Creamy, nutty, sweet, and somewhat savory, this homemade Black Sesame Ice Cream has got it all! Enjoy the unique flavor of Japanese ice cream at home with my easy recipe.
Have you tried Japanese flavored ice creams such as Green Tea Ice Cream and Red Bean Ice Cream? I have another Japanese-flavored ice cream for you today, and it’s Black Sesame Ice Cream (黒ゴマのアイスクリーム).
Sesame seeds might seem unusual ice cream flavor, but for Japanese and Asian cuisine, black sesame flavor is commonly used in desserts.
Black Sesame Flavored Desserts
Popular desserts include black sesame macarons, purin (pudding), chiffon cake, mochi, bread, ice cream, and more. Chinese cuisine has black sesame sweet soup and mochi dumpling with black sesame filling. Black sesame is unique in the way it changes the dynamic of a dessert completely. Ordinary-looking desserts are transformed into a peculiar dark gray color, and it surprises you with a unique nutty toasty flavor.
Black Sesame Paste
One of the key ingredients for this black sesame ice cream is the black sesame paste. A jar of black sesame paste is sold at Japanese grocery stores or on Amazon.
With toasted black sesame seeds, you can make the paste yourself easily using a food processor.
Japanese Black Sesame Paste vs. Black Tahini
The black tahini is a common ingredient used in Middle Eastern cuisine. It is also called the sesame paste or sesame butter, but the difference is black tahini doesn’t require toasting the sesame seeds. After being pulverized into a paste, it is mixed with sesame oil and a little bit of salt.
For making Japanese sweets, you should be able to substitute with black tahini but bear in mind that it is unsweetened and may have a more pronounced bitter flavor. It is also more liquid because of the sesame oil. So you will want to add some honey and make any necessary adjustments if needed.
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Black Sesame Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds
- 1⅔ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 3 Tbsp black sesame paste (or learn How to Make Black Sesame Paste from scratch)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 200 ml heavy (whipping) cream (¾ cup + 4 tsp)
- ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- If the black sesame seeds are not roasted yet, put the sesame in a (nonstick) frying pan over medium heat and stir until they start popping. They will release a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and cool.
- Grind 2 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds very finely.
- Whisk ⅓ cup sugar and 3 large egg yolks together until pale yellow.
- Add in 2 Tbsp honey, the ground black sesame seeds, and 3 Tbsp black sesame paste. Whisk until well combined.
- Microwave 1⅔ cups whole milk until hot throughout (or bring it to simmer in a small pot) and add to the sesame mixture in a slow stream. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds.
- Transfer the mixture into the small pot. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and reaches around 176ºF (80ºC). Don’t exceed 181ºF (83ºC) since the egg yolk will cook. To avoid salmonella, the egg must be cooked for at least 1 minute over 167ºF (75ºC).
- Remove from heat and cool down the pot in a large bowl filled with iced water. Add 1 tsp pure vanilla extract.
- Clean the stand mixer bowl and now whisk together 200 ml heavy (whipping) cream (¾ cup + 4 tsp) and ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt until peaks form.
- Add the whipped cream into the cooled sesame mixture.
- Fold in but do not overmix it. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) until completely cold.
- Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions (usually about 25 minutes). Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze it for several hours before serving.
- If you are not going to use an ice cream maker, then transfer the mixture to a container and put it in a freezer. Stir every few hours (3–4 times) to break up the ice crystals until it’s completely frozen.
Your photos are gorgeous! Wow, this sounds sooo cool and unique! I mean, I`ve read it at restaurant menus before, but never gave them a chance. However, these look great!
Nami, your black sesame ice cream is definitely perfect for this hot summer. Also, there are health benefits of eating black sesame. A great ice cream recipe. Thank you!
Dear Nami,
This post brings back so many fond memories of our jelly mould competition, I suddenly feel nostalgic all over again because you were with us all the way during that time.
We love black sesame for its flavour and also in Japanese desserts and I think this is such a beautiful let alone tasty end to a nice meal. I love your bowl and the way you have garnished this dessert.
http://chopinandmysaucepan.com/day-23-get-your-jelly-on-black-sesame-ice-cream-with-summer-berries
Oh wow! I would LOVE to try this because I got to taste this flavor of ice cream in a Korean restaurant and it was soooo good I couldn’t have enough of it 😀
What beautiful looking ice cream Nami and I love how you’ve presented it. Those little balls are perfect and gorgeous and the splash of green just finishes off the presentation beautifully. I can’t imagine the taste of this ice cream but I really love the colour xx
I’m fairly certain I had something with black sesame paste while in China, but I can’t remember exactly what dish. I loved the nutty flavor! Beautiful styling, you played up the exquisite color of this ice cream perfectly!
Nami, your photography continues to astound me. Love that sort of eerie (in a good way!) blueish gray color! I love black sesame ice cream. Have you tried black sesame porridge? I make that from time to time. 🙂
I adore this, Nami. I bet the flavor is so rich, and I love the deep color. Well-done!!
This is incredible, Nami! Wow! I love, love flavor of black sesame seeds, but never thought about using it in the ice-cream! This is something completely new and very delicious looking photos! Congrats on the guest post!
Wow the colour really draws you in! it is so dramatic, I just love it! I have never tried this flavour but I really want to…thanks for the great recipe!
Wow. That ice cream looks intense. Great photography!
Yes! I LOVE Black Sesame anything!! Soup, rolls, tong yuan, etc. I can’t wait to make this Nami! ^_^
What a great ice cream!! I bet it’s the perfect texture.
Nami, I just saw you guest posting on Spicie Foodie earlier today and was drooling over this ice cream – amazing! The color and texture is incredible and I never knew it was possible to make ice cream with sesame… Love this…
Just wanted to drop by and let you know I’m featuring this post in Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and it’s always a pleasure following you…
Nami this looks incredible! I wish I had some right now. I love trying unique ice cream flavors. Thank you so much for bringing our attention to the photography tutorials on Spicy Foodie’s site. I’ve Pinned that page and will go back and read through them all. I need the help!