This Turkish Ice Cream Recipe, known as Maras Dondurma, is one of Turkey's most famous desserts. It has a thick, stretchy texture that regular ice cream just doesn't have.
It gets that texture from salep, a powder made from ground orchid root, and mastic, a resin with a subtle pine flavor. This homemade version gets you that same stretchy, chewy result with nothing more than a freezer and some regular stirring, no ice cream maker needed.
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Maras Dondurma gets its name from Kahramanmaras, the Turkish city where it originated. It's dense enough to eat with a fork and knife instead of licking it off a cone.
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.
Turkish Ice Cream also melts much more slowly than a typical scoop, which makes it a good match for hot weather. Its high density and low moisture content help it stay solid longer, so you have plenty of time to enjoy it before it turns 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.
Why This Recipe Works
- You get the same stretchy, chewy texture Maras Dondurma is known for without any special equipment, just a freezer, a whisk, and regular stirring while it sets.
- It only takes five ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, salep, and mastic. No eggs, no custard base, and no ice cream maker required.
- Stirring the mixture every 30 minutes as it freezes does the same job as the hand kneading vendors do with metal rods in Turkey, it breaks up ice crystals and builds that dense, elastic bite.
- It's a good dessert to make ahead of a dinner or gathering, since it holds its shape well once scooped instead of turning soft and runny on the table.
- Salep and mastic are what make it taste like the real thing, not just a stretchy version of vanilla ice cream.
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. If you're using raw or unpasteurized milk, heat it to at least 90°C (190°F) first to make sure it's safe to use.
- Sugar - Caster or granulated white sugar works well.
How to Make Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma
In a mortar and pestle, add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the mastic, and crush them well. Set it aside.
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.
Once your ice cream has that chewy, gum-like texture, it's ready to serve. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before scooping, it makes a big difference.
Ice Cream Maker Option
You don't need an ice cream maker for this recipe, but you can use one if you have it. Once the cooked mixture has cooled completely, pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze it for about 30 minutes first. Then transfer it to your ice cream maker and churn it according to the manufacturer's instructions. After churning, move it to an airtight container and freeze for several hours, the same as the no-machine method, until it's fully set.
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.
- Mix the salep with a little cold milk into a smooth paste before adding it to the hot mixture. This is the step that stops it from clumping into lumps.
- Don't rush the stovetop stage. The mixture needs about 25 to 30 minutes of slow, constant stirring before it thickens and turns elastic. Taking it off the heat too soon means it won't stretch properly later.
- Stir the mixture every 30 minutes while it's in the freezer and scrape down the sides each time. Skipping a round or two is the most common reason it turns out icy instead of smooth.
- Total freeze time varies a lot by freezer performance, a colder, more powerful freezer sets it faster than an older or weaker one. Go by texture rather than the clock, it's ready once it's thick, chewy, and holds its shape when scooped.
- There isn't a good substitute for salep in this recipe, it's what creates the stretch, so it's worth tracking down real salep powder rather than skipping it.
- Use a shallow, wide container instead of a deep one. It freezes more evenly and makes stirring every 30 minutes much easier.
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 Baklava, Un Helvasi - Turkish Flour Halva, Sari Burma Baklava Rolls - Saragli, Katmer Dessert, or Kadaif - Turkish Tel Kadayif Dessert.
You can also enjoy it by making a sandwich with two thin cookies or by pairing it with fresh fruits like strawberries or figs. A small cup of Turkish coffee on the side is a classic pairing too; its bitterness balances the ice cream's sweetness and richness.
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, it's usually because it wasn't stirred enough while it froze, or there wasn't enough salep in the mixture. Stir it thoroughly every 30 minutes as it sets, and make sure you're using 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 gives it a smoother texture.
Grainy or Gritty Texture
This usually means the salep or sugar didn't fully dissolve before the mixture went into the freezer. Make sure the mixture is completely smooth on the stovetop, with no visible specks, before you move on to the freezing stage.
Storage Instructions
Maras Dondurma is a freezer-only dessert, it isn't something you keep in the fridge. Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months, pressing a piece of parchment or plastic wrap directly onto the surface first to help prevent freezer burn. Since it doesn't have the eggs or emulsifiers regular ice cream has, it sets very hard, so plan to take it out a few minutes before you want to serve it.
Recipe FAQ's
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.
The stretch comes from salep, a powder made from ground orchid root. When it's heated with milk, it thickens into a natural gum-like texture. Mastic, a resin, adds to that chewy, elastic bite. Regular ice cream doesn't have either ingredient, which is why it's soft instead of stretchy.
Not really, nothing recreates the exact texture pure salep gives. If you can't find pure salep powder, ready-mix salep drink sachets (sold for making the hot salep drink, usually around 17 grams a packet) are a real, if imperfect, stand-in, since they're partly cut with starch. Some home cooks also try a mix of cornstarch and xanthan gum, but neither option stretches quite like pure salep does.
Some wild orchid species used for salep are considered vulnerable from overharvesting, which is why Turkey restricts the export of wild salep. Most salep powder sold internationally today comes from cultivated orchids or is blended with starch for that reason, so it's worth buying from a reputable seller if this matters to you.
Related Recipes
For more delicious dessert recipes to pair with Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma, 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! 🙂
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Turkish Ice Cream Recipe - Maras Dondurma
Ingredients
- 4¼ cups full-fat milk (whole milk) (1 litre)
- 6¾ oz double cream or heavy cream (200 ml)
- 1 cup caster or granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 tablespoon pure salep powder (15 grams)
- 1 teaspoon mastic (2 grams)
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 it, or a full-fat milk and cream mixture. Avoid semi-skimmed or low-fat milk. If using raw or unpasteurized milk, heat it to at least 90°C (190°F) first.
- Turn the mastic into a fine powder with a little sugar before adding it to the milk, and mix the salep with a little cold milk into a smooth paste first too. Both steps stop lumps from forming.
- Use good quality, pure salep powder for the best stretch. If you can't find it, ready-mix salep drink sachets work as an imperfect substitute.
- Let the mixture cook slowly for 25 to 30 minutes on the stovetop, it needs that time to thicken and turn elastic.
- Stir the mixture every 30 minutes while it freezes and scrape down the sides each time. Skipping this is the main reason it turns out icy instead of smooth.
- Use a shallow, wide container rather than a deep one, it freezes more evenly and is easier to stir.
- You can use an ice cream maker instead of hand stirring: freeze the cooled mixture for 30 minutes, churn it, then freeze again until fully set.
- Total freeze time varies by freezer performance, go by texture (thick and chewy) rather than the clock.
- Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before scooping.
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. This is a freezer-only dessert, it isn't meant to be kept in the fridge.
- Made with milk and cream, so it isn't dairy-free or vegan, though it is vegetarian.
Rosie Caramazza says
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.