Vanilla Bean Base

1. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Add the milk and cream (or homemade nut milk) to a pot, along with the honey, ground vanilla (or vanilla paste), and salt. Heat over medium heat until hot to the touch.
3. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the milk mixture out, and, whisking constantly, stream it into the bowl of egg yolks. Repeat this twice more to temper the eggs. Then, whisking the milk mixture constantly, stream in the tempered eggs. Switch to a rubber spatula/large wooden spoon, and stir constantly (I typically stir the mixture every 10 seconds) until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. This could take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how high the heat is.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or pitcher to catch any egg white bits. Then place the custard base in an ice bath, stirring constantly until cool. Cover the base with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the fridge overnight.

Strawberry Puree

1. Add the strawberries, honey (or cane sugar), balsamic, vanilla, and kosher salt to a small saute pan or pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let the strawberries cook down, stirring occasionally. They’ll release water during this process, and it’ll slowly evaporate, making a concentrated strawberry compote as it continues to cook down.
2. Blend the compote with an immersion blender (transfer it to a jar or something similar so it’s easier), strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and refrigerate the final strawberry puree in a jar.

Coconut Sugar Oat Crisp

1. To make the oat crisp, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the flour, oats, coconut sugar, and melted butter to a small bowl and mix until a loose dough forms. Spread the dough out onto the prepared sheet pan in an even layer (it’s similar to baking granola), and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden-brown. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool an additional 10-15 minutes, or until it’s firm. Break into tiny pieces and store in a container at room temperature (make sure the oat crisp is cool before storing it, otherwise it’ll steam and become soggy).

Churn, Ripple, & Freeze

1. Pour the chilled base into your ice cream bowl and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Mine takes about 20 minutes to churn up – it should be the consistency of soft serve.
2. Layer the ice cream into the container, starting with the ice cream, a spoonful of the strawberry puree, and a generous sprinkle of the oat crisp; repeat this process. Swirl the ice cream with a small spoon or knife. Place a parchment round on top (this helps prevent crystallization), and freeze for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.