Margarita Ice Cream
Celebrate the arrival of warmer summer days with a batch of boozy Margarita Ice Cream. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!
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For some reason, National Margarita Day is February 22. Margaritas feel like one of those drinks that should be enjoyed with friends outside on the back deck. I don’t know about you, but a frigid winter day doesn’t really scream, “Hey! Let’s make margaritas!” Don’t get me wrong – I’ll still gladly accept a margarita on February 22, but I think I would enjoy it more in the middle of the summer. Just sayin’.
While I might not crave a margarita in the middle of the winter, I can say with 100% certainty that I still crave ice cream on those cold days. Who else is with me here? I might change up the flavors and go with pumpkin ice cream (Autumn) or peppermint ice cream (holidays) or chocolate stout ice cream (St. Patrick’s Day)…but ice cream is a year-round dessert in our house!
Margarita Ice Cream
Margarita Ice CreamToday, we’re adding a new holiday + ice cream pairing: Margarita Ice Cream. While I think this ice cream would be delicious on any summer day, it’s particularly appropriate for Cinco de Mayo. Speaking of Cinco de Mayo, did you realize that the holiday is actually more popular in the United States than in Mexico? The holiday seems to really have taken off in the 1980’s thanks to advertising campaigns from beer and wine companies.
Regardless of the origins, Cinco de Mayo is a wildly popular holiday. Let’s add to the festivities with a bowl (or margarita glass) of this boozy Margarita Ice Cream! This ice cream does include alcohol, so it’s an adult-only dessert. It’s delicious, but do respect the fact that it includes tequila and triple sec.
For some reason that I can’t explain, this Margarita Ice Cream tastes like margarita cheesecake. I posted this Mini Margarita Cheesecakes recipe last year…and this tastes like the ice cream version of that dessert. Here’s the thing – there’s no cream cheese in this ice cream. So why does it taste like cheesecake? My guess (and it’s a complete guess) is it has something to do with the combination of egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk.
I normally use sugar (sometimes combined with maple syrup) to sweeten my ice cream mixture, but I’d heard that sweetened condensed milk is a good substitute for sugar. I have to say that it worked well – even though the ice cream has a noticeable cheesecake flavor. Who knows? I’ll have to try the sweetened condensed milk in another ice cream recipe soon. Maybe we’ve accidentally stumbled on a way to make various flavors of cheesecake ice cream.
This Margarita Ice Cream will be a huge hit with friends and family. The unofficial start of summer might be Memorial Day, but let’s get a head start on the warmer summer days. Let’s whip up a batch of this fun ice cream and soak in the early summer sun! Cheers, friends!
Did you make this Margarita Ice Cream at home? Do you think it has a noticeable cheesecake flavor? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Margarita Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup tequila
- 2 Tbsp triple sec or Grand Marnier
- juice of 6 limes
- zest of 2 limes
- {optional} coarse salt for topping
Instructions
- Place the milk in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low until it just begins to simmer.
- While the milk is heating, whisk together the salt, sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks in a medium heat-proof bowl. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture; whisking vigorously the entire time.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens noticeably and coats a wooden spoon. (~5-6 minutes) (Note: Do not let the mixture boil.)
- Remove mixture from heat and add the heavy cream, tequila, triple sec and lime juice; stir until well combined. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container. Stir in the lime zest. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the surface of the mixture, and refrigerate overnight.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.
- (Optional) If you desire a harder ice cream, transfer the finished ice cream into the freezer for a couple of hours. Due to the alcohol, this ice cream won’t get super hard, but it will firm up after a couple of hours in the freezer.
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Will be making this soon can i use almond milk coconut cream and vegan condensed milk as am dairy free just checked vegan condensed milk on my computer perfect for hot days in Singapore and my after office snacks will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hey Ramya! I haven’t tried this recipe with almond milk, coconut cream and vegan condensed milk. I think it’s worth a try, though! And if you do make it, let me know! 🙂
Ooo first homemade ice cream of the season, David? And boozy version? You’ve got my attention! Margarita cocktail isn’t really my cup of tea (cocktail?) – just not a tequila fan. But I bet it works beautifully in frozen dessert, and the tequila flavor is more subtle than a real cocktail. After all, this can also be easily changed to Mojito ice cream too, right?!
It is indeed the first ice cream post of the season – and the first in a while, too. There was a time when I was pulling that ice cream maker out a lot, but I guess we go through phases. Either way, this was a fun flavor! And I hear ya about tequila, too. I don’t mind it, but I’m definitely more of a bourbon guy. I think you could easily turn this into a mojito! Cheers!
