The Tangy Addition That Yields A More Complex Homemade Ice Cream

Making ice cream in the comfort of your own home can feel extra magical. And perhaps the best part is personalizing your homemade scoops with mix-ins, swirls, extracts, or other inspired additions. But there's one ingredient you might not have considered which may already be stocked in your fridge: sour cream. 

Seeing sour cream in the context of something sweet may not be a total surprise if you already know that sour cream is your secret weapon for impressively rich brownies, but when this super creamy stuff is worked into your ice cream base, it adds body and a subtle tang. This combo complements many of your favorite flavors from fruity swirls to salty caramel and peanut butter. Sour cream also brings a bit of acidity that can boost other elements in your mixture to elevate a floral, creamy vanilla or emphasize good quality chocolate. Not only is it a delicious twist, but sour cream is also a snap to incorporate into your recipe by making a simple formulaic adjustment.

The sourcing and exact ratio of your dairy are major considerations when formulating your ice cream base, since milk fat has an impact on richness, taste, and texture. Too much fat can make for a greasy quality, not to mention it will be more difficult to scoop. Since regular sour cream already has a high fat percentage (at least 18% milk fat versus whole milk's 3.25%), a good starting ratio for a balanced recipe would be about 1 ½ cups of cream, ½ cup of milk, and 1 cup of sour cream. 

If you find the tanginess to be a little too much, you can add some sugar for balance (just be aware that extra sweetener can make it harder for your ice cream to properly freeze). Bitterness, like the kind you get from dark chocolate, can also help round things out with a luscious ripple of fudge. Alternatively, you can transform your chocolate ice cream with a bold and spicy topping like hot honey to play off that tartness.

No matter how you churn it, just remember to store your homemade ice cream the right way in an airtight container in the freezer. You won't want to miss a single scoop of this smooth and satisfying sour creamy creation.