Roasted Fig & Goat Cheese Ice Cream
This ice cream is perfect this time of year when fresh figs are plentiful. If you have some fresh ripe figs, make roasted fig ice cream with goat cheese. It’s such a perfect seasonal treat with wonderful rich flavors of fig and tangy goat cheese. Give this homeamade ice cream recipe a try if you’re obsessed with figs like we are!
Roasted Fig Ice Cream Recipe with Goat Cheese
Before we ever get off a plane to a new city, we’re researching some of the best places to eat. Our love of food extends to every corner of the city. Some would call it an obsession, but it’s simply a fun way to devour each city’s unique food culture, specialties and dishes. The search for great handmade ice cream continues and so far, each city we’ve visited has a great representation of a sweet scoop.
Is it even possible to have ice cream overload? Apparently not for us. Well, at least not yet.
Some of our favorite trips had us venturing to Amy’s Ice Cream in Austin, Three Twins Ice Cream in Point Reyes, Lappert’s Ice Cream in Palm Springs and our latest treasure find was The Penny Ice Cream Company in Santa Cruz. If you ever venture to this coastal town of Santa Cruz, please promise us you’ll stop by The Penny Ice Cream Company. The burnt salted caramel is to die for! And putting up with the intense dessert heat of Palm Springs is worth all the sun burns if you venture to Lappert’s Ice Cream. The soft, pillow-ly texture of Lappert’s is incredible.
Video: Making Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Ice Cream
Homemade Fig Ice Cream is So Good
When we’re not on the road and hunting for the city’s ice cream, we’re whipping up different batches at home. It doesn’t take much to make a batch of homemade ice cream. A little patience, some thought, fresh ingredients and sweet fruit is all it takes to enjoy a truly fresh and homemade scoop of sweet joy.
Over the last month we’ve been indulging in super sweet black mission figs, thus the inspiration for this Roasted Fig Ice Cream. The sugar content and flavor on these little beauties is hard to resist when it comes to making ice cream. Coupled with some leftover goat cheese in our fridge, the timing was perfect to whip up a batch of ice cream.
Roasting Figs for Ice Cream
Slow roasting figs in the oven bring out the flavors and sweetness of this wonderful fruit. Adding the creamy tang of goat cheese to this magical fig compote mixture makes a wonderfully fresh and elegant ice cream. Even beyond the sound of it’s elevated status, this ice cream is incredibly satisfying. Go make yourself of batch of this Roasted Fig Ice Cream or whatever it is that your heart desires. Why? because Summer is still alive in our part of the world.
Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Ice Cream
Ingredients
Goat Cheese Ice Cream
- 8 ounces (225 g) fresh goat cheese
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) milk
- 2/3 cup (135 g) sugar
- 10 egg yolks
- pinch kosher salt or sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) bourbon (optional – but it does make the ice cream a bit softer and tastier) – you can also use vanilla extract
Roasted Fig Puree
- 1/2 pound (225 g) ripe figs
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) balsamic vinegar , divided
- 1 Tablespoon (15 g) brown sugar , or to taste (depends on how ripe & sweet your figs are)
Equipment
Instructions
Make Custard
- Crumble the goat cheese into a large bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a bare simmer.
- While the cream heats, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. After the cream is heated, gradually whisk some of the cream into the egg yolks.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to cooking over medium heat. Stirring constantly and scraping the bottom as you stir, heat the custard until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spatula, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and optional bourbon to taste and remove from the heat.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the custard over the bowl of crumbled goat cheese. Gently whisk the goat cheese into the custard until it is smooth. Cool the custard for 15 minutes over an ice bath, stirring frequently. Place everything in the fridge to finish chilling completely, at least 3 hours.
While the custard cools, make the roasted fig puree (this can also be done ahead of time)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C.
- Slice the tough stems off of the figs then slice the figs into quarters. Place the figs in a baking dish and toss with one Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Cover the baking dish with foil and roast for 15-20 minutes or until the figs are soft.
- When cool enough to handle, puree the figs in a food processor or blender with the remaining balsamic vinegar (feel free to add more balsamic to taste). Put puree in a bowl and place in fridge to cool until ready to mix into ice cream.
Churning
- Begin freezing a container to put finished ice cream in.
- Churn ice cream custard in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Scoop about half of ice cream into prepared frozen container. Spoon a couple heavy lines of fig puree over the ice cream. Layer in the second half of the ice cream. Spoon another couple heavy lines of fig puree over the ice cream. Cut through the lines of fig puree with a spatula or spoon to spread the streaks of fig puree through the churned ice cream.
- Server or freeze until ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Our Favorites for Ice Cream
More Easy Fig Recipes:
- Roasted Figs with red wine and sage
- Baked figs with bacon and blue cheese
- Sticky fig and blueberry crisp
- Fig balsamic recipe for your favorite cheese board!
- Fruity fig bruschetta
Originally published in 2013 and updated last in 2023.
Wow this was incredible! The creamy flavors of goat cheese really came through. Very elegant and worth the time.
I’m a big fan of fig so this ice cream recipe is just to die for. I’m so happy to find this recipe.
Just made this and wow… amazing. Used a goat cheese with hints of honey, a really nice aged balsamic and a shot of Blantons bourbon. Jeni’s lookout!
Tastes more like cheesecake than ice cream. A delicious, rich, frozen cheesecake.
As we could not find fresh figs, we used dried. Still delicious.
Thanks Sarah! So glad that they worked out with dried figs.
Made this for a cheese and wine party without an ice cream maker. Turned out amazing. We added bourbon to kick it up a notch. It was amazing and definitely the hit of the party.
Hi, just wanted to mention that Austin natives may argue that Lick Ice Creams has done much better than Amy’s. I actually came to this page in an effort to find a recipe similar enough to their goat cheese, thyme, and honey flavor so that I may try to recreate it at home. Also, Creole Creamery has carried a roasted fig and goat cheese flavor, too, if you’re looking to discover a few more great ice cream shops. Thanks for the recipe!
I agree, Lick is my favorite local ice cream stop. Their Horchata ice cream is what dreams are made of… Not to mention they have the best dairy free options for those with allergies or that are vegan.
Hello, ice cream of my dreams! This looks and sounds absolutely incredible! 🙂
Started a batch of this tonight! Update tomorrow, when it’s ready to be eaten. 🙂
Oh wow, an amazing blog you have here! I just discovered your site through the Food & Wine Digital Awards (I’m also amongst the 12 recipients). So glad I found you here, I will definitely follow you now!
Happy cooking & styling!
Anne
What a great looking ice cream recipe -I’m excited to try it, especially with the figs!
Mmm this looks good. I’ve made vanilla ice cream with fig swirl before, and I loooved it. I’m sure the goat cheese is a nice addition.
wow. This sounds absolutely incredible!!!!!! what a great idea!
I imagine the ice cream will be as delicious as your photos. Thank you for this, Charles
Bring on summer so I can make this!
This sounds amazing! And that’s coming from the girl who’s not so keen on anything goat-y 🙂
Just lovely! I first tried goat cheese in ice cream as a result of a Christina Tosi recipe from Milk Bar – it makes for a wonderful frozen flavor agent! And with the sweet, plump seasonal figs, I can only imagine ever putting my spoon down…