Gajar Halwa Ice Cream

Inspired by the popular Indian dessert, this Gajar Halwa ice cream is a luscious NO CHURN ice-cream that is super delicious.

No fancy equipment needed and only a handful of ingredients makes this fun fusion recipe!

Warm days are upon us and so we have a LOT of ice cream on our minds lately. I have been trying some old and new flavors and we have been enjoying a scoop each evening!

We love making ice creams at home as we can experiment with flavors, textures and add-ins. Plus, I do not use any preservatives or additives while making them. They do not have a very long shelf life because of this, but they seldom last too long anyway!

While some ice cream recipes tend to be complex or need a large selection of ingredients, I like to stick to those that need only a handful of ingredients. Thandai ice cream and rose shrikhand popsicles have been on our repeat list this season.

Moreover, I do not use any eggs in the ice cream recipes; making them great for folks who do not consume eggs! And yet, there is no compromise on flavor at all.

Jump to:

• What is Gajar Halwa
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• More Delicious Ice-cream Recipes
• Gajar Halwa Ice Cream

What is Gajar Halwa

A classic Indian dessert, Gajar Halwa or Carrot Halwa is a mix of slow cooked carrots in milk and ghee with a sweetener like sugar.

This rich preparation is perfect as a sweet or as a dessert with some vanilla ice cream on the side. Gajar Halwa tastes amazing warm or cold.

This classic halwa has been popular for many years. Recently it is being used to make SO many other delicious desserts. It becomes the base for various trifles, puddings and other sweets. And so it makes an appearance in this Gajar Halwa Ice cream too.

If you would like to make your own halwa, try this Instant Pot Gajar Halwa recipe. It is an easy recipe that uses the Instant Pot to shorten the cooking time and simplify the process. Moreover, learn more about Gajar Halwa on this page on Wikipedia.

Why this recipe works

• This ice cream is super easy to make and needs a handful of ingredients. Just carrots, milk, cream and a couple ingredients; these come together wonderfully to make this dessert.
• We can make this delicious ice cream without an ice cream maker. However, the end result is creamy, good and perfect.
• The ease of the ice cream is that it calls for ingredients that generally feature in pantries. It does not need milk powder, mawa/khoya or a few drops of any essence.
• This flavor is a unique combination of carrots with other ingredients to replicate the flavors of Carrot Halwa. One can taste the halwa yet it is not overpowering. Converted to an ice cream, the halwa becomes even more delicious.
• We do not use any eggs or preservatives. So the ice cream is best enjoyed fresh or within a week of making it.
• This recipe is very easy, creamy and delicious.

The recipe begins with the steps for carrot halwa and then converts that base into an ice cream. I have made this recipe a few times already and have been caught licking the spatula! It is truly THAT good.

I have given the ice cream to my guests without telling them which one it is and they have been able to guess it right! They have been my recipe testers and I can say the recipe did pass the test very well!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Carrots: Red or orange carrots will work for the recipe. The red ones do give a deeper color to the ice cream but I have made it equally well with orange ones too. A mix of colored carrots will work well too. The only thing to ensure is that the carrots are fresh and juicy. Older ones will yield a grainy mixture instead of a smooth one.
• Whole Milk: I use only whole milk for my ice creams. They yield the BEST and creamiest ice creams without any ice crystals. Using a lower fat content milk will not result in a creamy texture that we would enjoy for ice creams.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: The other component of the creamy ice cream is whipping cream. Using the heavy whipping cream will give us a SUPER creamy ice cream. I would not recommend using half and half or any other variety of cream. Look for cream with at least 35% fat content.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: I have used Sweetened condensed milk to sweeten this recipe. Sugar can be used too but this one gives us some creaminess that we want in ice creams. The proportions here are such that you can use up the entire can in one go. They can be modified to make a smaller or larger batch if desired.
• Ghee: Just like gajar halwa we use ghee to cook the carrots to make the base of this gajar halwa ice cream. Using oil is not common for this recipe.
• Add-ins: Apart from the essential ingredients mentioned above; we also use mixed nuts, saffron, cardamom seeds and some dried rose petals in the recipe. Use them all or pick and choose what you like!

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- Wash and peel the carrots. Chop them into medium sized chunks. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker.

2- Then add the chopped carrots.

3- Stir them well till they are coated with the ghee. Sauté for 3-4 minutes till the carrots soften. Add 2 tablespoon milk and half the cardamom powder.

4- Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook the carrots for 2 whistles. Then turn down the heat and release the pressure and open the lid.

5- Turn on the gas to medium and add the remaining milk.

6- Cook the mix for 5-6 minutes; stirring intermittently till the milk reduces to ⅔rd.

7- Then turn off the flame and let it cool slightly.

8- Using an immersion blender blend to a smooth purée. Keep few chunks if you like the ice cream chunky.

9- Add condensed milk and mix it in. Also add the saffron strands and remaining cardamom powder. Mix and transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 1.5-2 hours.

10- Meanwhile, take whipping cream in a bowl.

11- Beat it till the cream thickens.

12- Continue to whip till it forms soft peaks.

Pro Tip: Do not over whip the cream as it tends to split after a point.

13- Add the halwa mixture into the cream.

14- Then gently fold it in without flattening the peaks.

15- Add in the mixed nuts (I used almonds, pistachios and cashews).

16 - Fold the nuts into the mix.

17- Transfer the mix to a container with an airtight lid.

18- Freeze the mix overnight or at least for 8-10 hours.

19- Scoop using an ice cream scoop.

20- Serve with some chopped nuts, saffron strands, cardamom powder and dried rose petals on top.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Use fresh, tender carrots that are peeled. Hard and chewy carrots will not blend into the other ingredients as we want.
• Cook the carrots well in ghee as they get a rich flavor from that step. If they are raw, they will be chewy in the gajar halwa ice cream.
• Use full fat milk and cream instead of lower fat ingredients. That way the end result is creamy and delicious.
• We do not add any color to the recipe. The carrots with the saffron give the ice cream it's orange hue.
• Make sure the halwa base is chilled right before adding to the whipped cream. If not, the cream will melt away and the ice cream will not turn as creamy as we desire it to be.
• If you would like to make the recipe in an ice cream maker, transfer the base with whipping cream to the machine and follow the manufacturer's instruction to make the ice cream. The step of whipping the cream is not required here.

More Delicious Ice-cream Recipes

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