No Churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream with Boba

Vietnamese coffee ice cream with boba makes such a delicious treat. It’s rich and creamy, boasting plenty of coffee flavor and the chewiness of boba pearls on top. It’s an unusual no-churn coffee ice cream recipe which you are going to love. Vietnamese coffee ice cream is delicious with the flavors of coffee and boba. Ice cream with boba is a special treat to beat the summer heat.

Have you tried Vietnamese coffee before? It’s typically made with Robusta beans which offer twice the caffeine of other brands. This thick, rich-tasting brew is served with sweetened condensed milk to balance out the bitter, strong flavor.

More refreshing treats you might enjoy include strawberry lime daiquiri, watermelon gin and tonic and cherry lime caipirinha.

Whether or not you’ve tried this style of coffee, you are going to be impressed with this Vietnamese ice cream with boba. It’s just so deliciously different! Coffee and boba aren’t paired as often as tea and boba, although they’re perfect together in this no-churn coffee ice cream.

What You Need to Make This No Churn Coffee Ice Cream

I used instant coffee granules instead of brewed coffee for this Vietnamese coffee ice cream with boba. The reason for this is simply brewed coffee would add too much liquid and then the ice cream wouldn’t freeze properly.

Heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk go into the Vietnamese ice cream, along with vanilla for flavour and sugar for added sweetness. Of course you also need boba.

What is Boba and How Do You Use It?

Boba and the trend that is bubble tea has been sweeping the nation recently and these boba tea shops are popping up everywhere. Boba tea which is also known as bubble tea or pearl milk tea is from Taiwan originally.

These little balls are made from tapioca starch which comes from the cassava plant. They are boiled and soaked in syrup to make the boba balls we all know and love. A typical boba tea drink contains tea, milk, ice, and boba pearls.

Coffee and boba isn’t as well known a combo. But honestly having both together is wonderful. Ice cream with boba is a cool and refreshing treat and it’s great for the summer months.

How to Make Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream with Boba

The first step is whipping the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Next you can mix in the sweetened condensed milk.

Once they’re well combined you can mix in the coffee, vanilla and salt. Now you just need to transfer it into a container and freeze it overnight. Make the boba according to the instructions on the package.

Spoon some boba into a glass then add the no-churn coffee ice cream and finish it off with more boba. Perfection!

Why Use Sweetened Condensed Milk?

There are a couple of reasons why this type of dairy works beautifully in Vietnamese ice cream. First of all, it’s the typical addition to Vietnamese coffee so it goes with the Vietnamese theme. Although boba is technically Taiwanese it ties in with the Asian theme as well.

In addition, there is plenty of fat and not much water in condensed milk. That means it works beautifully to get the flavour and texture of the ice cream just right. If you use too much water, homemade ice cream can freeze too hard and be hard to scoop. Or it might get big ice crystals in it which you don’t want either, so sweetened condensed milk is the way to go!

Tips for Perfect Coffee and Ice Cream Boba

Although this Vietnamese coffee ice cream with boba is easy to make, it’s always handy to know some tips!

First of all, different kinds of boba have different methods of preparation. You can use the instructions on the package but don’t soak it in cold water afterwards. This will thin down the syrup which you will need for the ice cream.

Start with a well-chilled mixing bowl, along with cold cream and sweetened condensed milk. This helps with the texture of this ice cream with boba recipe.

You can use any kind of pan to chill the ice cream in – ceramic, glass, metal, anything goes! Remember a shallow pan means the ice cream is spread out more so it will freeze slightly quicker. This ice cream keeps for up to 6 weeks in the freezer. But it’s so good I bet it will be gone in a few days!

As for the coffee, the brand is up to you. For a more authentic Vietnamese flavour you could use Vietnamese coffee if available. But really whatever type of coffee you use, the result will be really good. It can be hard to find Vietnamese coffee depending on your location and it’s not cheap either. So just use whatever coffee you have.

Why use Instant Coffee Powder and Not Brewed Coffee?

To achieve the creamy ice cream texture, we want the least amount of water possible. Using brewed coffee will add too much water into the mix, so the use of instant coffee powder is preferred. Dilute the powder with 1 Tbsp. of lukewarm water before adding into the ice cream mixture.  

Why is this Recipe called Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream?

One of the unique and special features of Vietnamese coffee is the use of condensed milk as a sweetener. As no churn ice cream recipes use condensed milk to achieve that creamy, no frozen texture anyway, adding coffee into the mix just makes a lot of sense! For authentic Vietnamese coffee taste, consider getting instant coffee powder brand from Vietnam such as Trung Nguyen. However, it can be difficult to find at the stores and can be quite pricey on Amazon, so using local brands such as Nescafe works wonderfully as well. Dark roast variety is preferred, as Vietnamese coffee tends to be stronger and more intense to balance out that sweet condensed milk.  

If you like this ice cream with boba, you might also like Watermelon Boba Popsicles, 80 Coffee Instagram Captions for When you Need to Espresso Yourself, or No Churn Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream.

No Churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream with Boba Recipe

I promise this Vietnamese coffee ice cream with boba is going to be one of the highlights of your summer! The flavour is exquisite and those chewy little boba pearls make it truly unusual.