Kulfi Recipe {Indian Ice Cream}

How to make the famous Indian ice cream, Kulfi. I learned how to make this traditional dessert during my time living in India, and it’s rich, creamy, and subtly flavored with cardamom. I love that it needs just 6 simple ingredients.

Parvati’s authentic Kulfi recipe

I first tried Kulfi when I spent a year abroad in India. I went with the intention of learning about various curries and stews, but was pleasantly surprised when my host mom, Parvarti, shared her family recipe with me.

If you’re unfamiliar with it, kulfi is a creamy dairy-based popsicle, often flavored with rosewater and cardamom, and usually studded with chopped pistachios.

While some specialty Indian grocery stores do sell Kulfi sticks, I prefer making my own because-

Simple ingredients. Condensed milk, heavy cream, and vanilla are all classic ice cream ingredients- nothing niche or hard-to-find here.

Customizable. Like classic popsicles, kulfi comes in a variety of flavors. I’ll share them with you below, and it involves just a few minor tweaks.

Tried-and-true. I’ve stayed true to Parvarti’s recipe, except for using evaporated milk instead of whole milk. I’ll walk you through the whole process with step-by-step photos and a video.

Key Ingredients and Tips

• Condensed milk. Condensed milk adds both sweetness and creaminess to the ice cream. Avoid using unsweetened varieties.
• Evaporated milk. Parvarti’s recipe called for whole milk, but during testing, I switched it to evaporated milk for a couple of reasons. It has less water content than milk, yielding a richer, creamier texture. It also has a slightly caramelized flavor, which pairs really well with the vanilla notes. If you can’t find this, whole milk is fine.
• Heavy cream. Either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Please do not use low-fat or reduced-fat varieties; otherwise, the kulfi won’t set properly.
• Cardamom powder. A pinch of cardamom balances the vanilla, giving this Indian ice cream its authentic flavor.
• Vanilla extract. Half a teaspoon adds a subtle vanilla flavor.  
• Unsalted pistachios. Roughly chopped.

How to make kulfi ice cream

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Simmer. Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream to a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 2- Add spices. Remove the saucepan from the heat, whisk in the cardamom and vanilla extract, stir to remove lumps, and let it cool to room temperature.

Step 3- Add pistachios. Once cool, stir in the pistachios, reserving a handful to sprinkle on the outside.

Step 4- Chill. Distribute the kulfi mixture among 8 popsicle molds. Place them in the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Arman’s recipe tips

• Bring your ingredients to room temperature. Unlike most of my ice cream recipes, you don’t need to chill your dairy ingredients first. It’s actually better if they’re already at room temperature. 
• Wait 6 hours. So the ice cream can freeze properly. Trust the process–it’s worth the wait.
• Kulfi molds. Parvarti had dedicated kulfi molds, but also used steel cups. I didn’t have either, so I just used a regular popsicle mold. You can find both of these at Indian grocery stores and online.

How to store leftovers

To store: You can freeze the kulfi popsicle molds for up to 2 months. Avoid refreezing it, as ice crystals will form.

Frequently asked questions