Stardew Valley Recipes: No-machine Matcha Lime Ice Cream

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like this.⁠—Stardew Valley item description for ice cream

A pleasant, energizing beverage made from lightly processed tea leaves.—Stardew Valley item description for green tea

Ingredients-wise, this ice cream method is probably the closest to the game recipe .  There’s only two elements: heavy whipping cream, which provides the fat which gives the ice cream its traditional smooth mouthfeel, and sweetened condensed milk, which provides the sugar that interrupts the production of ice crystals and makes the ice cream easier to scoop.

It’s also perfect for folks who want homemade ice cream but don’t have the budget or space for a specialized machine.  Instead of churning, we whip the heavy cream to get the airiness and fluffiness associated with the more traditional versions of the warm weather treat.  The end result is satisfying and requires way less effort.

Matcha for an Ice Cream Recipe

For that pop of green in the original artwork, I decided to go with matcha (a type of green tea) and lime.  While neither are necessarily in the game, I knew they’d pair well with the traditional strawberry and dairy-free coconut vanilla ice creams.  If you’ve never had matcha flavored desserts, it’s worth trying.

**Editor’s Note: With the release of patch 1.4, green tea is officially an in-game product⁠—so I guess this flavor is canon now!

Matcha can vary in flavor and strength depending on the kind and brand you find. Mine turned out to be vegetal and a little sweet, with a refreshing bitterness that reminded me of biting into a good cucumber on a hot day.  The lime I added was not a very strong flavor but added a subtle aftertaste towards the end. Feel free to change it out with any other kind of citrus you may prefer, but don’t leave it out completely as citrus and matcha complement each other very well.

If you’re feeling adventurous, consider switching out the matcha and lime and adding a different flavor to the base.  The possibilities are almost endless! What kind of ice cream flavors would you make with this method? Leave a comment to let me know and consider joining my Patreon!

This recipe is adapted from Gemma Stafford’s Bigger Bolder Baking.

Makes 3 pints

Ingredients:

2 cups cold heavy cream or whipping cream

1 14 ounce can of cold sweetened condensed milk

1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons of juice)

2 tablespoons matcha powder

Instructions:

1. Put the condensed milk in the refrigerator to chill overnight.  It will whip better when cold.
2. Whip the heavy cream on medium speed with a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.  If you’re worried about splashing, add 1 cup of heavy cream to the bowl and whip that first; once you see it start to firm up, add the rest and continue until necessary consistency.
3. Reduce speed and add the cold condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest.  Bring your stand or hand mixer back up to speed and whisk the mixture until it’s thick with stiff peaks.
4. Using a spatula, gently fold in the 2 tablespoons of matcha powder until fully combined.  Pour mixture into a container and let it freeze for at least 6 hours before serving. Lasts for roughly 2 weeks.