Unlock Unparalleled Creaminess: Sous Vide Peanut Butter Custard Popsicles with Candied Clusters

Prepare to elevate your summer dessert game with these incredibly creamy peanut butter custard popsicles, generously studded with crunchy, sweet candied peanut clusters. This recipe introduces a revolutionary (yet increasingly accessible) cooking method to your home kitchen: sous vide cooking. Get ready to experience a level of smoothness and flavor intensity in your frozen treats that you never thought possible!

Today, we’re not just making popsicles; we’re embarking on a culinary journey into the world of sous vide, a technique I first encountered in a professional restaurant kitchen. There, it was the secret to perfectly tender meats, vibrant infused vegetables, and intensely flavored dishes. What was once the domain of high-end chefs is now readily available to enthusiastic home cooks, and I’m thrilled to share how it transforms a simple dessert into something truly extraordinary.

For years, sous vide equipment was prohibitively expensive, limiting its use to commercial settings. However, thanks to advancements in technology and a growing interest in precise cooking methods, affordable and high-quality immersion circulators are now accessible to everyone. These compact, easy-to-store devices offer incredible versatility and hands-off precision, making them an invaluable tool for anyone passionate about cooking and eager to explore new culinary horizons. Whether you’re aiming for that perfectly cooked steak or an unbelievably silky custard, sous vide delivers consistent, restaurant-quality results right in your own kitchen.

My enthusiasm for sous vide cooking grew significantly after acquiring a home machine last year. Now, I’m thrilled to partner with Cuisine Solutions, pioneers in professional sous vide cooking, to delve deeper into this fascinating technique. I first encountered Cuisine Solutions, a company based near my hometown of Washington, DC, during a molecular gastronomy course in culinary school, where one of their esteemed chefs taught us. Their expertise in precision cooking is truly unparalleled.

This delightful recipe for honey peanut butter popsicles originates from the latest issue of Cuisine Solutions’ biannual publication, Sous-Vide Magazine. This stunning magazine, available for purchase here or at select grocers, is a treasure trove of gorgeous imagery, innovative sous vide-centric recipes, and insightful interviews with top chefs. It’s an essential read for anyone looking to master the art of sous vide and find inspiration for their next culinary creation.

What is Sous Vide Cooking?

Sous vide (pronounced soo-veed), a French term meaning “under vacuum,” describes a precise cooking method where ingredients are sealed in a plastic pouch and cooked in a temperature-controlled water bath for a specific duration. This method stands apart from traditional cooking because of its incredible accuracy and ability to cook food evenly from edge to edge.

The beauty of sous vide lies in its simplicity and the results it delivers. You can create a water bath using almost any heat-safe container, whether it’s a large cooking pot or a specialized food container. An immersion circulator, the core of the sous vide setup, precisely maintains the water temperature (typically between 125-195 degrees Fahrenheit). Once set, you can walk away, confident that your food will cook perfectly without the risk of overcooking. This controlled environment allows for optimal flavor infusion and ensures ingredients reach a precise core temperature, guaranteeing perfect doneness every single time. Imagine a steak cooked to a flawless medium-rare throughout, needing only a quick sear for a beautiful crust before serving. This hands-off approach makes sous vide an incredibly convenient tool for everything from weeknight meals to elaborate dinner parties and holiday feasts.

While sous vide is often associated with cooking proteins like meat and seafood, its applications are incredibly diverse. It can be used to prepare a wide array of dishes, from perfectly poached eggs and infused oils to vibrant vegetables and, yes, even exquisite desserts. Far from being a complicated scientific endeavor, sous vide is a remarkably straightforward method that opens up a world of culinary possibilities for home cooks eager to explore precise and consistent results.

Why Use Sous Vide for Popsicles?

While I’ve made homemade popsicles before (like my mango lassi popsicles), this is my first foray into making sous vide custard. This particular popsicle recipe features a rich peanut butter custard base, crafted from heavy cream, sugar, and eggs, then delicately flavored with honey and fragrant vanilla bean paste. The star, of course, is the natural creamy peanut butter, which infuses every bite with its comforting, nutty essence. Similar to a premium ice cream, the egg-rich custard is what gives these popsicles their signature creamy, luxurious texture and depth of flavor.

