Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream (with Chocolate Chips)

One of the most famous ice cream flavors in Vietnamese cuisine is of course Vietnamese coffee ice cream. It’s the perfect frozen representation of Ca Phe Sua Da or Vietnamese iced coffee. My version uses an ice cream machine (churn method), but I also included instructions to make this without an ice cream machine (no churn method).

It feels like summer in LA, so it’s that time of year where I brush off my ice cream machine and starting churning some ice cream. A flavor that I can’t believe I haven’t done yet is Vietnamese coffee ice cream. Like durian, Vietnamese coffee or Ca Phe Sua Da in general is a favorite flavor among Vietnamese families. I decided to give it a little something extra by adding chocolate chips to the ice cream! Chocolate and coffee is always an amazing combination.

Important deets about key ingredients

• Espresso powder – Espresso powder is what I use to give all my coffee flavored desserts their coffee flavor like in my Vietnamese coffee macarons. I personally use King Arthur espresso powder. I would highly recommend using high quality espresso powder, not coffee grounds. I’ve tried using coffee grounds in testing, and it doesn’t work as well. If you want to use coffee grounds or instant coffee, use at least 2 tbsp.
• Condensed milk – Condensed milk is a huge part of Vietnamese coffee, so I had to include it in this recipe. It adds sweetness to the ice cream base. It also makes the ice cream a lot creamier. Use any kind of condensed milk you can find!
• Whole milk & Heavy Cream – Adds creaminess and richness to the ice cream. In testing, I found that using more heavy cream than whole milk makes the ice cream more creamy and it also helps it freeze better.
• Vanilla extract – Adds flavor to the ice cream. You can substitute with 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean.
• Dark chocolate – This is an optional ingredient, and adding the chocolate chips is an optional step, but I think it takes amazing with coffee! I use 56% cacao Bakers chocolate bars.

Tips on how to make the perfect Vietnamese coffee ice cream

Temper your eggs

Just like in creme brûlées, it is important to temper your eggs for the cream. Add eggs straight to hot cream will cook your eggs, turning them into an omelette. Add 1/4 cup of hot cream to your egg and sugar mixture. Whisk until everything is well combined and no white streaks remain. Now, it is safe to add your egg mixture to the hot cream.

Make sure your Vietnamese coffee ice cream is cold before churning

You will get better results if your cream is cold. Put your finished cream into the refrigerator for at least hours to cool it down before adding it to the ice cream machine. This might seem like a lot, but in testing, I found the colder your ice cream base is, the creamier your ice cream will be.

Be careful not to over churn

The maximum amount of time you should churn your ice cream is 20 minutes. In my testing, I found that the more you churn your ice cream, the harder it becomes. A done ice cream will have the consistency of something slightly harder than soft serve.

How to make no churn Vietnamese coffee ice cream

You can find a more detailed explanation in my Vietnamese rocky road recipe on how to make this ice cream recipe using the no churn method, but here is a brief summary. Combine 14 oz of condensed milk with 2 tbsp of espresso powder and set aside. Whip heavy cream with a stand or hand mixer until stiff peaks. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream into the espresso condensed milk and mix until well combined. Once mixed, gently fold the rest of the heavy cream into the mixture. Transfer the cream into a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours. I like to do it overnight.

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