This Homemade Turkish Ice Cream Recipe, also known as Maras Dondurma, will bring the authentic flavors of this popular street food right into your kitchen.
Maraş Dondurma is a traditional Turkish ice cream known for its thick, stretchy, and chewy texture, unlike regular gelato or ice cream. You can even eat it with a fork and knife instead of licking it from a cone. It has unique ingredients like salep (ground orchid tuber) and mastic (plant resin).
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Traditionally, Turkish Ice Cream - Maraş Dondurma is made with goat's milk, but it also works well with full-fat cow's milk, as long as you have proper salep powder and mastic gum. I buy these two special ingredients whenever I visit Turkey and use them in many of my other delicious Turkish recipes like Salep - Turkish Hot Milk Drink (Sahlab), Kazandibi, and Tavuk Gogsu - Turkish Chicken Breast Pudding.
Unlike regular ice creams, Maraş Dondurma melts very slowly, perfect for hot climates. Its high density and low moisture content help it stay solid longer, so you can enjoy it without quickly turning into a puddle.
Making Maraş Dondurma the traditional way involves a lot of manual work. In Turkey, vendors use large metal rods to knead and stretch the ice cream, which is fun to watch. This method creates a unique texture and adds air to make the ice cream lighter.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Salep - It is the key ingredient for making authentic Maras Dondurma and you'll need it if you want to achieve the stretchy texture. It can be tricky and expensive to find, but many online retailers offer it. Make sure you buy pure salep powder for the best results. You only need 15 grams for 1.2 liters of milk, so a little goes a long way.
- Mastic - Mastic, sometimes called mastic gum, can also be found online or in Mediterranean markets. It adds a subtle, pine-like flavor and contributes to the chewiness of the ice cream.
- Milk - Turkish Ice Cream is traditionally made with goat's milk but a full-fat milk and cream mixture works well too for a rich and creamy texture.
- Sugar - Caster or granulated white sugar works well.
How to Make Homemade Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma?
Making this delicious Homemade Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma is very easy and straightforward. However, you need to follow a few simple steps and tips to achieve the best results:
Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the mastic in a mortar and pestle, and crush them into a fine powder.
Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the rest of the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. In a small bowl, mix salep powder with a bit of cold milk to form a smooth paste.
Slowly add salep mixture to the milk mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add the mastic powder to the saucepan and continue stirring to ensure everything is well combined.
Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously. This step is crucial as it helps develop the stretchy texture. You’ll notice the mixture thickening and becoming more elastic. This process can take around 25-30 minutes depending on the quality and pureness of the salep powder, so patience is key.
Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat, place it in a container, and whisk it for 10 minutes with a hand blender until it cools down.
Place the container in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, take it out and stir vigorously with a whisk or a spoon. Scrape any ice crystals that form on the bowl. This helps in incorporating air and breaking down ice crystals, ensuring a smooth texture.
After about 3-4 hours, the ice cream will start to set and it will be harder to whisk. When your ice cream has a chewy gum texture, it means it is ready to consume.
Freeze for 3 hours and your ice cream is ready to serve! Leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to make scooping easier.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Use goat's milk if you can find it, or use a full-fat milk and cream mixture. Avoid using semi-skimmed or low-fat milk.
- Turn the mastic into a fine powder with a little sugar before adding it to the milk.
- Use authentic good quality salep powder to get the authentic taste and texture of Maras dondurma.
- The cooking and stretching processes are time-consuming but crucial for the stretchy texture.
- Leave the ice cream at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop.
Serving Suggestions
I enjoy topping Turkish ice cream scoops with crushed pistachios or walnuts for some extra crunch and a pop of color.
You can serve Maraş Dondurma in thick slices rather than scoops. Use a sharp knife to cut the ice cream into slabs to showcase its chewy texture. This method of serving is typical in Turkey, especially when paired with Turkish Pistachio Baklava, Un Helvasi - Turkish Flour Halva, Sari Burma Baklava Rolls - Saragli, or Kadaif Dessert - Turkish Tel Kadayif.
You can also enjoy it by making a sandwich with two thin cookies or by pairing it with fresh fruits like strawberries or figs.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Lumpy Mixture
If your mixture becomes lumpy, it’s usually due to improper mixing of salep. To avoid this, always mix salep with a small amount of cold milk before adding it to the heated mixture. Continuous stirring also helps to avoid lumps.
Not Stretchy Enough
If your ice cream isn't stretchy enough, you might need to knead it more or use more salep. Make sure to knead it well and use the right amount of good quality salep powder.
Too Hard or Icy
This can happen if you don't stir the mixture often while it freezes. Regular stirring stops large ice crystals from forming, and give it a smoother texture.
Recipe FAQs
You can store Maraş Dondurma in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure it’s in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.
You can add different flavors like vanilla, rosewater, or pistachio to the base mixture. You can also top it with various nuts, fresh fruits, or even a drizzle of chocolate sauce for a unique twist.
Related Recipes
For more delicious dessert recipes to pair with Homemade Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma, why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below, tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram, and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delightful Homemade Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Homemade Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma
Ingredients
- 1000 ml full-fat milk (whole milk)
- 200 ml double cream or heavy cream
- 200 g caster or granulated sugar
- 15 g pure salep powder
- 2 g mastic
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the mastic, and crush them into a fine powder.
- Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the rest of the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
- In a small bowl, mix salep powder with a bit of cold milk to form a smooth paste.
- Slowly add salep mixture to the milk mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
- Add the mastic powder to the saucepan and continue stirring to ensure everything is well combined.
- Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously. This step is crucial as it helps develop the stretchy texture. You’ll notice the mixture thickening and becoming more elastic. This process can take around 25-30 minutes depending on the quality and pureness of the salep powder, so patience is key.
- Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat, place it in a container, and whisk it for 10 minutes with a hand blender until it cools down.
- Place the container in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, take it out and stir vigorously with a whisk or a spoon. Scrape any ice crystals that form on the bowl. This helps in incorporating air and breaking down ice crystals, ensuring a smooth texture.
- After about 3-4 hours, the ice cream will start to set and it will be harder to whisk. When your ice cream has a chewy gum texture, it means it is ready to consume.
- Freeze for 3 hours and your ice cream is ready to serve! Leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to make scooping easier.
Notes
- Use goat's milk if you can find, or use full fat milk and cream mixture. Avoid usimg semi-skimmed or low fat milk.
- Turn the mastic into a fine powder with a little sugar before adding it to the milk.
- Use authentic good quality salep powder to get the authentic taste and texture of Maras dondurma.
- The cooking and stretching processes are time-consuming but crucial for the stretchy texture.
- Leave the ice cream at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop.
Nutrition
In a mortar and pestle add 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the mastic, and crush them well. Set it aside.
Rosie Caramazza
I could manage to find some real salep powder and tried this recipe. OMG! It was so delicious! I will surely be making it again before the summer ends.