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Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream

Orange creamsicle ice cream made with an egg yolk vanilla custard and vivid orange syrup swirled in the last minutes of churning for a classic creamsicle look. Bright citrus color twists through creamy white vanilla ice cream with an easy, nostalgic summer-ice-cream method.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vanilla custard base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar divided; use 1/2 cup for tempering
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Orange syrup swirl
  • 0.5 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp orange zest
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar remaining 1/4 cup
  • 1 Orange food coloring (optional) only if you want a more vivid orange color

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 small saucepan
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 strainer

Method
 

Make the vanilla base
  1. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk until steaming, not boiling, then pull off the heat for a moment.
  2. Whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks beaten with 1/2 cup sugar to temper, then return the mixture to the heat.
  3. Cook, stirring, until the custard reaches 175F—when it coats the back of a spoon—then strain it into a clean container.
  4. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt, then cool completely to room temperature before churning.
Make the orange syrup
  1. Combine the fresh orange juice, orange zest, and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan.
  2. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly syrupy, then cool completely.
Churn and swirl
  1. Churn the vanilla custard in an ice cream maker until thick and the texture holds soft-melt form.
  2. In the last 2 minutes of churning, drizzle in the orange syrup and stop mixing before it fully combines to keep visible swirls.
Freeze
  1. Transfer the ice cream to a container, layering spoonfuls to maintain the swirl pattern.
  2. Freeze at least 4 hours until firm enough to scoop.

Notes

Pro tip: cool both the custard and orange syrup completely before churning so the custard thickens evenly and the orange stays streaky. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge 10–15 minutes for easier scooping. Freezing is recommended (it’s the final step). For a lighter option, substitute half-and-half for some of the heavy cream, but the texture may be slightly softer and less rich.