Maple Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

June 25, 2025

Aimee

Dark maple syrup and a touch of tangy crème fraîche complement each other perfectly in this silky smooth, all-Canadian ice cream.

Back in April, my daughter Clara and I were manifesting our dreams for summer in the form of Bucket Lists. ‘Create a Family Ice Cream Flavour’ topped mine, along with mushroom foraging, a cookbook club field trip, and jam making.

Our heat wave last week inspired me to begin: create a signature flavour of homemade ice cream that our family of five gourmands were legit obsessed over. I didn’t expect to nail it on the first try, but I have been the chief culinary curator of this crew for twenty years now.

I know what they love and they love pure maple syrup in any and all forms. Read on for the Maple Crème Fraîche Ice Cream recipe and my select tips for homemade ice cream.

I Scream, You Scream

In the cooler months, we turn to baking for therapy, turning out comfort foods like cinnamon buns and banana bread. In summer, a bad day’s remedy can be scooped up in the form of homemade ice cream.

When one has an ice cream in hand, everything starts to slow down. Life seems a whole lot sweeter., even for a moment.

It’s been so fun to bust out my ice cream maker and play around with ingredients. Next up is a nostalgic Blizzard-like concoction for Danny’s upcoming Canada Day birthday, featuring frozen gummy bears and mini M&M’s in a vanilla soft serve.

I’m also thinking about a butter tart ice cream with my homemade maple butter tarts. I had such a creation once before and it was transformative.

Maple Crème Fraîche Ice Cream Ingredients

The fewer ingredients in ice cream the better, in my opinion. This recipe keeps things simple. It’s adapted from the maple ice cream in The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, a well-loved cookbook in our house (and currently on massive sale).

Pure Maple Syrup

My family may be divided on flavours such as mint, coffee and caramel, but maple syrup is an all-Canadian ingredient that we can agree upon. I use the darkest maple available, enhanced only with a pinch of salt and splash of vanilla. No artificial flavouring here.

Crème Fraîche

I’ve had an opened jar of crème fraîche in the fridge since, well, Easter and these fabulous Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs. I spotted it when I was searching for ice cream inspiration, and in the spirit of zero waste, decided it would be a great pairing with maple. I was right!

Whole Milk and Whole Cream

Thick cream (35%) is listed in the recipe, but I have made it with 18% with great success. Use what you have.

Egg Yolks

Yolks are what thicken our custard ice cream base. So the next time you are making meringue or pavlova, hang onto those yolks for a batch of ice cream.

Tips for Homemade Ice Cream

Today’s recipe is churned in an ice cream maker, but your equipment doesn’t have to be fancy. My machine is a Cuisinart churn that I probably paid 30 bucks for over 20 years ago. Who knew it would be such a work horse? Here is a similar ice cream churn; I’m guessing my model has been discontinued.

Uses Quality Ingredients if you can. Free range eggs, pure maple syrup, thick cream. Accept no substitutes!

Cook the Custard with care. Don’t rush the process or you may end up with scrambled eggs. Then as soon as it is cooked, cool the custard quickly.

Keep the ice cream scoopable by adding a splash of alcohol. I use homemade vanilla extract, which is made with vodka. This ingredient prevents the ice cream from freezing too hard. You can add 1 teaspoon of vodka, or a flavoured liquor like Kahlua, instead.

More Ideas for Cold Treats

So you’ve churned your Maple Crème Fraîche ice cream and frozen it firm. Sure you can scoop it into cones, but here are some more fun ideas for what could come next:

Make ice cream sandwiches with these Oatmeal Cookies.
Pack the ice cream into Meringue-Topped, Layered Ice Cream Cake.
Layer in a loaf pan with berries and jam for this Strawberry Ice Cream Slab Cake.

Maple Crème Fraîche Ice Cream

Dark, pure maple syurp and tangy Crème fraîche pair perfectly in this silky smooth ice cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword Gluten-free

Essential Ingredient Maple Syrup

Prep Time 20 minutes

chill ice cream base 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Servings 1 quart

Equipment

ice cream churn

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups heavy cream 35%
3 Tablespoons Crème fraîche
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup pure maple syrup dark
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Ensure the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker is frozen solid before proceeding. Place a loaf pan in the freezer to chill; this will hold the finished ice cream.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream and crème fraîche until thoroughly combined. Set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl.
In a medium, heavy-duty sauce pot, warm the milk and sugar. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly pour the warm milk into the yolks, whisking constantly.
Return the milky egg mixture to the sauce pot and set over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens slightly. This is your custard and it should coat the back of the spatula. Keep an eye on it!
Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the creams. Stir in the maple syrup, salt and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
Cool the ice cream base completely (you can set the bowl in an ice bath if you like), then transfer to the fridge and chill until it is very cold. At least 2 hours.
Churn your maple crème fraîche ice cream base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Scoop churned ice cream into your pre-chilled loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until it is firm enough to scoop into balls. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

I use homemade vanilla extract, which is made with vodka. This ingredient prevents the ice cream from freezing too hard, keeping it scoopable. You can add 1 teaspoon of vodka, or a flavoured liquor like Kahlua, instead.