Vanilla Ice Cream Is 10x More Flavorful When You Add These 2 Ingredients

People usually feel one of two ways about vanilla ice cream: obsessed or apathetic. Vanilla ice cream lovers seem to enjoy its rich, creamy simplicity since it showcases the fragrant, lightly floral notes of (hopefully) real vanilla swirled throughout the velvety cream. Detractors cite these as points against this classic ice cream flavor, labeling it as boring and bland. Both groups, however, should be elated to learn that its sophisticated simplicity is what makes vanilla ice cream perfect for loading up with unique toppings and flavors, particularly a combination of turmeric and vanilla bean paste.

While adding the latter may seem redundant, vanilla bean paste is the secret to making vanilla ice cream taste luxe. Whether it's homemade or store-bought, vanilla is such a delicate flavor that it can easily get lost. Vanilla bean paste is beautifully aromatic and flavorful, making it perfect for elevating lackluster blends. It's also a delicious pairing for turmeric, a warm, deeply earthy spice with lightly fruity undertones that comes from the dried, powdered golden-yellow rhizome of the turmeric plant.

Stirred together into a few scoops of your favorite vanilla ice cream, the turmeric and vanilla paste mimic the flavors of a (coffee-free) golden latte, infusing your frozen dessert with a rich, malty, lightly spiced flavor that's complex and bright without being too astringent. Since both ingredients have such concentrated flavor, you only need a pinch or two of turmeric powder and a light drizzle of vanilla bean paste to infuse flavor into a single serving.

While flavoring homemade ice cream with turmeric and vanilla bean paste is fairly straightforward, ensuring they're evenly distributed through store-bought ice cream can be slightly more complicated. The trick is to add your ice cream to a large mixing bowl, add your flavorings, and then gently fold them in, either by using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer or mixing them by hand with a rubber spatula. The ice cream may melt a little during this process, so plan to pop it back into the freezer for a while afterward. You can flavor whole pints or gallons of ice cream this way.

You're also not limited to vanilla bean paste and turmeric alone when building your ice cream's flavor profile. If you'd like a more authentic golden milk taste, you can also add a tiny pinch of black pepper, some cinnamon, and a little ground ginger and cardamom. These extra seasonings add bright spiciness to your ice cream without overshadowing the vanilla or turmeric. Instead, both ingredients are elevated by a deliciously nuanced undercurrent of flavors. If you're having trouble finding vanilla bean paste, it's also okay to use vanilla extract, though the flavor may be slightly less prominent and nuanced.

Of course, you can also keep things simple by adding just the two main ingredients to your ice cream and topping your bowl with things like candied ginger, toasted coconut flakes, or cardamom-infused caramel syrup. Chocolate is also shockingly delicious with turmeric, so pile on the hot fudge if that's more your style, or crumble on Oreos to make golden cookies 'n cream.