This homemade creamy ice cream tastes just like masala chai. It is super easy, needs 4-5 ingredients and is eggless! You dont need to make a custard or churn it, it comes together fast!

I am not that big a fan of ice creams but that changes when there is caffeine element in there- coffee, matcha, chai, you get the idea.The bitter sweet note added by coffee or tea really really makes ice cream interesting for me.Those are my most favorite ice cream flavors.

This recipe is so simple. You start by brewing some chai in half and half (or whole milk, see recipe), mix it with heavy cream, chai masala, condensed milk and freeze it overnight. Really it barely takes 20 minutes! Once frozen, scoop it out, top with some nuts if you like and enjoy!

Here are a few things to be kept in mind:-

You can use decaffeinated black tea leaves if you are worried about the caffeine content in this ice cream.
Do not replace the condensed milk with sugar in this recipe, since we are not using a custard base, it won't be creamy otherwise. Condensed milk makes it smooth and milky.
Grind a fresh chai masala for the best taste of spices. I liked to go heavy on sweet spices like cinnamon, cardamom and fennel since its a dessert. You can add spices as per your preference.
Let the tea leaves/tea bags brew for atleast 10-15 minutes for a strong nice chai taste.
Chill the ice cream base for 2 hours before freezing it. Freeze overnight.
You can enjoy the ice cream right away or store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Jazz up your ice cream by adding nuts, butter scotch chips or caramel.

Masala Chai Ice Cream

Tanvi Srivastava

Creamy and delicous eggless ice cream which tastes like a cup of masala chai. Its super easy and tastes luscious!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 8 25

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Servings cups

Ingredients

1.5 cup Half and Half (use whole milk instead, see notes)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
5 orange pekoe unflavored black tea bags
2 cup heavy cream
1 can (14oz/400g) sweetened condensed milk
1-2 teaspoon chai masala (recipe below) , adjust quantity as you like

Chai Masala (makes extra)

20 green cardamom
½ tablespoon fennel seeds
10-12 black peppercorns
2 inch cinnamon stick
1-2 cloves, optional

Instructions

Add the half and half to a sauce pan and heat it up on high till you see small bubbles on the side of the pot. Do not let boil. Switch off the stove and add ginger and tea bags to the hot half and half. Let stand and infuse for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, add all the spices listed under chai masala to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. You will get extra masala which you can store for your chai.
Once the tea bags have infused, pick them up and squeeze using tongs to release all the flavor and liquid. Discard the bags.
Strain the the half and half into a large bowl. Add the heavy cream, condensed milk and chai masala to it. Using a whisk mix very well to combine. This concoction is very delicious and hold your self from not drinking it 🙂
Once mixed chill the ice cream base for 2 hours. Then, transfer to a glass container, cover with a foil or lid and freeze overnight.
Allow to stand on the counter for about 6-8 minutes before scooping. Enjoy!

Notes

You can use whole milk instead of half and half in this recipe. Use 1 cup milk and 2.5 cups heavy cream in that case. Rest everything remains same.
You can use decaffeinated black tea leaves if you are worried about the caffeine content in this ice cream.
Do not replace the condensed milk with sugar in this recipe, since we are not using a custard base, it won't be creamy otherwise. Condensed milk makes it smooth and milky.
Grind a fresh chai masala for the best taste of spices. I liked to go heavy on sweet spices like cinnamon, cardamom and fennel since its a dessert. You can add spices as per your preference.
You can use loose tea instead of tea bags. Let the tea leaves/tea bags brew for at least 10-15 minutes for a strong chai taste.
Chill the ice cream base for 2 hours before freezing it. Freeze overnight.
You can enjoy the ice cream right away or store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.
Jazz up your ice cream by adding nuts, butter scotch chips or caramel.