Have you ever tried rose water desserts? Try the soothing and refreshing flavor in this irresistibly delicious rose ice cream with our easy recipe. Take it up a notch with pistachios or candied nuts. Top with whipped cream and saffron honey.
This ice cream is very much reminiscent of the flavors in our famous Persian love cake!
Rose Water Ice Cream
I am a rose water fanatic and am always exploring ways to use it in my creations. Of course it lends itself beautifully in dessert recipes like our very popular Persian ice cream, but believe it or not, rose water can also be used in savory recipes like chicken korma.
The rose flavor is absolutely delightful and may seem exotic. But it is actually quiet readily available online or at middle eastern and Indian grocery stores. All you need is an ice cream machine for gourmet rose ice cream, but if you don't have one, I have you covered with an easy no-churn ice cream recipe too.
What's great about this recipe is that it doesn't use artificial colors, but results in a deceptively vibrant pink ice cream. It's the same secret I use to make my lovely pink rose milk - simple beet juice! Although you will not taste any beets at all.
You know what else is good about this recipe? We use no eggs. That's right, I make most of my ice creams without using eggs for thickening the ice cream base. That keeps the rose flavor pure without any eggy odor. And it's a straight forward method with no curdling of the custard base.
Key Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients you need for the recipe.
- Whole Milk: You need the higher fat content for achieving a creamy ice cream texture. To learn more about what makes ice cream soft, check our saffron ice cream.
- Sugar: This is another important ingredient to get the right texture, because it lowers the freezing point and keeps the ice cream softer. So, you cannot reduce the amount of sugar beyond a certain point without compromising on the taste.
- Corn Starch: We use this to thicken the ice cream base, stabilize the mixture and give it a creamy consistency.
- Heavy Cream: The high fat content in the cream supports the incorporation of air while the mixture is being churned and leads to a more creamy and smooth texture.
- A Pinch of Salt: This enhances the sweet taste and balances the flavor. Don't skip it.
- Rose Water: I use 3 to 4 tablespoons of food-grade rose water. If this flavor is new to you, then start with less and adjust it according to your taste as I suggest below.
- Vanilla (Optional): The subtle flavor of vanilla adds a nice touch.
- Beets: This is my secret for the vibrant color. Just simple fresh beet juice. Substitute with pink food coloring or experiment with hibiscus powder.
- Pistachios: I love to use high-quality, unsalted Persian pistachios for their amazing flavor and bright color.
- Optional Ingredients for Candied Nuts: I use whole almonds, maple syrup (or sugar) and ground cardamom or ground cinnamon.
How To Make Rose Ice Cream
Here is a step-by-step overview of the process. The full recipe with measurements is at the end of this blog post.
- Thicken the milk: Heat the milk with sugar and stir in corn starch-milk paste. Simmer until thickened, then let it cool on an ice bath.
- Beet-Rose Water: Blend chopped beets with rose water and strain the juice. Tip: If you want to control the amount of rose water added to the ice cream, do not blend beets with rose water. A minimum of 2 tablespoons of rose water will ensure a good rose flavor in the ice cream.
- Add other ingredients: Add beet-rose water, salt, heavy cream and vanilla to the cooled custard and stir. Tip: To adjust the color to your preference, start with 2 tablespoons of beet-rose water and increase as needed. Don't forget to adjust rose water as per your taste.
- Chill the mixture: Refrigerate the mixture or use an ice bath to cool it.
- Freeze the ice cream: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your ice cream maker. Add pistachios towards the end.
- Candied nuts (optional): Roast the nuts and cool. Then mix them with maple syrup, cardamom, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the syrup caramelizes and coats the nuts. Let them cool.
- Serve: Top ice cream with candied nuts.
Top Tips
Ice Cream Color: When you add color to the ice cream base, go for a shade darker than what you want. While churning the ice cream, the incorporation of air and increasing volume tends to lighten the final color.
Rose Water Aroma: Rose water is intensely fragrant. If you have never used it, I recommend starting with 1 tablespoon and increase it gradually as per taste. But remember that some flavor is lost while freezing.
Quick and Easy Method (Two Ways)
- Using Cream and Condensed Milk: Whip 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold in a can of condensed milk, then stir in beet-rose water and pistachios. Freeze the mixture until it solidifies.
- Using Store-Bought Ice Cream: Combine store-bought vanilla ice cream with beet-rose water (check instructions in the recipe card below, or use food coloring and rose water) and add pistachios. Freeze and serve.
