Homemade Honeycomb Ice Cream

5 from 2 votes

If you thought making your own ice cream requires an ice cream machine, think again! This crunchy, creamy, no-churn Homemade Honeycomb Ice Cream is so delicious and uses just 5 ingredients.

Prep Time25

Cook Time10

Freezing Time6

Total Time6 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Servings: servings

Author: Margie Nomura

Ingredients

2 tbsp golden syrup
5 oz superfine sugar (caster sugar) about 2/3 cup
1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
20 fl oz heavy cream (double cream) about 2 1/2 cups
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Line a 9-inch (23 cm) square baking pan or baking sheet with parchment paper. This is for the honeycomb, which will be very hot, so make sure it’s on a heatproof surface in case of spills.
Next, take a large saucepan (the honeycomb mixture will froth up a lot, so choose a pan larger than you think) and add the golden syrup. Place over gentle heat for about 1 minute, or until the syrup becomes very runny.
Add the sugar and bring to a boil, swirling the pan to stop it from burning (don’t stir). Once boiling, continue to cook for 3 minutes, swirling often to prevent it from burning. Do time it, and don’t guess.
Remove from the heat and add the baking soda (bicarb of soda). Stir quickly and confidently – you don’t want to overmix it, but you do want it completely dissolved. Take care; it will really froth up.
Pour into the prepared pan and leave for about 1 hour, or until set. Don’t touch it at all during this time, as it will be VERY hot. See the tips for how to clean your pan right away!
Once the honeycomb has completely cooled, roughly chop into small-ish pieces.
Next, line a 9x5-inch (2 lb) loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure you have enough overhanging the sides. Set aside.
Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, whisk until you have soft peaks.
Add the sweetened condensed milk and whisk again until thickened.
Fold in the homemade honeycomb chunks until evenly distributed throughout.
Pour into the prepared loaf pan and smooth over the top using a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours.
Remove from the freezer 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Make-ahead and storage

To store: Honeycomb ice cream keeps in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

More quick tips

Be patient: Make sure you gently boil the mixture for 3 minutes (I set a timer). If you don’t cook it enough, the honeycomb will be soft and chewy. If you have a thermometer, it should reach 300°F (150°C).
Top tip for cleaning: As soon as you’ve finished with the pan, pop it in the sink, fill it with hot water from the tap and dish soap, and the honeycomb will come off very easily. Don’t leave it to sit and harden, or you’ll never get it off.
Cheat’s honeycomb: If you don’t have time to (or prefer not to) make your own honeycomb, some chopped-up Crunchie bars are delicious.
Chocolate-dipped honeycomb: This honeycomb is great as a snack or a homemade gift. I like to chop it into shards, dip in dark chocolate, and sprinkle with sea salt. So delicious.
Remove from the freezer before serving: It is important to remove the ice cream from the freezer a few minutes before serving to give it time to soften a little and make it easier to scoop.

Nutrition