Home-style recipes from around the world, written for real kitchens

EN
Grenadian nutmeg ice cream sprinkled with freshly grated nutmeg, with whole nutmegs
Prep15 min
Cook15 min
Serves4 servings
CuisineGrenadian
Latin America & Caribbean

Nutmeg Ice Cream: A Cold Dessert from Grenada, the Spice Island

A recipe for nutmeg ice cream, the signature dessert of Grenada, the Caribbean island nation with nutmeg on its flag. Made with milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and freshly grated whole nutmeg. Covers heating the custard to 79°C and how to freeze it without an ice cream maker.

Total: 4 hr 30 minLevel: Beginner

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 6

Heat the milk and cream to just below a boil

5 min

Heating milk and cream in a pot to just below a boil
Turn off the heat when small bubbles form at the edge and steam rises

Put the milk and cream in a pot over medium heat. When small bubbles form around the edge of the pot and steam rises from the surface, turn off the heat right away without letting it boil. A hard boil forms a skin on top and spoils the texture.

STEP 22 / 6

Mix the eggs, sugar, and nutmeg

3 min

Whisking eggs, sugar, and grated nutmeg in a bowl
The sugar is no longer gritty and the mixture is an even pale yellow

In a bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, 1 tbsp grated nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract, and whisk well for about 1 minute. When the sugar no longer feels gritty and the whole mixture is an even pale yellow, it is enough.

STEP 33 / 6

Add the hot milk to the eggs a little at a time

2 min

Pouring warm milk into the egg mixture a little at a time while whisking
Pour in small amounts so the eggs blend in without setting

First pour about 120 ml of the warmed milk and cream into the egg bowl a little at a time, whisking quickly. Once the eggs have warmed and blended in, pour the contents of the bowl back into the pot and mix everything together. If you add all the hot liquid at once, the eggs will set and turn lumpy.

STEP 44 / 6

Cook the custard to 79°C over medium-low heat

8 min

Stirring the custard in the pot with a wooden spoon and checking for 79°C with a thermometer
A thin coat on the back of the spoon, with the finger line holding

Set the pot over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, brushing the bottom of the pot. Heat until a thermometer reads 79°C. It is done when the custard forms a thin, glossy coat on the back of the spoon and a line drawn with a finger stays clean. Eggs begin to set well above 80°C, so take the pot off the heat as soon as it reaches temperature.

STEP 55 / 6

Chill it quickly over ice water

15 min

Straining the custard into a metal bowl and cooling it over ice water
Stir over ice water until it is cold

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, leaving only a smooth, glossy liquid. Set that bowl in a slightly larger bowl holding about 5 cm of ice water. Chill for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it feels cold when you put a finger in. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill in the refrigerator for 1 more hour.

STEP 66 / 6

Freeze it in the freezer, stirring as it sets

3 hours

Stirring partly frozen ice cream with a fork in the freezer
Smooth, thickly set, and firm enough to scoop

Move the chilled custard to a metal storage container and put it in the freezer. After 1 hour, when it begins to set at the edges, stir everything well with a fork or whisk, then stir the same way 2 to 3 more times at 45-minute intervals. When the whole mixture is smooth, thick, and scoopable with a spoon, it is done. If you have an ice cream maker, freeze it according to its manual.

0 / 0
Ingredients

Ingredients

1 / 2

Custard

Ingredient Amount Substitutes & notes
Milk 360 ml
Heavy cream (35% milk fat or more) 360 ml
Eggs 3 (large)
Granulated sugar 150 g
Nutmeg (whole) 1 (grated, 1 tbsp) Ground nutmeg: 2 tsp. The aroma will be weaker
Salt a pinch (1/8 tsp)
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
2 / 2

To finish

Ingredient Amount Substitutes & notes
Nutmeg (whole) a little Grate and sprinkle just before serving
0 / 0

Look closely at the flag of Grenada, a small island nation in the Caribbean, and inside the green triangle on the left you will see a drawing of a small nut. That is a nutmeg. It has stayed on the flag since independence in 1974 as a symbol of the island's main export. Grenada is known as the "Spice Island" because of this nutmeg. And on a hot afternoon there, what you want is nutmeg ice cream, softly sweet and fragrant with plenty of freshly grated nutmeg.

