The only thing more exciting than ice cream for dessert is ice cream with fun toppings!
Sure, I love a hearty drizzle of melted butter on my popcorn, and lobster wouldn’t be the same without a luscious dunk before every bite. But, butter on ice cream? That was not a topping I was expecting in my sundae station lineup.
After just one bite, though, I was almost embarrassed by how much I liked it. It is over the top indulgence in the best way possible.
What is butter-dipped ice cream?
The latest viral trend involves swiftly dipping a cone of soft-serve ice cream in a large vat of melted butter, in a similar way you might apply a chocolate magic shell. Then, just before it sets and you are ready to dive in, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt is added on top.
These videos left me with more questions than answers. What happens to all that leftover melted butter? How could I try this at home without a soft serve machine and enough butter to serve an army? And, if this is as good as everyone says it is, wouldn’t it be even better if I made it with browned butter?
How to Make Browned Butter-Dipped Ice Cream
It seems most viral videos of the trend call for yellow clarified butter, but I took it a step further and made a browned butter version for that distinctive, toffee-forward flavor. I also used scoopable vanilla ice cream at home rather than trying to mimic the soft serve style. That way, I could generously drizzle the butter over the top rather than dipping the cone in a large vat. This seemed more practical and less wasteful. If you really want to get fancy, you could even make your own homemade vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients
- Vanilla ice cream
- Butter
- Flaky sea salt for a topper
Directions
Step 1: Brown the butter
Before you begin browning the butter, scoop the desired amount of vanilla ice cream into a serving dish, and place it back in the freezer. You want the ice cream to be as cold as possible when it’s time to add the topping.
Depending on how many servings of browned butter ice cream you want to make, start with as much or as little butter as you prefer. I found that a couple of tablespoons of butter coated three scoops of ice cream nicely.
Place the butter in a pan and melt over low to medium heat. Watch it carefully as it starts to bubble. Eventually, it will take on a dark golden hue and become delightfully fragrant. Stir gently until browned and immediately remove it from the heat to prevent burning. Allow it to cool slightly.
Step 2: Top the ice cream
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and drench it with as much of the browned butter as you please. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and dive in!
How did the butter-dipped ice cream taste?
It was outstanding. Browning the butter really makes all the difference. Ultimately, it tastes like a rich toffee topping. The butter instantly hardens like a magic shell, which is also very cool. I will say, since you are essentially eating butter on top of cream mixed with sugar, it is very rich. I felt full after a few bites, but it was so worth it.
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