Finley’s Magic Moon Ice Cream (Inspired by Blue Moon)
The instructions said to freeze the ice cream bowl for 24 hours.
I decided six was probably plenty.
It was not.
So after proudly announcing that my best friend could finally have her ice cream bowl back, I had to borrow it again.
That second try gave us Finley’s Magic Moon ice cream: a sweet, creamy homemade ice cream inspired by Blue Moon, but not meant to be a copycat.
The flavor is somewhere between birthday cake and Fruity Pebbles, and the tiny bit of almond extract changes it just the right amount.
Magic Moon can be any color. That is part of what makes it magic. The kids chose green for this batch, so the TikTok and every photo from this batch are green.
what does Magic Moon ice cream taste like?
This is inspired by Blue Moon ice cream, but I would not call it a copycat. It is its own thing, and we really like it that way.
Vanilla and butter extract give it that sweet cake-batter kind of base. Lemon adds a little brightness without making it taste like lemon ice cream. Then there is just 1/16 teaspoon of almond extract.
I usually despise anything with almond extract because I think it tastes like cherries, so I did not expect to like it here. At this amount, though, it does not take over. It rounds everything out and gives the ice cream that hard-to-name flavor that makes you go back for another bite.
If a cake and a Fruity Pebble had a baby, it would taste a little like this.
Magic Moon can be any color
This batch is green because that is what the kids requested. You can make yours blue, pink, purple, green, or leave it without added color.
I used my natural food coloring powder. Add the color while you whisk the sugar and salt into the milk so it has time to dissolve and you can see the final color before the base chills.
Start with a little. You can always add more, and the color will look slightly lighter after the cream is mixed in.
before you churn
freeze the bowl all the way
Do not repeat my six-hour mistake. Your ice cream bowl needs to be completely frozen before the base goes in. I would give it the full 24 hours, or follow the timing for your machine.
I use a freezer-bowl ice cream attachment made for a KitchenAid-style stand mixer. If you hear liquid moving inside the bowl when you shake it, it needs more freezer time.
My favorite tool for getting every last bit of ice cream off the walls of the bowl is a skinny wooden spurtle. It does not bend like a rubber spatula, and it is not plastic. The narrow shape gets right along the sides of the bowl without fighting me.
chill the base until it is truly cold
The colder the base is before churning, the better chance it has to freeze smoothly instead of turning into a cold milkshake.
I pour the base into these 32-ounce glass milk bottles and refrigerate it for at least a couple of hours, until it is thoroughly chilled. The bottles fit neatly in the refrigerator and make the base easy to pour into the frozen bowl.
chill the storage container too
When the base goes into the refrigerator, put the freezer-safe container you plan to store the ice cream in into the freezer.
I use a glass storage container. Starting with cold glass keeps the freshly churned ice cream from melting as soon as it hits the container, which gives it a much better head start before the final freeze.
Finley’s Magic Moon ice cream
A creamy homemade green ice cream inspired by Blue Moon, with vanilla, butter, lemon, and the tiniest bit of almond extract.
ingredients
- 450 g whole milk
- 270 g heavy cream
- 150 g cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon butter extract
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/16 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- food coloring of choice, as needed (green for this batch)
instructions
- Make sure your ice cream bowl has been frozen for the full amount of time recommended by the manufacturer. For my freezer bowl, I give it 24 hours.
- Whisk the cane sugar into the whole milk until the sugar begins to dissolve. Whisk in the salt and food coloring.
- Stir in the vanilla, butter, lemon, and almond extracts.
- Add the heavy cream and stir until everything is completely combined.
- Transfer the base to a covered container or glass milk bottle and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.
- At the same time, place your freezer-safe storage container in the freezer so it is cold when the ice cream is ready.
- Pour the chilled base into the fully frozen ice cream bowl. Churn according to your machine’s instructions until the ice cream reaches a thick soft-serve consistency.
- Use a firm skinny spurtle to scrape the ice cream from the walls of the bowl, then transfer it immediately to the cold freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm enough to scoop.
notes
- Magic Moon does not have to be blue. Use any color you want, or leave the food coloring out.
- Do not increase the almond extract unless you already know you love a strong almond flavor. The tested 1/16 teaspoon is enough to change the flavor without making it taste like cherries.
- This version uses a little more milk and less cream for a smoother finish without a heavy, buttery coating.
why this version uses more milk than cream
The first thing I wanted to fix was that heavy, buttery coating homemade ice cream can sometimes leave behind.
This version uses more whole milk and a little less cream. It still tastes creamy, but the finish is smoother and the extracts come through more clearly.
I am not calling this a small-batch recipe because I am already thinking about making bigger batches. The lavender crème brûlée ice cream was a process, but we all enjoyed it thoroughly, and if I could make more at one time, I absolutely would.
how to store homemade Magic Moon ice cream
Transfer the churned ice cream into the cold freezer-safe container as quickly as you can, cover it, and freeze it until it is firm enough to scoop.
Keep it covered in the freezer. If it freezes harder than you like, let the container sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping.
The most important part is starting cold: a fully frozen bowl, a thoroughly chilled base, and a pre-chilled storage container.