The ingredients are just milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and whole nutmeg. If you have only ever used nutmeg to season a burger patty, you will be surprised at how gloriously it perfumes a sweet dessert. You can freeze it in your freezer even without an ice cream maker.

The Spice Island with Nutmeg on Its Flag

A Grenadian nutmeg fruit and the red lacy mace around the seed

According to the English Wikipedia entry "Flag of Grenada," the drawing in the left triangle of the flag is a nutmeg, symbolizing the island's main export. When the island became independent in 1974, the nutmeg was the only design carried over from the previous flag. That shows how closely life and the economy on the island have been tied to this spice.

The island's nutmeg has not always had smooth times, though. According to the English Wikipedia entry "Grenada," in September 2004 Hurricane Ivan struck an island that had not been hit directly by a hurricane in 49 years. Nine out of ten homes on the island were damaged, and together with Hurricane Emily the following year, 2005, agriculture, and the nutmeg industry in particular, took a heavy blow. As newly planted trees mature, the industry is expected to recover gradually.

Good to know

Nutmeg is the seed of the fruit of the nutmeg tree. The red lacy covering around the seed, dried, becomes another spice, mace. So one fruit gives two spices. Much of Grenada's nutmeg is produced by small farms, and English Wikipedia says more than 70 percent of growers are small farmers who sell under 500 pounds (about 230 kg) a year.

The sweet treat of that Spice Island is nutmeg ice cream. The American cooking site Global Table Adventure, introducing this recipe from Grenada, describes it as "a flavor from a faraway country that somehow feels familiar, like summer eggnog." The taste of an egg-and-milk custard with nutmeg is indeed as approachable as a chilled version of the winter drink eggnog.

Ingredients (serves 4, about 1 L)

Nutmeg ice cream ingredients: milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and whole nutmeg

This formula is adapted, with measures converted for easy use, from a recipe for Grenadian nutmeg ice cream posted on the American recipe site Food.com.

Tip

Do not use pre-ground nutmeg, because ground nutmeg quickly loses the oils that carry its aroma and flavor. Whole nutmeg is available at spice shops, international grocers, and online. Grate it just before use on a fine grater or a nutmeg grater.

Warning

Nutmeg is strongly aromatic in small amounts and is not something to eat in large quantities at once. Use the amount in this recipe (one nutmeg for 4 servings) as your guide, and do not add several nutmegs because you want a stronger aroma.

How to Make Nutmeg Ice Cream

Allow about 30 minutes to make the custard and about 4 hours to chill and freeze it. If you use an ice cream maker, the freezing time is shorter.

Warning

The custard contains eggs, so once it reaches 79°C, chill it quickly and do not leave it at room temperature for long. Move it to the freezer the same day you make it, even while it is chilling.

Tips for a Smooth Texture

Scooping smooth nutmeg ice cream with a spoon

When you make it without an ice cream maker, the most important thing is to stir many times while it is still partly frozen. Each stir breaks up large ice crystals and works in air, giving ice cream that melts smoothly in the mouth. Comments on the Food.com recipe also include people who made it in the freezer without an ice cream maker.

Tip

A thermometer makes it foolproof to heat the custard to 79°C. If you do not have one, judge by running a finger through the coat on the back of the spoon: the line should stay clearly and not run.

Tip

Nutmeg infused into the milk while the custard heats gives a mellow flavor, while nutmeg grated over the top at the end gives a vivid one. Using both adds depth to the aroma.

A Richer Version with Only Yolks

A rich nutmeg ice cream made with only egg yolks

The Global Table Adventure recipe uses 3 egg yolks rather than whole eggs, with more milk. Made with only yolks, it turns a deeper yellow and tastes richer, more like custard. For that version, use as a guide 600 ml milk, 360 ml cream, 200 g granulated sugar, 3 egg yolks, and 1 tsp grated nutmeg.

