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Blue Moon Ice Cream

Blue Moon ice cream is an electric blue, nostalgic American dessert with a subtle citrus-almond, fruity-floral flavor. This method uses a cooked custard to reach about 175°F, then chills before churning for a smooth, scoopable texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
rest & freeze (chilling + freezing) 4 minutes
Total Time 39 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Blue food coloring
  • 0.02 Blue food coloring Add a few drops at a time until the electric blue color is achieved.
Custard base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
Flavor extracts
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp raspberry extract or blue raspberry flavoring
  • 0.25 tsp lemon extract

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the custard
  1. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk in a saucepan until steaming. Keep the heat at a steady simmer and watch for steam rather than a rolling boil.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until smooth and slightly thickened. Pour in the steaming cream mixture slowly while whisking continuously.
  3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until it reaches 175°F. Aim for a thickened custard consistency and stop at 175°F to avoid scrambling.
  4. Strain the custard and cool it slightly. Let it become warm rather than hot before adding extracts.
Add flavor and color
  1. Stir in the almond extract, vanilla extract, raspberry extract or blue raspberry flavoring, and lemon extract. Mix until fully combined and evenly perfumed.
  2. Add blue food coloring a few drops at a time until the desired electric blue is achieved. Pause between drops so the color builds to the vivid shade.
Chill, churn, and freeze
  1. Cool the custard completely. Refrigerate for 4 hours until thoroughly chilled.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker. Churn until it becomes thick like soft-serve.
  3. Freeze the churned ice cream until firm. Transfer to a container and freeze long enough to scoop cleanly.

Notes

Pro tip: when cooking the custard, keep the heat controlled and stir constantly so it coats the spoon without boiling. Refrigerate the finished ice cream 3–4 days in an airtight container; for best texture, re-soften at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before scooping. Freezer yes—freeze up to 2 months. For a different dietary approach, use lactose-free milk and lactose-free cream if desired (texture may vary slightly).