Traditionally, making an egg-based custard for ice cream or other frozen desserts involves standing over a stovetop, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling or scrambling while the mixture thickens over low heat. It’s a notoriously tedious and often stressful process, especially during the warm summer months when the last thing you want is to be tied to a hot stove. This is where sous vide truly shines, offering an effortless and fool-proof alternative that ensures a perfect custard every time.

How to Make Sous Vide Custard: The Secret to Silky Smooth Popsicles

To eliminate the challenges of traditional custard making, we turn to our immersion circulator to prepare the base for these peanut butter popsicles. The sous vide method offers several compelling advantages, transforming a potentially finicky process into an effortlessly enjoyable one:

• Hands-Off and Effortless Cooking: On the stovetop, there’s always a risk of curdling or scrambling the eggs, a common pitfall even for experienced cooks. The immersion circulator, set to a precise temperature, completely eliminates this risk. You simply set the timer and walk away, allowing the machine to do all the work while ensuring perfect results every time.
• Enhanced Food Safety Through Pasteurization: Cooking the custard base for one hour at 181°F (82.7°C) gently pasteurizes the egg yolks. This crucial step significantly reduces the risk of foodborne illness, making these homemade popsicles perfectly safe and enjoyable for everyone, all summer long.
• Unrivaled Silky Smooth Texture: The slow, even heat transfer of the water bath is the secret to an exceptionally smooth and creamy texture. Unlike direct heat methods, sous vide cooking prevents localized overheating, ensuring the custard maintains a velvety consistency without any graininess or lumps.
• Surprisingly Easy and Fun: Despite its gourmet reputation, sous vide cooking is incredibly user-friendly. Once you’ve tried it for custard, you’ll wonder why you ever did it any other way. It’s an empowering and satisfying method that brings a touch of professional technique to your home kitchen.

As if the rich peanut butter custard wasn’t enough to tantalize your taste buds, we’re taking these popsicles to the next level by incorporating delectable candied peanut clusters. These crunchy jewels add a fantastic textural contrast and an extra layer of caramelized sweetness that perfectly complements the creamy base. Their slight saltiness also helps to balance the overall sweetness of the popsicles, creating a truly harmonious flavor experience.

How to Make Candied Peanuts: The Perfect Crunchy Addition

Crafting candied peanuts is surprisingly simple and adds a delightful salty, chewy, and crunchy element to these peanut butter popsicles. Since a handful of these will be folded into the peanut butter custard base as it cooks, it’s best to prepare them before you start on the custard. This ensures they are cool and ready to be incorporated at the right time.

To make these irresistible candied peanuts, you’ll need just a few basic ingredients: raw peanuts (salted or unsalted, depending on your preference for a salty-sweet balance), honey, melted unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt. The process is straightforward: simply toss these ingredients together until the peanuts are evenly coated. Then, spread the mixture in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until they turn a beautiful caramelized golden brown. The baking process transforms the simple ingredients into crunchy, sweet clusters with a deep, nutty flavor. Once baked, allow the candied peanuts to cool completely – this is crucial for them to harden and achieve that satisfying crunch. Finally, roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces, ready to be folded into your velvety custard base and sprinkled into the popsicle molds before freezing. These clusters are not just a garnish; they’re an integral part of the popsicle’s texture and flavor profile, making each bite an adventure.

The original recipe from Sous-Vide Magazine suggests a unique addition: finely chopped kaffir lime leaves to the peanut mixture. This ingredient introduces a subtle yet distinct flavor note, an aromatic citrusy whisper that adds complexity and keeps your palate intrigued. While I absolutely adored this unique element in the popsicles, I understand that kaffir lime leaves can sometimes be challenging to source – your best bet is often an Asian supermarket. If you find them difficult to obtain, or simply prefer a more traditional flavor profile, feel free to omit them. The popsicles are undeniably delicious either way, but for those adventurous enough to seek them out, the kaffir lime leaves truly elevate the experience.

For the best possible texture and firmness, it’s highly recommended to allow these delicious popsicles to freeze overnight. This extended freezing time ensures they are perfectly solid and maintain their creamy consistency when you’re ready to enjoy them.

Why You’ll Love This Popsicle Recipe:

This recipe is designed to yield approximately eight generous 4-ounce popsicles, making it perfect for sharing (or not!). When it comes to choosing the right molds, I wholeheartedly recommend Silikomart silicone molds. Their flexibility makes de-molding custard-based popsicles incredibly easy, ensuring your beautiful creations come out perfectly intact every time.

