's always a huge hit.

Your favorite peach dessert, in ice cream form!

I'm usually a cookie dough ice cream kind of gal, but this peach crisp ice cream is really doing it for me this summer. I'm pretty certain you'll love this one, too.

Fruit cobblers and crisps are up there in my all-time favorite desserts (see: apple crisp and strawberry rhubarb crisp!). A crisp, especially, because let's be honest, who doesn't love a buttery, sugary streusel? (I'm totally guilty of picking a few bites of streusel off the top of these cherry pie bars before they're fully cooled.)

When we were first testing the blackberry version of this recipe for our cookbook, we knew the streusel was the most important part to get right. A vanilla ice cream base is pretty easy, and so is the fruit compote swirl. The crisp, however, had to be crispy enough that it didn't get soggy once it was mixed into the ice cream.

It took a few tests to get it right, but the final version definitely stays super crisp AND tastes incredible. The recipe below actually makes more than you need in the ice cream, but we did that for a reason. Reason being: you'll definitely just want to snack on it by the handful. (Also makes for a great yogurt topping!)

Key Ingredients & Equipment Needed for Peach Crisp Ice Cream

• Ice cream maker: This $70 ice cream maker is the one we use and it works great!
• Peaches: Fresh or frozen will work – just make sure they're super ripe.
• Egg yolks: This is what makes good quality ice cream so creamy and rich. And don't worry about safety – they're heated to 175˚F.
• Heavy cream and whole milk: Don't substitute lower fat alternatives – these are necessary for the creamiest consistency.
• Lemon juice and zest: We add a little to the peach compote to brighten up the flavor. These are both optional and can be omitted.

How to Make Peach Crisp Ice Cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Prepare the ice cream machine per the machine instructions. 
2. To make the ice cream base, in a medium pot over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, milk and sugar and stir well. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then reduce the heat to low. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks. While whisking, slowly pour in ½ cup of the hot cream mixture. Then, slowly stream the egg mixture into the pot with hot cream, whisking constantly over low heat. 
4. Stir in the vanilla and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken. The target temperature is 175˚F (if you go higher, the eggs will curdle). 

5. Once thickened, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl, then refrigerate to cool. 
6. To make the crisp, add the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt to a bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and using your hands, work it into the dry ingredients until evenly distributed. Spread the mixture onto a small baking sheet into an even layer and press it gently into one piece. 

7. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until golden brown. If it's starting to brown too much around the edges, you can reduce the oven temperature to 300˚F to finish baking it. Let cool in the sheet pan, then break it into small pieces (with your hands or a knife). This will make more than the ice cream needs, but we make extra because it's so delicious for snacking! 

8. While the crisp is baking, make the compote. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peaches break down and start to thicken, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge. 

9. Once the ice cream base is fully cooled, pout it into the ice cream maker and start churning. Most machines will take 20-30 minutes to churn. Once the ice cream is done, transfer half of it to a loaf pan. Add in half the peach compote and a handful of crisp, then swirl it into the ice cream. Repeat with the remaining ice cream, peach compote, and more crisp. 

10. Cover and freeze for about 4 hours, until the ice cream is firm and scoopable. Before serving, let the ice cream thaw at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!

• Use an instant-read thermometer: If you want to take the guesswork out of the custard base, just use a thermometer! Once it hits 175˚F, take it off the heat to prevent curdling. If your ice cream maker doesn't have automatic settings (ours doesn't), you can also use a thermometer to check if it's done. Proper ice cream should be between 21-23˚F.
• On that note...keep a close eye on your custard! It can go from thin to curdled very quickly. We recommend staying by the stove the whole time it's cooking, and whisk it often. If you get a few clumps, it's okay – you can strain them out. But if the entire mixture looks curdled, you'll want to start over.
• Make it dairy free/vegan: We have an easy vegan no churn vanilla ice cream recipe that will work well as the base for this. To make the rest of this vegan, you just have to use dairy free butter of choice in the crisp. Since it's no churn, you'll just have to swirl the mix-ins directly into the base before freezing. Keep in mind that some may sink to the bottom – you can always add more on top once the ice cream is partially frozen. 
• Make your own waffle cones: We totally forgot to buy cones when we were photographing this recipe, so we made our own! We used this waffle cone recipe from our choco tacos, but shaped it into a cone instead of a taco. (Bonus: the recipe uses some of the egg whites that you separated for the ice cream base!)
• Try another fruit: The original version of this recipe in our cookbook is made with blackberries, and it would really work well with any summer fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries – they'll all be delicious!

More Frozen Desserts You'll Love

We can't wait for you to make this Peach Crisp Ice Cream in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

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