Halva Ice Cream Recipe

Halva Ice Cream in bowls

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Freeze: 4 hrs 40 mins
Total: 4 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 quart

Making ice cream at home has never been easier because high quality, small-batch ice cream makers can usually be found at big box stores for less than $50. So now that you have one, what should you make? You should probably start with an excellent vanilla base and then begin playing around with all the flavor combos you wished you found in the stores. A standard no-cook base for home machines includes 3 cups of dairy plus sugar, salt, vanilla and any additional flavorings. A cooked custard base includes eggs and is richer and creamier. But if you're making halva ice cream, and you should definitely be making halva ice cream, the no-cook base is fine.

What is halva, exactly? It's raw tahini (sesame paste), sugar, or honey and heavy cream. Since ice cream is basically a mix of sugar, cream, and a flavoring, adding tahini to a basic vanilla base results in the exact flavor of halva! Consider it halva in liquid form. And when poured it into an ice cream maker, churned, and frozen, you get the delicious candy in creamy frozen form. If your ice cream maker requires pre-freezing the bowl, do so prior to starting this recipe.

"The halva ice cream was creamy and delicious, and with no cooking required, it took just minutes to mix. The sesame seed paste/tahini gave it a unique flavor and velvety texture. Chocolate or caramel syrup would make a great topping, and I plan to add some chopped milk chocolate next time I make it." —Diana Rattray

Halva Ice Cream/tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or pure vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2/3 cup sesame paste (or raw tahini sauce) 

  • 4 ounces halva candy, crumbled, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Halva Ice Cream ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and sesame paste (tahini).

    Whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and sesame paste in a bowl with a whisk

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker's pre-frozen bowl and follow the manufacturer's instructions to churn for 35 to 40 minutes.

    Halva Ice Cream in a an ice cream maker

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving and garnish with the crumbled halva pieces, if desired, for a fun texture and flavor boost!

    Halva Ice Cream in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Recipe Variations

  • Stir about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped pistachios or peanuts into the ice cream before freezing, or sprinkle them over the top.
  • Swirl about 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate into the ice cream before freezing.


How to Store

Store ice cream in a plastic ice cream container, freezer container, or loaf pan. Press a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper over the surface of the ice cream and then cover the container tightly with a lid or foil. Label the ice cream container with the name and date and place it near the back of the freezer to avoid temperature fluctuations. Freeze homemade ice cream for up to 2 months.

Is there a way to make homemade ice cream softer and easier to scoop?

One way to make ice cream more scoopable is to add a bit of alcohol, such as a liqueur or liquor. Alcohol slows the formation of ice crystals, which makes the ice cream softer and easier to scoop right out of the freezer.


Keeping a sheet of plastic pressed over the surface of the ice cream will also protect it from air exposure and help prevent the formation of ice crystals.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)
414 Calories
33g Fat
26g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 414
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 42%
Saturated Fat 16g 79%
Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Sodium 103mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 102mg 8%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 190mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)