Learn to make authentic Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream just like the kind you’d find in Japan! It’s the perfect treat for a hot day and only requires 3 ingredients.
Red bean, also known as azuki (小豆), is by far the most popular flavor in traditional Japanese sweets. Its prominence in Japanese desserts can be compared to that of chocolate in Western desserts.
Azuki has always been one of my absolute favorite flavors, especially in ice cream, so I want to show you how to make Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream (小豆アイスクリーム) the way we enjoy it in Japan.
Table of contents
What Does Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream Taste Like?
At a glance, azuki beans look similar to black beans, but they are deep red in color with a mildly nutty taste. Red beans also have a light sweetness, making them a perfect ingredient for desserts.
In Japan, red bean-flavored foods are impossible to miss, whether you’re in a bakery, convenience store (konbini), or restaurant. Even after living in the States for many years, the taste of red bean sweets makes me nostalgic for Japan. This homemade red bean ice cream brings back so many great memories of childhood and the summers I spent at my grandpa’s house.
Japanese Ice Cream vs. American Ice Cream
Japanese red bean ice cream is a little different from the ice cream you may be used to, not only because of the unique main ingredient. A key difference is its level of creaminess. The texture of the ice cream is “harder,” similar to an ice bar, and it won’t be as rich and creamy as typical ice cream or soft serve, but it’s satisfying, scoopable ice cream nonetheless. Unlike many ice cream recipes, this one does not call for heavy cream or eggs. All you need is milk, sugar, and red bean. I much prefer this over chocolate ice cream any day!
My favorite toppings are toasted black sesame seeds or a little sweetened condensed milk if you have any. If you crave richer ice cream, the condensed milk on top will give you just that. The sesame seeds add a nutty crunch that complements the azuki flavor wonderfully. If you want to take it one step further, use this as a filling for your Mochi Ice Cream!
Where to Buy Japanese Red Bean (Azuki Beans)
You can find canned red bean paste (called “anko” in Japanese) at any Japanese grocery store. Recently, I’ve noticed other grocery stores beginning to carry it, too! Be sure to keep an eye out in the Asian section of your supermarket.
The store-bought red bean paste is quite sweet, so if you prefer a less sweet option, I highly recommend making your red bean paste from scratch—it’s much easier than you’d think! For this recipe, I stick with the canned option because the other ingredients balance out the sweetness. If you own a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, you can make your red bean paste in just a few easy steps with this recipe.
More Japanese Ice Cream Recipes
- Green Tea Ice Cream
- Soy Sauce Caramel Ice Cream
- Black Sesame Ice Cream
- Mochi Ice Cream
- Yuzu Ice Cream
- Coffee Ice Cream
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Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups whole milk (please use whole milk as we don‘t use heavy cream in this recipe)
- ⅓ cup sugar (adjust to your taste)
- 15 oz sweet red bean paste (anko) (1 can of ogura-an; or make my Homemade Red Bean Paste)
To Serve
- 2 tsp toasted black sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Before You Start…Please note that this recipe requires 8+ hours of chilling, churning, and freezing time.Gather all the ingredients.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1¼ cups whole milk and ⅓ cup sugar.
- Stir and heat the mixture on medium heat. When the sugar is dissolved, add 15 oz sweet red bean paste (anko).
- Whisk the mixture until combined and turn off the heat.
- Prepare ice water in a large bowl. Place the pot of red bean mixture in the ice bath and let the mixture cool completely. Then put the lid on and store it in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours.
- On the following day (or after 4 hours), set up your ice cream maker according to the instructions. My ice cream maker does not require freezing the bowl in advance but I need to run it for 15–20 minutes prior to making ice cream. Please make sure your ice cream bowl is frozen ahead of time. A bowl that isn’t completely frozen will take longer to freeze your ice cream and impact the finished product. If you make homemade ice cream on a regular basis, store your bowl in the freezer once it is clean. It will always be ready for your next batch of ice cream. If you don‘t have an ice cream maker, check out here.
- Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine. Make sure not to fill it more than about two-thirds of the way up. Start churning. Churning ice cream incorporates air into the finished product while it freezes, so you will need some extra room in your freezer bowl.
- The mixture will become thicker and creamier, about 25–30 minutes.
- Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and flatten it with the silicone spatula. Cover the lid and put it in the freezer for at least 3–4 hours. Set freezer temperature to the coldest setting, so the ice cream freezes faster. Optional: Lay plastic wrap directly on top of ice cream and press down gently to prevent ice crystals from forming on top of the ice cream.
- Serve the ice cream and sprinkle with 2 tsp toasted black sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on July 11, 2011. The images and recipe have been updated in January 2021.
I’m not sure why, but the texture turned out a bit… grainy, it’s not smooth. I’ve even been wondering if it’s my ice cream machine since the reviews are so good, but a different recipe came out completely smooth and silky. I’ve used homemade anko (made one day prior, it came out very good) so I wonder if it’s the problem and this ice cream comes out way better using Ogura-An. So I think, to whoever is reading my comment, it’s probably way better to actually pay a bit more and buy canned anko instead of using homemade since I’ve done everything as required and the ice cream is very disappointing. I was really excited for it 🙁
Hi Emil! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We are sorry to hear that the ice cream didn’t come well. The grainy texture probably comes from homemade Anko. Anko has two types, and if you made Tsubuan, it would have a chunky texture with bean shapes still intact. Ogura-An in a can has softer shell/skin.
If you prefer a smooth texture, we recommend making Koshi An.
Here is how to make Koshi An: https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-anko-red-bean-paste/
We hope this helps and you will give it another try.
have you or has anyone made this recipe using Splenda or Swerve? If so, does the paste last as long as when made with sugar? If not, what is the expected shelf life of the paste if using Splenda or Swerve (erythritol, a sugar alcohol that doesn’t loosen other things).
Hi Bj! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
We are sorry that we have never tested with Splenda or Swerve before and not sure how the outcome will be. We wish we can be more helpful.😞
The paste definitely won’t last as long as when made with sugar, but it’s super fine to freeze anko! I would just say to freeze it in a very secure (super tightly closed and air-proof) container though, so it doesn’t lose its taste and try to eat it within a few weeks for the same reason. I’m only a fan of Japanese cuisine, I’ve made it a few times though and it freezes really well so I definitely recommend it instead of keeping it in the fridge, it got bad (molded) after around two weeks when I didn’t freeze it, unfortunately, and it had a lot of sugar in it already
This is quite exciting.
I haven canned red beans available.
Would you have a no-machine recipe as well?
Hi Zurong, We do not have a no-machine recipe on the website, but you can pour the mixture into a baking dish and freeze it. During the first 2~3 hours of the freezing process, you can whisk/mix the mixture every 30 minutes! The ice cream texture may feel slightly different from machine-made, but it will still be good ice cream. We hope this helps and you can enjoy the Azuki ice cream!
Hi,
I was wondering if you used whole or low fat milk.
Thank you,
Lisa
Hi Lisa! Please use whole milk for this recipe! Thank you for trying this recipe.☺️
Will do- thank you!
Cant wait to make this! Just made your mapo tofu and the kids love it! Do you have a recipe for kinako ice cream? Have a great day!
Hi Stacy, Thank you for trying many of Nami’s recipe! We are glad to hear your kid enjoyed Mapo tofu! We currently don’t have a Kinako ice cream recipe on the site. We’ll make sure to add the recipe to Nami’s list. Thanks for your request!
Hi Nami, I was gifted a large amount of azuki beans and have been searching the many different ways to use them. I’m super excited about this recipe, and as a bean lover, it would be amazing to use them for a dessert. Unfortunately, I do not have an ice cream maker and really can’t house another cooking appliance. Is there any way to make this without one? Thank you in advance for any help!
Hi Angela,
The ice cream texture may feel slightly different, but you can pour the mixture into a baking dish and freeze it. During the first 2~3 hours of the freezing process, you can whisk/mix the mixture every 30 minutes.
We hope this helps and you can enjoy the Azuki ice cream!
This is such a good recipe– I think it is better than any store bought red bean ice cream I’ve had. Super easy to make and super delicious.
Hi Bojana! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for your kind feedback!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. I made it with homemade anko, following you recipe. It tastes sooooo good. Thanks a lot ! 🙂
Hi Svetlana! Aww I’m so happy to hear you made the homemade anko AND make this ice cream! Thank you for your kind feedback. I’m happy you enjoyed it. 🙂 xo
Hello, I’m trying to go vegan so I was wondering if you could substitute milk in this recipe with almond milk, or something similar.
