Toasted Sesame Honey Ice Cream

Imperial July 4, 2026July 4, 2026

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 1 quart, about 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 9 hours 20 minutes, including steeping, chilling, churning, and freezing

Quick Ingredients

1/2 cup hulled white sesame seeds
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk, plus more if needed after straining
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup mild honey
2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Optional for serving: toasted sesame seeds, honey, and flaky sea salt

Do This

1. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, then cool for 5 minutes.
2. Pulse toasted seeds in a spice grinder or food processor for 30 seconds, just until sandy and aromatic.
3. Heat cream, milk, and ground sesame to 165°F, cover, and steep for 30 minutes.
4. Strain the sesame dairy, pressing firmly; measure and add milk if needed to return to 3 cups.
5. Temper into yolks whisked with sugar and salt, then cook the custard to 175°F.
6. Whisk in honey, tahini, vanilla, and toasted sesame oil; strain, ice-bath 15 minutes, then chill 4 hours.
7. Churn for 22 minutes, pack into a freezer-safe container, and freeze 4 hours before serving.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Deep roasted flavor: Toasted sesame seeds are steeped directly into the dairy for a warm, nutty, almost caramel-like flavor.
Fragrant honey sweetness: Honey brings floral depth and keeps the ice cream scoopable and silky.
Custard-style richness: Egg yolks, cream, and tahini create a smooth, luxurious texture without tasting heavy.
Simple but special: It feels restaurant-worthy, but the method is completely doable in a home kitchen.

Grocery List

Produce: None required
Dairy: Heavy cream, whole milk, large eggs
Pantry: Hulled white sesame seeds, honey, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, tahini, vanilla extract, toasted sesame oil, optional flaky sea salt

Full Ingredients

Toasted Sesame Ice Cream Base

1/2 cup hulled white sesame seeds, preferably fresh and fragrant
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk, plus 1 to 3 tablespoons more if needed after straining
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup mild honey, such as clover, orange blossom, wildflower, or acacia
2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Optional Finishing Touches

1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons honey, slightly warmed for drizzling
1/8 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Toasted Sesame Honey Ice Cream – Closeup

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Toast the sesame seeds

Place 1/2 cup hulled white sesame seeds in a dry medium skillet. Set the skillet over medium-low heat and toast for 7 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan every 20 to 30 seconds. The seeds should turn light golden, smell deeply nutty, and make a gentle crackling sound. Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately pour the seeds onto a plate so they do not keep cooking in the hot pan. Let them cool for 5 minutes.

Keep a close eye on the seeds, especially during the last 2 minutes. Sesame can go from beautifully toasted to bitter very quickly, and this ice cream tastes best when the flavor is roasted and round rather than sharp.

Step 2: Grind the seeds for stronger flavor

Transfer the cooled toasted sesame seeds to a spice grinder, small food processor, or high-powered blender. Pulse for 30 seconds, stopping once or twice to shake the container. You are looking for a coarse, sandy texture, not a fully smooth sesame butter. Grinding breaks the seeds open so their roasted oils can infuse the cream more thoroughly.

If you do not have a grinder, you can crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle for 1 minute, or place them in a zip-top bag and roll firmly with a rolling pin for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Steep the sesame in the dairy

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, and the ground toasted sesame seeds. Warm over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer and is steaming around the edges. Do not let it boil.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it with a lid, and steep for exactly 30 minutes. This resting time is where the dairy takes on the sesame’s deep roasted flavor.

Step 4: Strain the sesame cream

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large measuring cup or bowl. Pour the steeped sesame dairy through the strainer, then press firmly on the sesame solids with a spatula to extract as much flavorful cream as possible. Discard the spent sesame solids.

Measure the strained liquid. You should have close to 3 cups. If you have less than 3 cups, add enough whole milk to bring it back to exactly 3 cups. This keeps the custard balanced and ensures the ice cream freezes with the right texture.

Step 5: Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk 5 large egg yolks, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt for 1 full minute, until the mixture looks slightly lighter and smoother. Set a clean fine-mesh strainer over another bowl and keep it nearby for the finished custard.

The sugar helps protect the yolks during cooking, while the salt sharpens the sesame and honey flavors so the ice cream tastes vibrant rather than flat.

Step 6: Temper and cook the custard

Return the strained sesame cream to the saucepan and warm over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until it reaches 160°F. Slowly pour about 1 cup of the warm sesame cream into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. This gentle step warms the yolks without scrambling them.

Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for about 7 minutes, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom and corners of the pan. The custard is ready when it reaches 175°F and lightly coats the back of the spatula. Do not let it exceed 180°F, or the eggs may curdle.

Step 7: Add the honey, tahini, vanilla, and sesame oil

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup honey, 2 tablespoons well-stirred tahini, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil until fully smooth. Adding the honey off the heat helps preserve its fragrant floral notes, while the tahini reinforces the sesame flavor and adds body.

Pour the custard through the clean fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. This second strain catches any tiny egg bits and helps guarantee a silky finish.

Step 8: Chill the base thoroughly

Set the bowl of custard into a larger bowl filled with ice and cold water. Stir the custard for 15 minutes, until it cools to 45°F or lower. Cover the surface directly with parchment paper or plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavor and texture.

Do not rush this step. A very cold base churns faster, traps smaller ice crystals, and gives you a creamier finished ice cream.

Step 9: Churn and freeze

Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In most countertop machines, this will take about 22 minutes. The ice cream should look like thick soft serve and pull away slightly from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container. For a pretty ripple, drizzle 1 tablespoon warmed honey over the first half of the ice cream, add the remaining ice cream, then drizzle with 1 more tablespoon honey. Use a butter knife to swirl once or twice, keeping the honey in thin ribbons rather than fully mixing it in. Cover tightly and freeze for 4 hours, until firm enough to scoop.

Step 10: Serve with a nutty finish

Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. Serve in chilled bowls or small dessert coupes. Finish each serving with a tiny drizzle of honey, a pinch of toasted white and black sesame seeds, and a few flakes of sea salt if you like a sweet-salty finish.

Pro Tips

Use fresh sesame seeds: Sesame seeds contain oils that can turn stale. If they smell dusty or bitter before toasting, replace them.
Choose a gentle honey: Strong buckwheat honey can overpower the sesame. Clover, orange blossom, wildflower, or acacia honey works beautifully.
Do not skip the thermometer: Custard texture depends on temperature. Aim for 175°F, and keep the custard below 180°F.
Chill the base completely: A warm base churns slowly and can become icy. Four hours in the refrigerator is the minimum for the silkiest texture.
Go easy on the sesame oil: Just 1/2 teaspoon adds roasted depth. More can make the ice cream taste savory or overpowering.

Variations

Black sesame honey ice cream: Replace 1/4 cup of the white sesame seeds with 1/4 cup black sesame seeds. The flavor will be earthier and the color will be speckled gray.
Sesame brittle swirl: Fold in 1/2 cup finely chopped sesame brittle during the last 30 seconds of churning for a crunchy, candy-like contrast.
Miso sesame honey ice cream: Whisk 1 teaspoon white miso into the warm custard with the honey for a subtle salty, umami-rich version.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store Toasted Sesame Honey Ice Cream in a shallow, airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 weeks. Press parchment paper directly onto the surface before adding the lid to reduce ice crystals. For the best scooping texture, let the container sit at room temperature for 5 to 8 minutes before serving.

You can make the custard base up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator before churning. You can also toast and grind the sesame seeds up to 3 days ahead; store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator so their oils stay fresh.

Nutrition (per serving)