Creamy homemade ice cream loaded with generous Heath Bar pieces brings an old Ben & Jerry’s-style freezer favorite back to the table.
Photo by dmansouri
Copycat Ben and Jerry’s Heath Bar Ice Cream
Ben and Jerry’s Heath Bar Ice Cream combines a rich vanilla ice cream base with plenty of chocolate-covered English toffee pieces in every scoop.
Chilling the chopped candy before adding it helps the chocolate stay firm and keeps the toffee pieces from disappearing into the ice cream. Add them near the end of churning for the best distribution.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Summer desserts, birthday parties and homemade sundae nights
- Flavor Profile: Creamy vanilla, milk chocolate, buttery toffee and caramelized crunch
- Skill Level: Moderate
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: A rich premium-style ice cream base packed with large candy bar pieces
Ben and Jerry’s
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their first Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop in a renovated Burlington, Vermont gas station in 1978. They started with a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making and a $12,000 investment. By 1980, they were packing ice cream into pints for distribution to local grocery stores.
The company became known for dense ice cream filled with unusually generous chunks, pieces and swirls. Coffee Heath Bar Crunch joined the lineup in 1986. Ben & Jerry’s later replaced the branded Heath pieces and renamed the flavor Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch as part of its move toward Fairtrade Certified and non-GMO ingredients.
The Candy Bar Makes the Scoop
Chocolate-covered toffee bars are particularly well suited to homemade ice cream because one ingredient supplies several contrasting elements. The chocolate provides a smooth coating while the brittle toffee adds buttery caramel flavor and a firm crunch. Freezing the chopped candy before churning helps preserve those separate textures.
Adding it during the final minutes prevents the pieces from collecting at the bottom or being broken too finely by the machine. The original recipe published on this site used a simple vanilla base with four Heath Bars, creating a straightforward candy-loaded variation rather than the coffee ice cream sold under Ben & Jerry’s former Coffee Heath Bar Crunch name.
Ben and Jerry’s Heath Bar Ice Cream Recipe
Creamy homemade ice cream loaded with generous Heath Bar pieces brings an old Ben & Jerry’s-style freezer favorite back to the table.
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 4 full-size Heath Bars
- 2 cups Heavy Cream divided
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2 large Eggs
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, chop Heath Bars into pieces measuring about 1/2 inch.
- Place candy pieces in a covered bowl and freeze until needed.
- Pour 1 cup heavy cream and whole milk into a medium saucepan.
- Place saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until the mixture is steaming but not boiling.
- Whisk eggs, sugar and salt in a heat-safe mixing bowl until smooth and slightly lightened.
- Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly.
- Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 170°F and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- Do not allow the custard to boil.
- Remove saucepan from heat.
- Stir in the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and vanilla.
- Pour custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
- Pour chilled custard into an ice cream maker.
- Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Add frozen Heath Bar pieces during the final 2 minutes of churning.
- Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container.
- Press parchment paper or plastic wrap directly against the surface.
- Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Allow ice cream to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes before scooping.
Notes
- For a coffee variation closer to the former Coffee Heath Bar Crunch flavor, dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder in the warm milk mixture.
- Heath baking bits can replace the candy bars, but full-size bars provide larger chocolate-covered chunks.
- Adding the candy too early can break the pieces apart and spread melted chocolate throughout the base.
- The original legacy recipe used uncooked eggs. This updated version cooks the custard for safer preparation and a smoother texture.
Related Copycat Recipes
- Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Ice Cream – A legendary flavor that blends bright cherries with deep chocolate in every scoop.
- Bennigan’s Brownie Bottom Pie – Fudgy brownie base topped with cold, creamy ice cream and rich chocolate sauce delivers pure dessert overload.
- Homemade Oreo Cookies – Classic cookies-and-cream treat made fresh with rich chocolate flavor
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Questions People Ask
Is this the same as Coffee Heath Bar Crunch?
No. This recipe uses vanilla ice cream. Add instant espresso powder if you prefer the older coffee-based flavor.
Why should the Heath Bar pieces be frozen?
Freezing keeps the chocolate firm and helps the candy pieces remain distinct during churning.
Can I use Heath baking bits?
Yes, although chopped full-size bars provide larger pieces and include more chocolate coating.
Do I need an ice cream maker?
An ice cream maker produces the smoothest texture, but the chilled base can also be prepared using a no-churn freezing method.
How long will the ice cream keep?
For the best flavor and texture, store it tightly covered in the freezer and enjoy it within 2 weeks.
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The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
“This is the only book you’ll ever need to make stellar ice cream.”
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With an emphasis on intense and sophisticated flavors and a bountiful helping of the author’s expert techniques, this collection of frozen treats ranges from classic (Chocolate Sorbet) to comforting (Tin Roof Ice Cream), contemporary (Mojito Granita) to cutting edge (Pear-Pecorino Ice Cream), and features an arsenal of sauces, toppings, mix-ins, and accompaniments (such as Lemon Caramel Sauce, Peanut Brittle, and Profiteroles) capable of turning simple ice cream into perfect scoops of pure delight.
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Photo of Ice Cream is by dmansouri and is used by permission under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0) License. Thank you, D-Man. Great Picture. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is original to Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes. Recipe created by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes based on information from the restaurant and other sources on the internet – many courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
December 4, 2012 @ 3:02 pm
why didn,t you print a book with all the wing recipes ,and wing sacuces
December 4, 2012 @ 3:04 pm
why didnt you print a booket with all wing recipes,and wing sauces
May 25, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
I would like to learn how to make Sonny’s BBQ garlic bread that they serve for sandwiches? You cant buy it in any store at all.
Thanks
Lynn