I made homemade ice cream—Seaport Salty Swirl—and I couldn’t wait to share it. I don’t make ice cream often, but when I do, I make it count. This recipe is one I return to because it combines creamy vanilla, salted caramel, peanut butter, and crunchy mix-ins for a truly memorable summer treat.

The flavor comes from Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream in Mystic, Connecticut. During a stay nearby a few years ago I found the shop and ordered Seaport Salty Swirl. It was so good we visited again before leaving. The shop’s version is a vanilla base loaded with chocolate-covered pretzels and chopped peanuts, with swirls of peanut butter sauce and salted caramel. The contrast of salty and sweet, creamy and crunchy, is what makes this ice cream so addictive.

I wanted to recreate that exact combo at home. A recipe for Seaport Salty Swirl appears in a book of regional ice cream recipes, and I used that as my guide. The final recipe breaks down into three main components: the vanilla ice cream base, peanut butter sauce, and salted caramel sauce, plus the crunchy mix-ins. The procedures are straightforward, but planning is important because the custard base needs to chill overnight and the sauces must cool to room temperature before assembly.

The vanilla custard base is quick to make: heat cream, milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt to about 170°F, remove from heat, stir in vanilla if you like, then cool and refrigerate overnight. That simplicity is one reason I should make ice cream more often—few ingredients, big payoff.

Both sauces are equally approachable. The peanut butter sauce combines creamy peanut butter with a touch of milk, cream, and honey, warmed until smooth. It’s rich and pairs perfectly with crunchy pretzels and peanuts. If your sauce thickens a bit, you can thin it gently with more milk or cream.

The salted caramel is made with the dry method—caramelizing sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan before adding butter, cream, and salt. It requires attention: watch the sugar closely as it melts and stir to encourage even browning. When you remove the pan from heat, whisk in room-temperature butter and cream. If any small clumps form, return the pan to low heat and stir until smooth, or strain the finished sauce to remove bits. The result is a glossy, buttery sauce with a deep caramel flavor and the right amount of salt to balance the sweetness.

After your sauces have cooled to room temperature, churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s directions. When the ice cream is nearly finished churning, add chopped chocolate-covered pretzels and chopped salted peanuts so they distribute evenly without becoming soggy.

To assemble, spoon a little peanut butter and caramel into the bottom of a freezer-safe container, add a layer of churned ice cream, then repeat, finishing with a drizzle of sauce on top. Cover the surface to prevent freezer burn and freeze until firm, about four hours. Narrow, tall containers work well for scooping; they make it easier to reach down with a spoon and keep the ice cream tidy in the freezer.

When we finally tasted it, the ice cream matched my memory of the shop’s version: creamy vanilla, crunchy pretzel bits, salty peanuts, pockets of peanut butter, and ribbons of salted caramel. It takes a bit more effort than plain ice cream, but the extra steps are worth it for the depth of flavor and texture.

If you want to save time, a quality store-bought salted caramel will work, but making the sauces from scratch enhances the flavor and gives you extra jars of sauce to use on other desserts. Store any leftover sauces in the refrigerator for up to two weeks; they will thicken but loosen with gentle reheating.

Bottom line: Seaport Salty Swirl is a must-make for fans of salty-sweet ice cream. With a simple vanilla base, two homemade sauces, and crunchy mix-ins, it delivers complex flavor and satisfying texture—perfect for summer and any time you want an indulgent homemade treat.

Seaport Salty Swirl Ice Cream

You’ll need to plan ahead to make this ice cream since the base needs to refrigerate overnight. I made the base the day before and the sauces the day of serving. Once the ice cream is layered with the sauces, you’ll need another four hours of freezing time.

Ingredients

For the ice cream base:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional

For the salted caramel sauce:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, such as fleur de sel

For the mix-ins:

• 1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
• 1/2 cup chopped chocolate-covered pretzels

For the peanut butter sauce:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons whole milk
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 Tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl large enough to accommodate a medium heat-proof bowl.
2. Make the ice cream base by mixing the heavy cream, milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat to 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Do not boil.
3. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla paste if using, then pour the mixture into a medium heat-proof bowl.
4. Place the bowl into the ice bath to cool to room temperature, keeping the water level below the rim so no water enters the mixture. Stir occasionally. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. Make the caramel sauce: in a heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the one cup of white sugar over medium heat. Do not stir until the edges begin to melt. When the sides liquefy, use a spoon or heat-proof spatula to pull the melted edges toward the center. Stir frequently until it reaches a deep amber color and becomes syrupy, lowering the heat if needed.
6. Once syrupy, remove from heat and add the butter, stirring until melted. Add the cream and salt and combine as best you can, then return to low heat and stir until smooth. If you have small clumps of caramel, continue heating and stirring or strain the sauce into a heat-proof container to remove them. Cool to room temperature.
7. Make the peanut butter sauce by combining all ingredients in a saucepan and warming until smooth, or use a microwave in short bursts. Allow to cool to room temperature.
8. When the ice cream base has chilled overnight, pour it into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Near the end of churning, add the chopped chocolate-covered pretzels and peanuts and finish churning.
9. Spoon a small layer of peanut butter and caramel into the bottom of a freezer-safe container. Spoon a layer of ice cream on top and lightly spread to even it. Continue layering sauces and ice cream until the container is full; I like to end with a layer of sauces.
10. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn and seal with a lid or more wrap. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Notes

*Use heat-proof containers (mason jars or Pyrex) when pouring hot sauces to avoid cracking glass. Tempered heat-proof glass is safest.

*If the peanut butter sauce becomes thick from overcooking, gently thin with more milk or cream and warm to reach the desired saucy consistency.

*Both sauces must be cooled to room temperature before combining with ice cream or they will melt it. Plan your timing so the sauces are ready when the churned ice cream is finished.

*Leftover sauces keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. They will thicken but can be loosened with gentle reheating. Do not bring them to a boil.

*If you prefer fewer leftovers, halve the peanut butter sauce; the caramel keeps well and is handy for other desserts.

Sometimes a great ice cream is what makes a summer memory—Seaport Salty Swirl is one of those recipes. It’s a bit of work, but the combination of textures and flavors makes it well worth the effort.

Sometimes it’s not just about the pizza.