These popsicles are a symphony of flavors and textures: lusciously creamy, perfectly sweet, rich with natural peanut butter, and utterly satisfying. The candied peanut clusters scattered throughout provide delightful bursts of toasted, caramelized sweetness and a satisfying crunch that contrasts beautifully with the smooth custard. And for those who include them, the kaffir lime leaves introduce an intriguing, subtle citrusy and aromatic note that truly sets these popsicles apart, leaving you craving just one more bite. What truly makes these popsicles exceptional is their texture; thanks to the higher fat content from the cream and peanut butter, and the balanced sweetness, they don’t freeze rock-solid like many fruit-based popsicles. Instead, they maintain a wonderfully “bite-worthy” and creamy consistency straight from the freezer, making them an instant favorite for any occasion.

If you’re eager to explore more innovative sous vide cooking recipes, including an entire section dedicated to refreshing summer popsicles and other inspiring culinary ideas, be sure to grab a copy of Sous-Vide Magazine. It’s a fantastic resource for expanding your sous vide repertoire.

Honey Peanut Butter Custard Popsicles

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Yield:

8
(4 ounce) Popsicles

Prep:

20 minutes
minutes

Cook:

1 hour
hour

Freezing Time:

12 hours
hours

Total:

13 hours
hours
20 minutes
minutes

Creamy peanut butter popsicles filled with candied peanut butter clusters, flavored with honey and infused with kaffir lime leaves. The peanut butter custard gets its silky texture from temperature-controlled sous vide cooking, which has the added benefit of pasteurizing the egg mixture and making these homemade popsicles safe to enjoy all summer long!

Equipment

• Joule Sous-Vide Machine
• Silikomart Silicone Popsicle Mold
• 1/2 Gallon Silicone Reusable Food Bag

Ingredients

Candied Peanuts:

• 1 cup salted or unsalted raw peanuts
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves finely chopped (optional)*

Peanut Butter Custard:

• 4 cups (32 ounces) heavy cream
• 8 whole eggs
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
• ½ cup honey
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened natural peanut butter

Instructions

1. For the Candied Peanuts: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the peanuts, honey, butter, and salt until well-coated. Spread in an even layer on the lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes (or longer), or until browned. Meanwhile, chop the kaffir lime leaves, if using, very finely with a knife. Fold the leaves into the peanuts while still warm. Flatten out the peanuts on the tray. Let cool completely to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

2. Once cool, use a knife to roughly chop the peanuts, making sure not to over chop them. Set aside.

3. For the Custard: Set the sous vide machine (immersion circulator) to 181°F (82.7°C). While the water is heating, combine all the custard ingredients (heavy cream, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste, honey, and unsweetened natural peanut butter) in a blender. Blend thoroughly until smooth, being careful not to incorporate too much air. Pour the mixture into a sous vide pouch (such as a 1/2 gallon silicone reusable food bag) and add 2 tablespoons of the prepared candied peanuts. Seal the pouch, removing as much air as possible (using the water displacement method if your bag isn’t vacuum sealable). Cook in the water bath for one hour.

4. After cooking, remove the pouch from the water bath. Transfer the custard mixture to a bowl. If necessary, use a whisk to stir the mixture until completely smooth and homogeneous. Allow the custard to cool slightly before pouring it into your ice pop molds. Add additional candied peanuts, to taste, distributing them evenly throughout the molds. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for at least four hours, or preferably overnight for the best results and firmest consistency.

Tips for Success:

• If you can’t find kaffir lime leaves and still want a citrusy aromatic note, you can try adding the zest of one small lime to the candied peanuts.
• This recipe yields eight (4-ounce) popsicles; the exact yield will vary depending on the specific popsicle mold you use.
• The recipe produces a generous quantity of custard. Feel free to halve the recipe if you prefer a smaller batch. Ensure you have large enough sous-vide cooking pouches for the full amount if not halving.

Recipe reprinted with permission (with a few minor edits) from Sous-Vide Magazine Issue 6.

Serving: 1serving,
Calories: 399kcal,
Carbohydrates: 34g,
Protein: 14g,
Fat: 24g,
Saturated Fat: 7g,
Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g,
Cholesterol: 198mg,
Sodium: 458mg,
Fiber: 3g,
Sugar: 29g

Author:
Laura // A Beautiful Plate

Course:
Ice creams and Frozen Desserts

Cuisine:
American