Kraft Mac & Cheese Ice Cream Recipe

If your first thoughts on hearing about a macaroni and cheese-flavored ice cream are not exactly favorable, then you are not alone. Even chef, recipe developer, and registered dietician Kristen Carli calls this unique treat "very unusual," but guess what? Sometimes unusual is delicious enough to work. And this is one of those times.

Carli says: "This one is inspired by the Van Leeuwen's Kraft Mac and Cheese Ice Cream," but when you make it yourself, it's not a fortune for less than a pint-sized serving. But how does it taste? Carli explains it like this: "It's sweet and salty, which is a classic pairing, but it also has a bit of the classic creamy cheese taste." That actually does make this slightly unexpected dessert more approachable, when you think about it. After all, we have cheesecake, cream cheese frosting, and chocolate and cheese pairings. So don't worry if you're confused by this melding of flavors in concept because chances are good that in practice, you'll be thrilled.

And what's more, this unique, sweet dessert is quite affordable to make and calls for easily sourced ingredients. So, what are you waiting for? Let's make this novel dessert.

As noted, you don't need anything fancy to make this unique, cheesy ice cream treat. In fact, all you need is two cups of heavy cream, a cup of whole milk, three-quarters of a cup of sugar (you can add less if you don't want it too sweet), four egg yolks separated from the whites, and two packets of Kraft macaroni and cheese powder.

And yes, you can use the cheese powder from another brand too, but there is something about Kraft that has a classic "taste of childhood" essence that might just make it worth sticking with the OG.

Start the recipe by putting a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat, then add the heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, and cheese powder. Whisk to combine everything well, then keep on whisking continuously with the pan still over that medium heat, keeping it going for about five minutes.

As soon as you're done with this step, place the five separated egg yolks into a bowl, and whisk those well to fully combine them into an even and smooth consistency. Just a warning: Be ready for some more continuous stirring in the next step.

Remove the cream, cheese, and sugar mixture from the stove and pour about a third of that mixture into the bowl with egg yolks, adding it in a continuous stream while whisking the entire time to temper the eggs. "Be sure to whisk the egg yolks constantly when streaming in the hot cream mixture to avoid cooking the eggs and ending up with scrambled egg chunks," says Carli.

Now pour the yolks that have been tempered back into the entire cream mixture and heat it over medium-low heat, stirring often, and keep it on the stove until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, which will take about 10 minutes.

Pour the thickened mixture into a large container and store it in the fridge for at least four hours to chill fully, then pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn it for 25 minutes. Freeze the mixture overnight, and then you can enjoy your unique homemade ice cream. 

"This is great by itself but could be good with crushed peanuts for a salty, crunchy topping," says Carli, adding that it "keeps best in the freezer in an airtight container," and will last as well as any store-bought ice cream.