Storage
- Store it in an airtight ice cream container and cover the surface with parchment paper to prevent ice crystal formation.
- For best taste and texture, enjoy it within a week or two. But you can store it in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
- Try storing it in the door section of your freezer, where the temperature is slightly warmer.
How To Serve
Make sure to thaw the ice cream in the refrigerator or at room temperature to soften it before serving. It will also be more easy to scoop.
- With Toppings: Try it with roasted nuts, salted caramel nuts or crushed praline to add a crunch and nutty taste. Rose flavor works great with saffron honey just as we did for falooda. In fact this ice cream is a perfect choice for making falooda.
- Ice Cream Sandwich: Soften the ice cream and spread it in a thick layer between two sturdy waffle cookies, roll the edges in chopped pistachios and freeze. It tastes amazing!
- Chocolate Sauce: Top the ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and roasted almonds. The combination of textures, temperature and flavors will be worth it.
- Sundaes: You can't go wrong with a sundae - add wafers, whipped cream, nuts, chocolate shavings and caramel sauce.
Variations
This ice cream is vegetarian, gluten-free, egg-free, low in sodium, and soy-free. Here are a few suggestions, but I have not tested some.
- Vegan/Dairy-Free Option: Substitute dairy milk with canned full-fat coconut milk, and swap out heavy cream with plant-based alternatives. But these ingredients may add subtle flavors.
- Nut-Free: Skip the pistachios and almonds.
- Healthier Choice: Reduce the amount of cream. Try testing with walnut milk, as we did for the banana ice cream. You can adjust the ratio of cream to walnut milk, but do not lower the cream below 1 cup.
- Other Sweeteners: Instead of sugar, you can try ½ cup of honey.
More Ice Cream Recipes
- Maple Ice Cream (With Pecans)
- Green Tea Ice Cream (With Chia Seeds)
- Hazelnut Gelato (Nocciola Gelato)
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Rose Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- A pinch of salt
- ¼ cup chopped beets or 1 drop pink food coloring, Note 1
- ¼ cup rose water
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ¼ cup pistachios chopped, unsalted
Candied Nuts (optional, recommended)
- ½ cup almonds walnuts or macadamia nuts
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup use less for walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom or ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Optional
- Waffle Cookies
- Rose Petals
Equipment
Instructions
- Dissolve corn starch in ½ cup milk and stir until smooth. In a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk and sugar, bring it to a boil over medium high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, and gradually whisk in corn starch mixture, stirring constantly. Simmer until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Take the pan off the heat and cool in an ice bath.
- Using a food processor, blend chopped beets and rose water until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, to get approximately ¼ cup of beet-rosewater. Tip: If using food coloring, just stir it into rose water.
- Add the beet-rosewater, salt, heavy cream, and vanilla to the cooled custard mixture. Stir until everything is well combined.Tip: Begin with 2 tablespoons of beet-rosewater and adjust color and flavor as per preference.
- Refrigerate the mixture for several hours or overnight. Alternatively, for a quick cooling process, place the saucepan in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water (an ice bath).
- Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the pistachios when the ice cream is beginning to set.
- Serve the rose ice cream with whipped cream, nuts, and decorate with rose petals.
Optional Candied Nuts
- Make the candied almonds while chilling the ice cream base.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake it in the center rack until lightly toasted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Tip: You can also roast nuts in the skillet.
- In a small saucepan, combine maple syrup with roasted almonds, ground cardamom and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon over medium heat. Continue cooking until the nuts are fully coated with the maple syrup, and it starts to caramelize and dry up at the bottom of the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the candied nuts to a plate and allow to cool completely. You can leave the almonds whole or coarsely chop them. Serve the ice cream topped with candied almonds, for more flavor and crunch.
Notes
- Rose Pink Color: I prefer natural rose color from beets, but you can use food coloring as an alternative. Hibiscus powder (½ teaspoon) is another option for coloring the ice cream base.
- Rose Water: If you are new to rose water, start with 1 tablespoon of beet-rose water and adjust to your taste.
- Storage: To prevent ice crystal formation, place parchment paper on top of the ice cream and store it in an airtight container. If possible, store it in the door section of your freezer as the temperature there is slightly warmer.
- Recommended Equipment: I use the ICE-100 Cuisinart model with a built-in compressor; no need to freeze the bowl or chill the mixture overnight. Keep your ice cream soft and prevent ice crystal formation with double-walled Tovolo ice cream tubs.
- For easy no-churn rose ice cream, scroll up the page to the blog post. If you like pistachios, we have another deliciously nutty pistachio gelato.
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