Chilean cola de mono ice cream is whole milk infused with sugar, cloves, orange peel, nutmeg, and cinnamon, brought to a first boil, mixed with instant coffee and vanilla, cooled, spiked with aguardiente, strained, and frozen in an ice cream maker or in a container stirred after 2 hours. It takes 4 hours, mostly freezing, and 15 minutes of cooking, and serves 6.
A frozen take on cola de mono, the spiced coffee and milk drink of Chilean Christmas; it contains alcohol and is not for children.
How to Make Cola de Mono Ice Cream?
Infuse the milk with the spices, add the coffee and vanilla off the heat, and only add the aguardiente once the mix is cool. The recipe comes from the Chilean blog Mi Diario de Cocina.
Nutritional Information
Each serving of cola de mono ice cream contains approximately 330 kcal, 5 g of protein, 5 g of fat (3 g saturated), 41 g of carbohydrates, 41 g of sugars, and 50 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.
Chilean Cola de Mono Ice Cream Recipe
Preparation: 4 hours (including freezing)
Cooking: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 liter (4 cups) of whole milk
- 1 cup of sugar
- 5 cloves
- 240 ml (1 cup) of aguardiente (or pisco)
- 3 teaspoons of instant coffee
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Orange peel
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine the milk, sugar, cloves, a piece of orange peel, nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks, and stir until the sugar dissolves. In a cup, dissolve the 3 teaspoons of coffee in a little hot water.
- Heat the milk over medium heat and, at the first boil, turn off the heat and add the dissolved coffee and vanilla. Let cool, then add the aguardiente. Strain and set aside. If you use an ice cream maker, follow its instructions.
- Without a machine, pour the mixture into a large lidded plastic container and freeze for 2 hours. Remove and stir vigorously for a couple of minutes, then freeze at least 2 more hours before serving.
Additional Tips
Add alcohol cold
Add the aguardiente only when the mix has cooled so the alcohol does not evaporate.
Stir for creaminess
Without a machine, stirring once or twice during freezing breaks up ice crystals.
Softer scoop
Alcohol keeps the ice cream soft; take it out a few minutes before serving.
Not for children
This ice cream contains alcohol; make a separate batch without aguardiente for kids.
| Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aguardiente | Pisco | 240 ml | Fruitier |
| Aguardiente | No alcohol | 0 | Family friendly, freezes harder |
| Instant coffee | Espresso | 60 ml | Stronger coffee |
| Whole milk | Half milk, half cream | 1 liter | Creamier |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does cola de mono ice cream contain alcohol?
Yes, it is made with aguardiente, so it is not suitable for children.
2. Can I make it without an ice cream maker?
Yes. Freeze it in a lidded container for 2 hours, stir vigorously, and freeze at least 2 more hours.
3. Why add the aguardiente after cooling?
Adding it to hot milk would evaporate the alcohol and its aroma.
Did You Know?
Ice cream making in Chile dates back to colonial times, when it was a luxury of the upper classes because of the difficulty of getting snow. The most famous was the Aurora, a drink of almond milk and cinnamon water set with snow.
How to adapt this recipe to a vegan or vegetarian version?
How to adapt this recipe to a gluten-free version?
How to adapt this recipe to a keto (ketogenic) version?
Recommended
- Homemade Cola de Mono Recipe
- Red Wine Ice Cream Recipe
- Chilean Murta Berry Ice Cream Recipe
- Chilean Café Helado Recipe
