Week two has arrived and a twist on my favorite treat beverage is on the docket. My go-to coffee shop refreshment is a maple latte and when a coworker talked about a local maple-roasted coffee in near his home in Canada, I knew I needed to try it. He was kind enough to hand-deliver me a package of Spring Maple Blend from St. Joseph Island Coffee Roasters and it is some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. Not only did it make a phenomenal cold brew, but it resulted in one of my new favorite ice creams.

A creamy coffee base sweetened with maple makes for a beautiful flavor profile despite its simplicity. The maple coffee certainly adds a little something, but if you don’t have access to that use your favorite light or medium roast instead. This recipe is similar to an iced latte in flavor but with all the robustness of a proper dessert, and certainly one I will make again and again.

It does take some extra time with the infusing process, but straining is easy peasy if you use a reusable coffee filter. I use one designed for cold brewing, but any similar one should do just fine. (You can also use a paper filter but it’s much more annoying since it’s prone to splitting once wet.) Either way, I promise the finished product is worth it.

Lovely coffee flavor complemented by sweet maple, this is a perfect ice cream all year round. It’s perfect on its own but would be a wonderful addition to a chocolate cake if that’s more your style. It does freeze a bit harder than a traditional recipe, so leave it to soften on the counter for a few minutes before digging in.

Maple Latte Ice Cream 

Makes ~6 cups

Ingredients

3/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup almond or cow milk
1/4 cup ground (maple roasted) coffee¹

2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup egg substitute
3/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat half and half and milk on medium until it just starts to simmer, then remove from heat. Place coffee (in a filter, I use a reusable one) in the mixture and allow to steep for about one hour. Remove coffee (and any escaped grounds), squeezing grounds gently to release the most flavorful milk.
2. In a large bowl, whisk infused mixture with all remaining ingredients until completely combined.
3. Cover chill completely in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.
4. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions, then place in a freezer-safe bowl to freeze for an additional three hours, or overnight.

Notes

¹ You can certainly use decaf if you’re concerned about the caffeine content. Any coffee where you like the flavor is great! If you’re not using a maple coffee, you can pump up the maple flavor with a little maple extract, should you desire.