Thanks
Hi Erin! I have never tried this recipe with non-dairy product, so I can’t tell for sure. I think you can, but not sure about the consistency and how icy it becomes… Let us know if you have tried it. I’m sure some of readers here are curious to know, too. 🙂
When my husband saw me making this he was skeptical. He picked up the can of beans and made a face like “Yuk.” Then after dinner, when we were settled in to watch a movie, I presented dessert he LOVED it. Black sesame seeds and all. Thank you for another great recipe.
Hi Kimberly! Ahahahaha! That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hi Namiko,
I made the redbean ice cream and it turned out realy delicious. The beans came out of a can but were still more or less complete, So is was not a bean paste. Apparently it was giving a very nice texture and coloring to the icecream. My sun and daughter were realy happy., just love it They also like the macha icecream a lot. Thanks a lot !!!
Storrage of icecraem is inpossible in this house hold, “rats” everywere….
Daniel
Amsterdam
Hi Daniel! I’m so glad to hear yours came out well and your children enjoyed it! My kids love both ice cream too. 🙂 Haha, we don’t get to keep the ice cream for a long time either. Thanks so much for your kind feedback. 🙂
Hiiii (again hihihih) I just feel like i have to leave behind a comment when i tried one of your AMAZING and easy recipies! So here goes! I made this icecream TODAY! I made Anko yesterday, but i sievved the red beans after cooking so i got a smooth paste for in my Daifuku Mochi, BUT i hadnt throw out the peels and the bitts that stayed behind because i thought… hmmm its actually a waste! So then i came across this recipy and i thought, why not give it a try? I made this recipy with the remains of the sievved smooth anko, after the milk brought to the boil i threw it in the blender and pureed it all together. Now i have a smooth icecream yet with a couple of chewy bitts.. Its marvelous! Who knows, maybe you can use what i did for your blog too ^.^
Thank you SO much for all these WONDERFULL recipies!
Lots of Love!!!
Skye
Hi Skye! Thank you for your kind feedback and sharing your tip! It’s wonderful that you used all the azuki beans without wasting any bits! 🙂 Thank you for reading my blog and for your great support. I really, really appreciate it! xo
Hello! I am in culinary school and will be making azuki ice cream for a project. does your ice cream turn out a little “grainy”? It might be the red bean I used. I could not find ogura-an, only Companion (?) brand red bean paste in a can. This did not have any of the whole beans and was just a paste. Is that affecting the texture of my ice cream? Thank you so much! your recipes are wonderful and so authentic. Thank you for providing these great recipes!
Hi Meghan! Hmmm I don’t think I’d describe this ice cream texture as “grainy”. Usually, red bean ice cream has some of beans/skins and not completely paste. For the best result, try with non-paste red bean paste. You can order oguraan on Amazon too, if you’re in the US.
http://amzn.to/1ESe80T
Hope this helps… 🙂
I’m spent most of the morning browsing through your dessert recipes, and this red bean ice cream made me jump for joy! It’s one of my favourite flavours, and I’m glad to see I can recreate it at home. For those who are allergic to dairy products, can almond milk be substituted without affecting the texture too much? Thanks for all the amazing recipes, Nami!
Hi Bianca! Aww thank you so much for checking my recipes! Hope you found some recipes that you are interested. 🙂 I love red bean ice cream as much as green tea ice cream… <3 Hope you enjoy this recipe!
I've never made ice cream with almond milk, but with a quick search online, I found some almond milk ice cream recipes, so I think it's possible. However some articles said it's hard to make it "creamy" and have to add bananas etc to change the texture as almond milk doesn't have enough fat and thin. Hope this helps. 🙂
I made this to go with a red velvet cake for my friends birthday — i even made the red bean paste with your recipe too since i couldn’t find the canned beans, only dried!
It was better than any red bean ice cream i’d ever had in a restaurant, but the opinions all around were that it was too “chunky” so next time i’ll run the bean paste through my food mill first!
Hi Zagmek! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Tsubuan can be a little too hard/coarse for making ice cream, so maybe you can make half paste and keep the other a little chunky for texture. I’m happy to hear you think it was better than one from restaurant. Thank you!!!