This custard based coffee ice cream is my take on the classic French breakfast: coffee and croissants. A smooth, creamy, and roasted coffee bean flavored ice cream packed with crispy croissant chunks for the perfect balance of rich and toasty.

Glass ice cream bowl filled with ice cream and chunks of croissants. A spoon is dipped into the center.

Since moving to France, my mornings often begin sipping a cup of coffee, while dunking a fresh croissant. I enjoy it so much, I decided to turn this flavor combo into an afternoon treat. A French espresso with a touch of cream flavored ice cream layered with chunks of sugar baked croissants.

🌿 Ingredients You Need & Why

Freshly Baked Croissants are cut into small crouton size pieces, tossed with butter and sugar, then baked until crispy for a crunchy croissant cookie crumb to fold into the ice cream.
Instant Espresso Powder or Whole Coffee Beans
- Whole Coffee Beans are roasted lightly then gently smashed and steeped in the warm milk and cream for superior coffee flavor. You can also add a single teaspoon of espresso powder for a little coffee color.
- Espresso Powder can be used for when you just can't be bothered with roasting and steeping beans.
Heavy Cream with 32-35% fat makes an ultra rich ice cream.
- For a delicious custard base ice cream, use high fat quality ingredients. I'm using a 2:1 heavy cream to milk ratio for a thicker ice cream.
Whole Milk with at least 3.6% fat
Granulated Sugar for sweetness and structure.
Honey works as an invert sugar to help reduce crystallization.
Skim of Nonfat Milk Powder for extra creaminess. *optional
Large Egg Yolks to make a custard ice cream base.
Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract for a subtle hint of vanilla.

Ice cream with chunks of croissants inside a metal loaf pan on a table linen next to an ice cream scoop.

Toasted Croissants

Toasting the croissants helps them to hold a crispy texture after being added into the coffee ice cream. I prefer to toast them with a little coating of extra butter and sugar.

Start by cutting fresh bakery croissants in half lengthwise, and then into ½ inch chunks.
Place the croissant pieces in a bowl, then toss with melted butter and sugar. Spread the pieces in an even layer on a parchment paper lines tray. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway until nicely golden and toasted.
Let the croissant bites cool before adding them to the ice cream. If you like large chunks of croissants keep them big, or cut them down into smaller pea-sized pieces. Discard any loos flakes.

Parchment paper lined baking tray covered in chunks of sugar coated croissant pieces.

How to Make Coffee Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream brings back memories — it should be rich, creamy, and full of nostalgia. I always reach for an egg custard base with heavy cream for a thicker texture. While testing this coffee ice cream, I tried two methods to infuse the dairy with coffee flavor: one using whole roasted beans and the other with instant espresso powder. Both delivered bold coffee flavor, but the version with roasted beans came out on top, thanks to the depth and quality of the whole bean coffee.

Roasted Coffee Bean Ice Cream

The first version involves roasting whole beans in the oven for a few minutes, then grinding them coarsely in a coffee grinder or food processor. You can leave them whole, but I found slightly crushed beans adds a bit more color and flavor. The beans are then steeped in warm milk and cream for about 1-hour (or overnight in the fridge) before making the ice cream base. Roasted beans results in a lighter colored ice cream with an elevated coffee flavor.

Glass ice cream bowl filled with ice cream and chunks of croissants.

Instant Espresso Powder Ice Cream

For the second coffee ice cream test, I added instant espresso powder directly into the milk and heavy cream without steeping. This version resulted in a darker color, more like what we think a coffee with a bit of cream should look like. However, it was lacking in the more superior roasted coffee bean flavor.

*If you have the time I suggest trying the roasted coffee bean method, but if not the espresso powder will still be delicious.

Making Homemade Ice Cream Do's and Don'ts

Ice Cream Making 'Must DO's'

Cook your custard on medium-low heat and stir continuously. No need to boil or scald the milk, I use a thermometer to check the temperature and let it cook slowly to prevent curdling the eggs.
Strain the base through a metal sieve to grab any coffee grains or thickened egg.
Always rest the custard base in the fridge for several hours before churning.
If your ice cream machine has a middle container that needs to be frozen, put it in the freezer well before making the ice cream. I always freeze mine the night before so its rock solid before churning.

Ice Cream Making Steps' YOU DON'T NEED'

Don't worry about adding extra steps for tempering the eggs. No need to ladle hot milk into a separate bowl. I cook my beaten eggs slowly in the cream base after adding sugar and constantly whisking. OR you can whisk the eggs and sugar together first, then slowly pour into the warm cream.
No need to make an ice bath for cooling down the bowl of warm custard. I pour the hot ice cream base through the metal sieve and then let it cool to room temperature. Of course if you want to cool it faster, placing the bowl in another larger bowl of ice and stirring will do the trick.

Jenn's Homemade Ice Cream Tips

What Baking Ingredients I Use and Why

Weigh Your Ingredients:
The recipe card includes both metric and US conversions, but since I create all my recipes with metric measurements, I can't guarantee the same results if you use a different measuring method. This is the kitchen scale I use everyday.

Use a Thermometer:
Using a thermometer is the easiest way to prevent turning your ice cream base into cooked eggs. The custard should read between between 176℉ (76℃) and 180℉ (82℃). To test it, dip a silicone spatula or wooden spoon into the liquid. If it coats the back of the spoon and you can draw a clean line through it with your finger and it doesn't fill back in, the custard is ready.

Milk Powder:
The addition of milk powder is optional and can be found in the supermarket with the canned milks. You can leave it out, but I suggest giving it a try, as it improves the overall mouthfeel or texture by adding protein and absorbing excess water.

Honey or Liquid Glucose:
Glucose is flavorless and not very sweet. The addition of liquid glucose helps to inhibit sugar crystallization, resulting in a smoother ice cream. It can be swapped 1:1 for corn syrup (NOT high fructose) or honey, both of which will increase the overall sweetness of the ice cream. In this recipe I have reduced the amount of granulated sugar to balance the sweetness from the honey.

Chill the Ice Cream Base (called “aging”):
Make sure the custard is fully chilled before churning. This "aging" step allows the dairy and egg fats time to bind together, which means you'll get a richer, creamier ice cream in the end.