Pineapple Macadamia Nut Ice Cream

Tart and sweet pineapple lends itself really well to a creamy cooling custard ice cream. Then, toss in some delicious crunchy macadamia nuts, and you have a delicious tropical summer treat, or Pineapple Macadamia Nut Ice Cream.

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With a refreshing pineapple flavor, this creamy gourmet ice cream has just the right amount of pineapple to keep guests asking for more. It’s super smooth, creamy, and has a lovely tropical feel!

Why do you use canned pineapple instead of fresh?

Fresh pineapple has a naturally occurring enzyme that will curdle the milk. Canning the pineapple neutralizes that enzyme, so canned pineapple will work in diary based ice creams.

To properly swirl in a mix-in

For this Pineapple Macadamia Nut Ice Cream, if you simply toss the nuts into the machine, you risk scratching the delicate inside of the machine. So you want to carefully add the mix-in to the ice cream.

My favorite swirl-in method is the layer and swirl method. Remove one-third of the finished soft ice cream from the machine, and spoon it into a freezer safe container.

Remember my favorite container is this insulated ice cream tub.

Cover the ice cream with one-third of the mix-in. Repeat, making layers with the remaining ice cream and mix-in. Place the layered ice cream in the freezer to firm it up before serving. As you scoop, it will be nicely mixed.

Looking for great toppings for your ice cream?

Salted caramel sauce

Coconut Cardamom Caramel Sauce

Marshmallow hot fudge

Kitchen items you may need for this recipe

Canned pineapple

Macadamia nuts

Food processor

Saucepan

Burner diffuser

Mixing bowls

Silicone spatula

Strainer

Batter bowl

Ice cream machine

Ice cream scoop

Personalized ice cream shop sign

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Pineapple Macadamia Nut Ice Cream Recipe

5 from 6 votes

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Pineapple Macadamia Nut Ice Cream

Tart and sweet pineapple lends itself really well to a creamy cooling custard ice cream. Then, toss in some delicious crunchy macadamia nuts, and you have a delicious tropical summer treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword ice cream, pineapple

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Resting time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 298 kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

• 1 can (16 ounce) unsweetened pineapple chunks drained
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cups chopped macadamia nuts

Instructions

1. Place the pineapple chunks and salt in a food processor, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
2. Combine the sugar and milk in a heavy medium saucepan. Place over low heat, and stir until the sugar is dissolved, and the milk comes to a boil.
3. Place the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl, and beat the hot milk into the egg yolks. Pour the entire egg yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan, and place over low heat.
4. Stir constantly until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil, or the eggs will scramble.
5. Remove the custard from the heat, and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly, and stir in the pineapple puree, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate until cold, or overnight.
6. Give the chilled custard a stir, then freeze in the ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. You may need to freeze in 2 batches, as this makes about 5 cups, which was just a little bit more than my machine could hold.
7. Remove one-third of the finished soft ice cream from the machine, and spoon it into a freezer safe container.
8. Cover the ice cream with about one-third of the chopped macadamia nuts. Repeat, making layers with the remaining ice cream and nuts.
9. When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, place the layered ice cream in the freezer to firm it up before serving, at least 2 hours. As you scoop, it will be nicely mixed.

Nutrition Facts

Pineapple Macadamia Nut Ice Cream

Amount Per Serving

Calories 298 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 19g 29%

Saturated Fat 8g 40%

Cholesterol 94mg 31%

Sodium 140mg 6%

Potassium 163mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 32g 11%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 30g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 9.9%

Vitamin C 6.8%

Calcium 6.8%

Iron 3.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.