Recipe
🍰 DESSERT
Grenadian Nutmeg Ice Cream
A cool, creamy ice cream fragrant with fresh-grated nutmeg, showcasing the spice that defines the Isle of Spice.
Grenadian · easy · serves 6
prep 15 min · cook 10 min
~464 cal · 7g protein · 33g carbs · 35g fat · 0g fiber · 33g sugars · 22g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Grenada is known as the Isle of Spice, and nutmeg is its emblem, pictured even on the national flag. The island is one of the world's great nutmeg producers, and nowhere does the spice taste more alive than in the simple pleasure of Grenadian nutmeg ice cream.
Made with fresh nutmeg grated straight from the whole seed, the ice cream carries a warmth and fragrance that pre-ground nutmeg cannot match, floral and faintly woody against the cold cream. A traditional version keeps it eggless, thickened only by the richness of the cream.
Sold from vendors and made at home, it is the perfect answer to the Grenadian heat, and a delicious argument for why fresh spice matters. One spoonful explains the island's nickname better than any map.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian and gluten-, egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp whole nutmeg, freshly grated
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1
Warm the milk and cream with most of the grated nutmeg and let it steep off the heat for 20 minutes.
✎ Chef’s note
Grate the nutmeg fresh from the whole seed. Its fragrance is worlds away from the dusty pre-ground jar, and it is the whole point of the dish.
2
Stir in the condensed milk and vanilla, then chill the mixture thoroughly.
3
Churn in an ice cream maker until thick, or freeze in a tub and beat every 30 minutes until set.
4
Fold in the last of the nutmeg and freeze firm before scooping.
Grenadian spice-island tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
St. George's. St. George's is a spice-port capital, and the nutmeg and mace Grenada exports run through its cooking generally. The national dish, oil down, is layered rather than spiced that way: breadfruit, salted meat, callaloo, and dumplings simmer down in turmeric-yellow coconut milk until the pot runs dry and the oil is all that is left.
🗺️
Grenada. Grenada is the 'Spice Isle,' and nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove perfume its cooking, from the national oil down (a one-pot of breadfruit, meat, and coconut) to cocoa tea. Fresh spice and Caribbean warmth define the plate.
🌍
North America. The most consequential technique on this continent is nixtamalisation, cooking maize with lime or wood ash. It loosens the skins, makes the dough that becomes tortillas and tamales, and frees up niacin the body cannot otherwise absorb, which is why maize spread around the world without the technique and took pellagra with it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Grenada
Oil DownGrenada's one-pot national dish: breadfruit, salted meat, dumplings, and callaloo cooked down in coconut milk and turmeric.
Cocoa Tea and Fried BakesSpiced local cocoa simmered into a rich, cinnamon-scented "tea," served with hot fried bakes, breakfast on the Spice Isle.
Grenadian Fish BrothA restorative Saturday soup of fresh fish, green figs, and provisions simmered with dumplings, coconut, and island spice.
Browse all Grenada recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Store in an airtight container. Most keep 2 to 3 days at room temperature, and longer refrigerated.
Make it a Grenada meal
Grenadian Curried LambiDinner
Cocoa TeaDrink
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Frequently asked questions
What is Grenadian Nutmeg Ice Cream?
A cool, creamy ice cream fragrant with fresh-grated nutmeg, showcasing the spice that defines the Isle of Spice.
Where does Grenadian Nutmeg Ice Cream come from?
Grenadian Nutmeg Ice Cream is a Grenadian dish from St. George's, Grenada.
Can Grenadian Nutmeg Ice Cream be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Grenadian Nutmeg Ice Cream recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Grenadian Nutmeg Ice Cream safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Grenadian Nutmeg Ice Cream take to make?
About 25 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking), serving 6.
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