Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Rich salted caramel ice cream made with a dark homemade caramel, cream, milk and egg yolks, finished with flaky sea salt. The deeply cooked caramel gives a bittersweet edge, and the custard churns into a smooth, scoopable ice cream.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 20 min Total: 340 min Serves: 6

At a glance: This medium desserts recipe yields 6 servings in about 5h 40m (20 min prep, 20 min cook). It uses 7 ingredients — including granulated sugar, water, heavy cream — and walks through 7 steps. Updated October 24, 2026. Browse more desserts recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Shop links in the ingredient list are affiliate links and do not change the recipe.

Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream: When preparing this desserts recipe, store-bought caramel sauces and ice cream mix-ins can contain gluten ingredients, so read the labels. Hot caramel causes serious burns, so keep children away while it cooks.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream: This ice cream is cream, milk, eggs, sugar and salt, with no flour. Use vanilla labeled gluten-free, and check the labels on any store-bought caramel sauce or mix-ins you add.

Scale Recipe:

servings

Ingredient amounts update automatically

Ingredients

Shop links on this page are for granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract. Buy the package that says gluten-free. A shared production line is the usual risk with these pantry items. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Confirm the product is labeled gluten-free before you buy.

3/4 cup granulated sugar Shop
2 tbsp water
2 cups heavy cream, warmed
1 cup whole milk
5 large egg yolks
1 tsp flaky sea salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp pure vanilla extract Shop

Instructions

1 Have an ice bath ready in a large bowl, with a smaller bowl and a fine-mesh sieve set in it.
2 Put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook without stirring, swirling the pan, until the sugar melts and turns deep amber, 8-10 minutes.
3 Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the warm cream; it will bubble up and steam hard, so stand back. Return to low heat and stir until any hardened caramel dissolves. Stir in the milk.
4 Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the hot caramel cream, then pour it all back into the pan.
5 Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the spoon. Cook the custard to 170-175°F (77-80°C), which thickens it and heats the yolks well past the 160°F food-safety point. Do not let it boil.
6 Strain into the bowl over the ice bath, stir in the salt and vanilla, and stir until cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
7 Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions, then freeze for 1-2 hours until firm enough to scoop. Taste and sprinkle with a little more flaky salt to serve.

Tips & Notes

Cook the caramel to a deep amber, the color of an old penny. Pale caramel makes the salted caramel ice cream taste only sweet.
Warm the cream before adding it to the caramel. Cold cream makes the hot sugar seize and splatter more.
Add the salt after cooking and taste the cold base before churning. Salted caramel ice cream should taste a little too salty at this stage, since freezing dulls flavors.

Common questions

How long does Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream take?

Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream takes about 5 hours 40 minutes, including resting time: 20 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook, for 6 servings.

What should I check before making Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream with celiac disease?

Written with gluten-free ingredients. Use products labeled gluten-free, check labels, and ask your clinician about your own needs.

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream?

Check granulated sugar, water, heavy cream, warmed before they go into Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream. Store-bought caramel sauces and ice cream mix-ins can contain gluten ingredients, so read the labels. Hot caramel causes serious burns, so keep children away while it cooks.

How should leftover Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream be stored?

Add the salt after cooking and taste the cold base before churning. Salted caramel ice cream should taste a little too salty at this stage, since freezing dulls flavors.

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Gluten Free Recipes team

Gluten-free recipe development since 2026

Recipes include certified gluten-free ingredient guidance and cross-contamination notes. Check every label and use certified gluten-free products. Learn more about us.

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