The same recipe warms the milk and cream with half the sugar and the nutmeg, and whisks the remaining sugar with the yolks until pale before combining them. This transfers the nutmeg aroma into the milk well and gives an ice cream with a soft, rounded aroma.

How to Eat It

Finished nutmeg ice cream sprinkled with freshly grated nutmeg
Scooped into a dish with a little nutmeg grated over it

Scoop it into chilled bowls and grate a little nutmeg over it at the table. The moment the aroma rises is the best treat. It also goes well next to warm apple pie, baked apples, or, in Caribbean style, sautéed bananas flambéed with rum.

If you want to cook one more dish from Grenada, try oil down (in Japanese), the national dish in which breadfruit, salted meat, and dumplings are simmered in coconut milk until the liquid is gone. For another Caribbean sweet, try Haiti's baked sweet potato pudding, pen patat.

FAQ

Whole nutmegs and a nutmeg grater laid out

Can I make it with ground nutmeg?

You can, but the aroma will be much weaker. If you use ground nutmeg, use about 2 tsp, and grate whole nutmeg for the finishing sprinkle at least; you will notice the difference in aroma.

How long does it keep?

It keeps in the freezer, but over time it gets frost and the aroma weakens. We cannot give a firm number of storage days, so finish it soon. If it gets too hard, move it to the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop.

Is it safe for children?

At the quantity in this recipe, each person gets only a tiny amount of nutmeg. However, nutmeg is a spice that can make you ill if taken in large amounts, so do not increase the amount.

Which ingredients are allergens?

It contains eggs and dairy (milk and cream).

Sources

A Colombian home-style lechona: diced pork, yellow peas and white rice wrapped in pork skin and roasted until the skin is browned
Colombia

Lechona: Colombian Pork-Skin Parcel with Pork, Peas and Rice (Lechona Tolimense)

How to make a home-size Colombian lechona: diced pork marinated overnight in a cumin and achiote adobo, layered with cooked rice and peas, wrapped in pork skin, tied, and roasted in two stages until the skin crisps. Covers the rice-free Tolima style and rice-containing home versions, how to find pork skin and achiote, thermometer checks, serving with arepa, and fixing common problems.

Dominica's callaloo soup: deep-green dasheen leaves and okra simmered in coconut milk and blended smooth
Dominica

Callaloo Soup from Dominica: Dasheen Leaves, Okra and Coconut Milk

How to make Dominica's callaloo soup, a smooth green soup of dasheen leaves and okra simmered in coconut milk with salted pork tail, then blended. Follows one published recipe without changing its amounts, and covers buying edible dasheen leaves safely, honest substitutes such as spinach, how to judge tenderness and liquid before blending, regional versions across the island, and handling leftovers.

Bolivian pique macho: beef, sausage and fried potatoes layered with locoto and sliced hard-boiled egg
Bolivia

Pique Macho: Bolivian Beef, Sausage and Fried Potato Platter (Pique a lo Macho)

How to make Cochabamba-style pique macho, the Bolivian platter of seasoned beef, fried sausage and fried potatoes topped with raw locoto, onion, tomato and hard-boiled egg. Follows a recipe published in the Bolivian newspaper Los Tiempos in its original amounts, with notes on locoto heat, choosing beef and sausage outside Bolivia, keeping the meat juices, and assembling the platter while it is hot. The source gives no servings or cooking times, so none are added here.

Golden baked Chilean empanadas de pino served on a plate
Chile

Empanada de Pino: Chilean Baked Empanadas with Beef and Onion

How to make Chilean empanada de pino, baked wheat pastries filled with a beef-and-onion pino, hard-boiled egg and a black olive, with optional golden raisins. Follows Gourmet Chile's 12-empanada recipe: amounts kept in their original units, how to judge the dough, how to fill, seal and bake at 180°C, and honest notes on vegetable shortening, ají de color and the place of empanadas in Fiestas Patrias and everyday Chilean meals.