Why You Should Consider Adding Black Garlic To Homemade Ice Cream

We're fans of adding different and fun toppings to our homemade ice cream, including savory and spicy ones like chili crisp, the condiment you should use for fiery ice cream. Another intriguing ice cream topping that's been on our radars is black garlic. In fact, adding black garlic to ice cream is one of the 15 unique ways to use black garlic we've uncovered in the past. 

Before you dismiss this tip, hear us out. Let's dive into what black garlic is and what it tastes like. Black garlic is not another species of garlic, but regular garlic that has turned jet black thanks to the fermentation process. Black garlic also doesn't smell as strong as regular garlic, it's soft rather than crunchy, and tastes a little sweet and a little rich and smoky. Think of soft chocolate, mixed with dates, with some tangy notes — that's black garlic. All these lovely flavors make black garlic the perfect addition to your desserts and homemade ice cream. You can also eat black garlic on it's own, cook it, or find it in a seasoning or powdered form. 

Ready to incorporate black garlic into your ice cream? Well, there's a few ways you can go about this. 

First of all, the simplest way to incorporate black garlic into your ice cream is to dice it finely and sprinkle it on top. To really appreciate the raw flavors of the black garlic, start with vanilla ice cream, which will allow the black garlic to shine. Alternatively, add vanilla ice cream to a bowl, top it with whipped cream, and add dashes of black garlic seasoning to the whipped cream, like you would add cocoa powder or cinnamon. If you're a fan of the flavors here, it's time to experiment further.

As black garlic is quite soft, thanks to the fermentation process breaking it down, you can easily mash it into a paste. Swirl the black garlic paste into your home made ice cream. 

Finally, if you're super in love with black garlic's unique and nuanced taste, consider making black garlic ice cream. Incorporate the black garlic into the ice cream mixture when cooking the custard. For example, a good place to start would be to add black garlic directly into the base of our vegan chocolate ice cream recipe. Black garlic is an excellent vegan ingredient and it will add some texture and a pleasant smokiness that will work well in your homemade chocolate ice cream.