I have a lime ice cream on my blog, and this is similar, but mine doesn’t have tequila! Whoo Hoo! Indeed a perfect dessert for cinqo de Mayo!
Well, I think it might be time to pull that lime ice cream recipe out…along with a bottle of tequila! 🙂 Cheers, Mimi!
David, you’ve definitely covered my favorite cocktail, my favorite dessert, and that bottle of Grand Marnier I have squirreled away in a cupboard! This sounds so sweet/tart/creamy and delicious. I don’t think ice cream has a season, either! Yum!
Well it sounds like you are all set, Laura! This ice cream was a really fun one to make (and eat), but it totally stumps me how it tastes like cheesecake. It’s crazy…but also delicious!
Love this boozy, creamy summertime treat, David! Definitely going to give this a try!
Yes, this is a good one for hot summer days! Thanks so much, Marissa! 🙂
What eye-catching photos David! LOVE the Margarita glass! So elegant. This ice cream looks so perfectly creamy, and is certainly perfect for Cinco de Mayo. I’d probably have to make it with your cheesecakes because both sound absolutely addicting. 😋
Thanks so much, Shannon! When I was looking for a bowl to put this ice cream in, my eyes landed on the margarita glass…and the rest was history. 🙂 This really is a tasty treat, but it totally surprised me how it tasted like cheesecake. Strange, but strange in a good way!
I hear ya! Seems like National Margarita Day should be in a warmer month! Either way, I’d happily devour this margarita ice cream! What a brilliant idea, David. I’m definitely gonna need at least three scoops of this. Looks so creamy and I bet it tastes even better. Have a wonderful week!
I mean maybe they put National Margarita Day in a random month since they know we’ll be drinking margaritas in the summer anyways? I dunno. Still seems odd to me. But this margarita ice cream? Delicious! Perfect for a hot summer day…or sitting in a toasty basement cave watching tv in the winter. 🙂 Thanks, Dawn!
What an amazing and fun ice cream! I can’t wait to whip up a batch. Now about margarita day being in February. Maybe we are supposed to travel to a warm, tropical environment and enjoy a margarita outside on the deck! Totally doable that way 😉
Ah – maybe that’s it, Kathy! Putting National Margarita Day in February is a subtle hint that we should go south for a vacation. I mean, c’mon…February is one of the coldest months up here, so it wouldn’t be hard to get me to head south! 🙂 Either way, this is a delicious ice cream flavor!
I’m with you on the (wrong) placement of Margarita Day. They are definitely a warm weather cocktail. This boozy ice cream would also be fabulous on a warm summer day! Lovely. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks so much, Valentina! I agree. A margarita in February just doesn’t have the same ring to it as a margarita on a hot summer day. Either way, this ice cream is quite tasty…and I know I’ll be making another batch once we hit the height of summer heat here!
Wow, that is one amazing ice cream flavour David, definitely perfect for summer
It was so strange how this ice cream ended up with a noticeable cheesecake flavor – I wasn’t mad at it, but it just surprised me! This ice cream really is perfect for hot summer days…cheers, Raymund!
What a fun and creative flavour for ice cream! I agree, they should’ve moved it closer to Cinco de Mayo, if you asked me!
Thanks so much, Michelle! I had fun playing around with tequila in ice cream. I’ve heard there’s an ice cream shop down in NYC that does all boozy ice creams – sounds like fun, right? Cheers!
i do love ice creams made with condensed milk. so quick and easy and tasty! this looks so cute in the glass too.
Thanks, Sherry! When I went to take pictures of this ice cream, the bowls were on the same shelf as the margarita glasses…what a coincidence! 🙂
Oh my! The ice cream sounds amazing. I would love adding Grand Marnier 😀
Thanks so much, Taruna! I love topping margaritas with a bit of Grand Marnier, so of course I had to include some in this recipe. 🙂 Cheers!
I absolutely loved this recipe. So did my twin brother. I made it virgin-style, though. I simply substituted orange juice for the Triple Sec, and water for the tequila. Pineapple juice is another great substitute for the tequila. Anyway, keep up the good work, David!!☺️
Hey Krystal! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe – thank you for taking the time to comment! And those are great tips for making a virgin-style version of this recipe. 🙂
Margaritas are my favourite cocktail so I was excited to discover this ice cream recipe, it didn’t disappoint!!. The ice cream was delicious, tastes like key lime cheesecake with a kick of alcohol. I devoured this In record time! Love your work!!
Hey Kelly! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe – isn’t it funny how this ice cream tastes like cheesecake? And it really is a tasty ice cream. In fact, I should make another batch of this one soon! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