Jamaican Carrot Ice-Cream

Jamaican carrot juice is hardly juice. Though it contains carrots, they are usually cooked and blended with sweetened condensed milk, spices and either rum or stout or a combination of both. It tastes more like dessert in a glass. When my mother usually makes it, she makes it so thick that you can eat it with a spoon. When I decided to showcase ice cream recipes for instagram and the blog, I decided to start with a play on Jamaican carrot juice. If you want to try the juice first, I have a recipe for it here. 

Here are a few tips to know before you get started on this ice-cream:

Ice cream base:

This ice cream base, unlike others you will see on the blog, does not have eggs. The function of eggs and egg yolks in ice cream is to help the base to thicken and become the silky texture we are accustomed to. This recipe calls for cooked carrots to be blended into the base so it does not need any additional help from the eggs to thicken and become super smooth. If you use a full fat milk alternative, this ice cream could easily become vegan. I would recommend cashew milk and coconut cream to make this ice cream fully vegan. The non vegan version seen here has two cups of full fat milk and two cups of heavy cream, yielding about one quart of ice cream. 

Praline add-in and substitutes:

I love pralines. I mean what’s not to love? Delicious pecan nuts are toasted and cooked in a caramel like sauce and set into mini candies that are just to die for. I decided to use pralines in this recipe to add texture to the ice cream but I also wanted the candy to carry notes of vanilla and cinnamon throughout the mixture. Pralines are such a good vehicle for that and they really enhance the beautiful flavor of the ice cream base. I roughly chopped the pralines and sprinkled them in layers throughout the ice cream before freezing it. If you can’t get your hands on pecans, use Jamaican almonds or even cut up coconut bits (basically making almond or coconut drops) as add-ins. 

Rum Soaked Raisins:

This is a game changer. If you love rum and raisin ice cream, you will absolutely love the addition of these raisins to this mix. The raisins soaked for about two days and got very plump and spiked in Jamaican white rum. Enough of these could get you tipsy. The length of time the raisins sat in rum was probably too long. For a milder tasting raisin that still has some sweetness, steep it for a shorter amount of time or add sugar or Agave to the rum.  

Kitchenaid Ice Cream attachment:

I’ve had my kitchenaid ice cream attachment for years. It still does a pretty awesome job at churning ice cream. It’s basically a large double bonded metal bowl with liquid between the layers. The attachment has to be set in a freezer for a minimum of 15 hours until the bowl is frozen solid. The ice that forms in the bowl is what will help the cream to churn and become ice cream. Do not attempt making ice cream in this bowl unless it is frozen for the recommended amount of time. You will end up with some version of cold cream and that is not what we are looking for. If you don’t have a kitchenaid stand mixer or attachment, you can purchase an inexpensive ice cream machine on Amazon. I will also be teaching you to make no churn ice creams that do not require an ice cream maker. Stay tuned. 

Temperature notes:

Everything that goes into ice cream before it freezes should be chilled. It’s likely that anything you add to ice cream that is a solid, will start melting the cream around it if it’s not chilled. This will end up causing the ice cream to freeze unevenly. Chill down the pralines and raisins so they are up to temperature before adding them to the ice cream. The milk base needs to also be completely chilled before churning. It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway. Make your ice cream in a room that isn’t too hot. If you don’t have your AC cranked up high, make it in the evening when the temperature is cooler during the summer months. 

Using rum in ice cream:

Using rum in ice cream is tricky. If you use too little rum, you won’t taste it. Too much room will not only be gross, but will prevent the ice cream from freezing. I try not to do more than 3-4 tbsp of rum per quart of ice cream which rounds out to about ¼ cup. Using dark rum is also better than a stronger, more potent white rum. Dark rum is more flavorful and you can use less of it. Rum in ice cream is really delicious and makes for a softer, creamier texture but remember to always measure and use it sparingly. 

Freezing ice cream:

Ice cream will need anywhere from 4-6 hours to freeze. The best container for freezing ice cream is a metal loaf pan. The pan will get cold pretty quickly making it harder for the ice cream to melt and freeze unevenly after churning.  

A good scoop:

After ice cream is frozen it will tend to be a bit hard to scoop at first. Sit the ice cream on the counter so that it can melt a bit before trying to scoop it. Even then, you will need a good scoop. Check out my favorite scoop linked here! 

For this recipe you will need:

Tools:

• Ice cream maker or kitchenaid ice cream attachment
• Medium saucepan
• Blender
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Metal loaf pan
• 2 medium bowls
• Spatula 
• Baking tray
• Parchment paper

Print

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

• 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp real vanilla extract
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Pralines:
• 1 cup pecans
• 2 tsp real vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white granulated sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Raisins:
• ½ cup raisin
• ½ cup white rum

Instructions

1. Add rum and raisins to a class container with a lid and leave for 12-24 hours.
2. Freeze kitchenaid attachment ice cream bowl for 15-24 hours. 
3. On the day you are ready to make the ice cream, wash, peel and chop carrots and set aside. 
4. In a medium saucepan over low heat, add milk, heavy cream, white sugar and brown sugar and slowly dissolve with a large wooden spoon. 
5. While the milk warms slowly, add carrots and vanilla. Stir in salt and allow the milk base to come up to a simmer. Allow the carrots to cook until fork tender. This will take roughly 15-20 minutes. Do not turn the heat any higher than low heat. This should be a low and slow cook in order to keep the cream and milk from splitting. 
6. Pour the milk and carrot mixture into a glass bowl and let it cool at room temperature. 
7. Once the mixture is cooled, place it into the refrigerator and allow it to chill and become cold to the touch. 
8. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. 
9. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 cup of pecans. Toss the pecans constantly with a wooden spoon to keep them from burning. In about 5 minutes, the pecans will become crunchy and fragrant. 
10. Quickly add in butter, and sugar and allow the sugars to start melting. Keep stirring the mixture and then add in milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Constantly stir the nuts and sugar mixture until it reduces and thickens. 
11. Once the mixture looks like caramel and has reduced, use a spoon to drop 5-6 candies onto the parchment lined baking tray. Set the tray aside and allow the candies to set at room temperature. 
12. Once the candies have set, remove the excess sugars around the edges of the candies and rough chop them. Place the chopped candies back on the tray and place the tray in the refrigerator to chill the candies completely. 
13. Take the chilled milk base and carrots from the fridge. Add the mixture to a blender. Add in grated or ground nutmeg and blend until completely smooth. Add in 2 tbsp rum from the soaked raisins and mix in well. Add in apple cider vinegar and mix in well. 
14. Add the mixer attachment to the stand mixer and turn it on. Slowly pour in the blended ice cream base into the frozen bowl and allow it to churn for 20-30 minutes. 
15. Once the ice cream has fully churned, use a spatula to pour half of the mix into the loaf pan. Sprinkle the chopped praline mix and half of the raisins on top. Pour the second half of the mix into the loaf pan and top with more chopped praline and raisins. Give the mix a swirl with a spatula to coat all of the nuts and raisins in the cream. Freeze ice cream mix for 4-6 hours. Scoop and serve in a bowl or on a cone. Enjoy!