Goat Milk Ice Cream and Sherbet Recipes

An Easy Goat Milk Ice Cream Recipe with Variations

Goat Milk Ice Cream and Sherbet Recipes

Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Mary Jane Toth Goat milk ice cream is fantastic. However, plan to eat it up, as it will freeze hard as a rock and will not be easy to dip. Using half cream and half whole milk will make an ice cream that will not freeze so hard, and it will be easy to scoop, just like the store-bought stuff.

I developed an easy way to make ice cream without the use of an ice cream freezer while still using whole goat milk. You can have ice cream in an instant. I came up with this idea when my kids were little and wanted ice cream on a moment’s notice. You will find my recipe for Instant Ice Cream Cubes below.

All the sherbet recipes are delicious. Because of the high sugar content and the use of Jell-O, these recipes will remain soft enough to dip beautifully. My all-time favorite is the Lemon Orange Ice Cream.

Goat Milk Ice Cream Recipes

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

  • 2 cups goat cream
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups goat milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Combine goat milk, sugar, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles around the edges of the pan. Cool. Place mixture into ice cream canister. Stir in goat cream and vanilla. Freeze as directed. Stir in chopped toasted pecans immediately after freezing.

Chocolate Ice Cream

  • 2 cups whole goat milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups goat cream
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa

Combine goat milk, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract in a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in the goat cream and freeze.

Lemon Orange Ice Cream

  • 1 pint goat cream
  • 1 and 1/2 cups lemon juice or 6 freshly squeezed lemons
  • 3 and 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 and 1/2 cups orange juice, or 7 freshly squeezed oranges
  • 1 quart whole goat milk

In a large bowl, combine juices, sugar, cream, and milk. Mix well. Pour into an ice cream freezer and process. This batch fits into a 4 quart ice cream freezer. Makes 2 quarts of tangy citrus ice cream.

Strawberry Ice Cream

  • 2 cups goat milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups goat cream
  • 2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup sugar

Place crushed strawberries in the ice cream canister. Stir in remaining ingredients, stirring to mix well. Freeze as directed.

Vanilla Ice Cream

  • 2 cups goat milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups goat cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pure is best

Combine all ingredients in ice cream canister. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar. Freeze as directed.

Instant Ice Cream Cubes

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 quart goat milk; add 1/2 cream if desired

Mix all ingredients together in blender. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. When frozen, remove from trays and place in freezer bags or containers to store.

To make instant ice cream, take out as many cubes as desired and place into a blender. Add enough goat milk to blend until smooth and thick, like fresh made ice cream. Don’t add too much milk, or you’ll have a milkshake instead of ice cream. To thicken, add more cubes and blend.

Note: Want flavored instant ice cream? Reduce the amount of milk or cream called for in the recipe by half. Use the full amount of all other ingredients. Freeze in ice cube trays. Use as described in recipe above.


Goat Milk Sherbet Recipes

Lime Sherbet

  • 2 cups whole goat milk
  • 1 3oz package lime Jell-O
  • 2 cups goat cream
  • 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup lime juice, fresh or bottled

In a saucepan, add Jell-O to lime juice. Heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve Jell-O. Remove from heat; stir in sugar and grated lime zest. Allow to cool. Stir in goat milk and cream. Freeze as directed for ice cream.

Orange Sherbet

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 quart whole goat milk
  • 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 3oz. package orange Jell-O
  • 1 package orange Kool-Aid, unsweetened

Combine all ingredients except the milk in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature. Stir in goat milk and freeze as directed for ice cream. This is just like the store-bought kind!

Tangy Citrus Sherbet

  • 3 cups whole goat milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups orange juice

Combine all ingredients in an ice cream canister. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Freeze as directed for ice cream.


How to Use an Ice Cream Freezer

  1. Set ice cream canister securely into bottom of ice cream freezer.
  2. Fill canister 1/2 to 2/3 full of ice cream mixture. Do not overfill. Allow room for expansion during freezing process.
  3. Insert paddles and attach lid to canister.
  4. Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of cold water into the bottom of the ice cream freezer. Alternate layers of ice and salt until you reach the top of the canister. On average, you can expect to use about 1/4 cup of salt per 1 cup of ice. Use course or rock salt; do not use table salt.
  5. Pour a small amount of cold tap water over the whole layer of salt and ice. Attach the crank or motor unit to the freezer. Begin the freezing process by turning the hand-crank or starting the motor on the ice cream maker. Hand-crank models will usually take 30 minutes. Electric freezers usually take 20 minutes.
  6. The ice cream is ready to cure when the crank becomes hard to turn, or the motor begins to toil heavily.
  7. Remove the crank or motor. Lift the lid and paddles. Scrape any ice cream off the paddles. Put the lid back on canister and pack the tub with more ice.
  8. Cover entire unit with newspapers or old blankets to insulate. Leave ice cream covered for 2-3 hours to cure. Ice cream can be eaten without curing but allowing it to cure will give it a smoother texture.

Helpful Hints for Making Goat Milk Ice Cream

  • To make the best ice cream, use half milk and half cream. You will need to separate goat milk with a cream separator or save up enough by skimming off the top. Cream keeps the ice cream smooth and easy to scoop when frozen.
  • If you do not have a cream separator, whole goat milk can be used. When eaten fresh, it will be soft and smooth. However, the ice cream will become super hard when stored in the freezer. This problem can be worked out. (See next tip.)
  • If the ice cream becomes super hard when frozen, put it in a blender and add a little whole goat milk. Blend until smooth again.
  • Freeze leftover ice cream in ice cube trays. Remove cubes from trays when frozen and store in plastic bags or containers. Use for individual servings, using the blender tip above to soften the ice cream.
  • If you did use half cream and half milk as recommended, you can freeze any leftover ice cream in bulk containers and scoop out as needed.
  • Add fruits, nuts, or other additions at the end of the freezing process to prevent them from settling to the bottom of the ice cream.
  • If you do not have enough goat milk cream, you can substitute with commercial cream.

Toppings for Goat Milk Ice Cream

Butterscotch Sauce

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cups butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 cups goat milk
  • 2 cups light corn syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Combine sugars, syrup, and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Be careful that the mixture does not boil over. Add condensed milk, goat milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Beat well and store in refrigerator.

Substitution: 2 and 1/2 cups of cream = 1 can sweetened condensed milk.

Hot Fudge Sauce

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup goat milk

Thoroughly mix sugar, flour, and cocoa together. Add the corn syrup and the goat milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Stir often. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla; beat with a spoon. Serve warm over ice cream. Sauce can be heated in the microwave. Store in the refrigerator.


Originally published in the July/August 2012 issue of Countryside & Small Stock Journal.

3 thoughts on “Goat Milk Ice Cream and Sherbet Recipes”
    1. Hi Jan,

      Goat cream is that fat portion of milk. Unlike the cream from cow milk, which rises to the top when milk cools and can be scooped off for ice cream, goat milk requires a cream separator. This is because the fat particles are much smaller and suspend within the milk. You can let the milk sit in the refrigerator, but it will take longer for the cream to rise, and you won’t get as much cream. In that time, the capric/caproic acids might develop, which gives goat milk its signature, tangy “goaty” flavor. Cream separators are an investment, but for me, that investment paid off within several months of use. You can always purchase heavy whipping cream (from cow milk) from a store and substitute it for goat cream wtihin the recipe.

  1. The butterfat in goats milk is different in all the dairy goat breeds. One with the highest is the Nigerian Dwarfs. It makes great ice-cream, did have trouble making mozzarella cheese with it so had to mix in my Nubians and Alpines milk for the cheese.

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