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.
Thank you so much for translating and sharing this recipe, Nami. The first time I had black sesame ice cream was earlier this year in a favorite restaurant in Honolulu, and I adored it. Though there are several recipes on the web, yours looked the most interesting, with adding the crushed seeds. I made this last weekend for a small gathering at home and everyone loved it! I especially loved tempering the eggs in my KitchenAid mixer (so much easier) and adding the whipped cream at the end is my new favorite method for making frozen desserts. Again, thank you so much for sharing this—I’ll definitely be making this again!
Hi Christine! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!😍
Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Yes! We hope you make this again!😊
Hi! I have the mixture chilling in the fridge now. Can’t wait to taste the finished product! I was curious – I’ve made other ice cream recipes and usually just add in the heavy cream at the end, or heat it with the milk and egg yolk mixture in the custard making phase. What does whipping it and then folding it in at the end do? Does it make the ice cream creamier? I think I may have overwhipped the heavy cream today, though. 🙁 Hope that does not mess up the final product.
Hi Cindy! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We hope you enjoyed homemade Black Sesame Ice Cream!
The reason for whipping the cream is that the cream will be more creamy, soft, and light finish, making the ice cream texture better.
Of course, you can make ice cream without whipping the cream, but we hope you enjoyed this method as well. 🙂
I made this. I almost always have to cut the sweetness by 50-75% for recipes I find as I am really sensitive to it, so I cut it here a little, maybe 15%, and it was perfect, so even full strength would’ve been good. Kudos to you and thanks for such a well-balanced profile of a wonderful non ordinary flavor.
Hi Minh, We are so happy to hear you enjoyed this ice cream! Thank you for trying this recipe and for sharing your experience with us.
I’d like to try it without sugar, any tips?
Hi Nami! Love all your recipes! Question on the milk/heavy cream – any way you can do a recipe version for non-dairy milk? I became lactose intolerant 2 years ago but I love sesame ice cream. Would be great to know what other alternatives I can use and what the measure would be. Thank you!
Hi Yaris, Thank you very much for trying many of Nami’s recipe! We haven’t tried this recipe with alternatives, but it might work with coconut milk. Let us know how it goes!
Thanks. Just for general knowledge, usually (if not always) Black Tahini is made of Nigella and NOT of black sesame, which results with a completely different taste. So you might want to check the ingredients before buying it.
Hi Namiko! I tried making this black sesame ice cream just now. Followed the recipe to the t. Whisk the whip cream to stiff peak too. However, i’m not sure why is the ice cream mixture runny? It was thick enough when i cooked the milk etc and custard.
Hi Stefany! Mine is runny at Step 12. But once you pour into the ice cream maker and run, it should solidify.
This turned out DELICIOUS! I used a extra cream because I had a little extra left and didn’t waste it, excluded the raw sesame seeds, and just stuck with the paste. Tastes better than the black sesame mochi balls I get at restaurants. I would recommend it for all of the effort! I think whipping the cream before adding it into the ice cream makes it extra creamy. 10/10 would reccomend!!
Hi Yuliya! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi,
I’m about to attempt this ice cream as blakc sesame and peanuts have been the flavors of the season for me. I just wanted to ask if i could reduce the sugar or substitute it. My dad is borderline diabetic and loves his desserts, so would love to make it so that he can eat it.
Hi Manvinder! I understand that sugar is needed to make creamy ice cream but I’m sure you can reduce a bit. Unfortunately, I haven’t tried it yet so please give it a shot. Hopefully, you’ll find a good amount that keeps the ice cream delicious but also healthier. 🙂
Made your matcha ice cream recipe this morning and decided to do this one in the afternoon! It’s so creamy and easy. Black sesame flavor is so strong!
Hi Joyce! Aww I’m jealous! You now have two flavors in your freezer! Thank you so much for trying these two recipes and for your kind feedback. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi,
I am wondering why since the homemade recipe for black sesame paste is essentially the same as adding more crushed sesame seeds and honey to the ice cream base, that you need to bother with the extra step of making the paste.
Also, is it really essential to pre-whip the cream. Typically ice cream recipes don’t call for that step. Is it to keep the seeds suspended better?
I lived in Japan for 13 years and this is my first attempt at making this ice cream.
Thank you.
Lori
Hi Lori! Here are my answers to your questions:
1) The ground sesame seeds and sesame paste are different and they are not the same. When you make a paste, the oil from sesame comes out and with the additional oil, it is a wet ingredient (like you see in the bottom left corner of the picture).
2) I can’t say much about the whipping heavy cream as this is not my original recipe (the recipe source is mentioned in my Note. it’s the recipe on a Japanese website.).
Does the cream really need to be whipped to make ice cream? It seems redundant!
Hi Bethy! Hmm I had never tried it otherwise for this recipe. If you didn’t whip the cream, let us know how it goes! 🙂
Nami, thanks for your response in my email. I did complete the recipe without whipping the cream…so far, very delicious! Its still hardening in freezer but husband “helped” by licking the ice cream blade attachment from the machine and says “very good!”
I hope consistency will be good. This is the 3rd ice cream ive made in 2 days! 1.) green tea 2.) ginger 3.) black sesame!
We are hostimg japanese themed dinner party this weekend. Dessert MIGHT stand out above the Tonkotsu ramen 😉
Hi Bethy! Oh that’s wonderful! And your 3 kinds of ice cream collection is phenomenal. I think everyone will remember your homemade ice cream!! Have a lovely dinner party this weekend!
Hi Nami,
When I cook it the mixture till 83C, it still has not thickened, shud I cook it further till it coats back of spoon but then the temperature will be more than 83C
Hi JS! To bring up to that temperature is to make sure egg is safe to consume. If you dip the spoon and it gets thin coat of the mixture, you’re good to go. You can swipe off the coating with a finger and it creates a trace of finger swipe… that’s good. 🙂 . Hope this helps!
Hi Nami, I made your matcha ice cream recipe and absolutely loved it, so I’m trying this one next. Do you think I can make this ice cream using just milk, cream and sugar like the matcha recipe?
Hi Elaine! I’m happy to hear you liked the matcha ice cream recipe! I think it will work (but never tried it myself). Probably not as creamy. Let me know if you give it a try!
Hi Nami, thank u for the recipe. I’m tried it without using ice cream machine. I’m waiting for the end result now.
Hi Felissia! I hope you enjoyed the result! 🙂 Thank you for trying this recipe!
Hi Nami…
i hv tasted the end result this morning. The black sesame ice cream tastes really good. Eventho i didnt use ice cream maker, i can scoop the ice cream (a bit harder than usual, but still OK). Thank you again ^__^
Hi Felissia! I’m glad to hear you liked it and the ice cream wasn’t too hard. 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback!
Thank you for this recipe! I made daifuku using your video and filled some of them with this ice cream. Delicious! I will definitely be making this again and I can’t wait to share this as a surprise with my family. It came out just the right texture and with a wonderful strong nutty flavor even while cold. Brilliant!
Hi Vira! Thanks so much for trying my recipes! I have made black sesame mochi ice cream too, so I know how wonderful it is! It’s very time consuming but it’s so yummy… 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback!