Apricot Kernel (Chinese Almond) Ice Cream

I first encountered a recipe for Noyau Ice Cream in the book Chez Panisse Desserts by Lindsey Shere. The recipe calls for painstakingly cracking 45–50 cherry stones or 20 apricot pits. It took me embarrassingly long to realize that noyaux—a French term for the kernels inside the pits of stone fruits—was the same thing as the Chinese apricot kernels I kept in my pantry. This recipe uses Chinese apricot kernels to perfume a custard-based ice cream with an intoxicating nutty almond aroma.

What are apricot kernels?

Apricot kernels come from apricots (duh!). You see the fleshy fruit on the outside, but inside that hard pit, there’s a small, almond-shaped nut. Apricot kernels are used in cuisines from all around the world from France to Iran to China. Apricot kernels have a long history of being used to impart a distinctive, nutty, slightly bitter yet aromatic flavor. The aroma is similar to almonds or marzipan, they’re also a key ingredient in making Italian Amaretto and French Crème de Noyaux.

Types of apricot kernels

Apricot kernels are often translated as Chinese almonds, though they’re not a true almond species (true almonds are Prunus dulcis). There are two main types of apricot kernels:

North Apricot Kernels 北杏

• Species: Prunus armeniaca var. ansu or Prunus sibirica.
• Taste: astringent, floral, bitter due to high amygdalin levels.
• Use: common in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat coughs, used sparingly in desserts.
• Notes: higher amygdalin levels compared to South apricot kernels pose a higher risk of toxicity if unprocessed before consuming.

South Apricot Kernels 南杏

• Species: Prunus armeniaca or Prunus mume.
• Taste: sweet, mild, creamy.
• Use: culinary applications, especially in desserts and beverages. Popular dishes include sweet apricot kernel soup and sweet apricot kernel jelly.

The two types are more often categorized by taste than by species. You may also hear them referred to as bitter apricot kernels and sweet apricot kernels.

How to cook with apricot kernels

Soak & Blend (Apricot Kernel Milk): Chinese dessert recipes will typically call for soaking the apricot kernels in water for a few hours before blending into a nutmilk. The nutmilk is then cooked into puddings, jelly, or thickened with rice to be served as a dessert soup.

Roast & Steep: Apricot kernels are also a powerful flavor when simply steeped. This recipe calls for roasting the kernels and cooking in the custard ice cream base, then straining out the kernels. I use it in the same way a vanilla bean takes the place of extract—apricot kernels are like almond extract but better.

Extract: Apricot kernels can be steeped in alcohol ( like vodka or brandy) to extract the oils and flavors. Samin Nosrat wrote a simple recipe to make noyaux (apricot kernel) extract at home, which calls for just 25-30 kernels plus 1 and 3/4 cups of vodka.

Are apricot kernels toxic?

The toxicity of Chinese apricot kernels depends on the amygdalin content in the kernels, which releases cyanide when metabolized. North apricot kernels contain 3–5% amygdalin, and each gram of amygdalin can release 59 mg of cyanide when metabolized. South apricot kernels contain much lower amygdalin levels, typically <0.1%, making them far less toxic.

For an adult weighing 70 kg (154 lbs):

• Toxic cyanide dose: 0.5–3.5 mg/kg bodyweight of cyanide.
• Approximate North (bitter) kernels: as little as 12g (17-24 kernels) could reach toxic levels.

Cooking by boiling, roasting, or fermentation is recommended to break down the enzyme beta-glucosidase, which turns amygdalin into cyanide. That said, the jury on which method and their effectiveness is mixed—there’s simply not enough research on the subject. In a 1995 study, apricot kernels were ground, soaked, and cooked to reduce cyanogens. They found “considerable reductions were observed, these treatments were not sufficient, and substantial addition of an external β‐glucosidase from almonds was required to achieve full degradation of the cyanogens”. A 2016 report from the EFSA calls for In summary, heat treatment can reduce some, but not all beta-glucosidase.

Common sense from centuries of cooking with noyaux (stone fruit pits) still suggests limited quantity and opts for the South (sweet) variety when used in large quantities, like in Chinese apricot kernel soup.

In short, heat it before you eat it. Use a just a little, and choose the South variety if using a lot.

Reference: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). (2016). Acute health risk associated with cyanogenic glycosides in apricot kernels. EFSA Journal, 14(4), 1–26.

Tuncel, G., Nout, M. J. R., & Brimer, L. (1998). Degradation of cyanogenic glycosides of bitter apricot seeds (Prunus armeniaca) by endogenous and added enzymes as affected by heat treatments and particle size. Food Chemistry, 63(1), 65–69.

Evaluation of the health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels

Where can you buy apricot kernels?

Chinese grocery stores will typically stock apricot kernels among other dry pantry items like nuts, seeds, and legumes. Apricot kernels are often labeled as Chinese almonds in English, with the two main types typically categorized as North (Bitter) and South (Sweet). Take care to read the labels and identify the variety since they share a near identical appearance, sometimes even overlapping species.

I purchased a 6oz bag from 99 Ranch Market in the San Francisco Bay Area for $4.99. A little goes a long way for flavoring, so one bag of South apricot kernels is enough to make at least 5 quarts of this ice cream.

You can always get kernels from fresh apricots. Use a hammer to gently tap the sides of each pit until the pit opens up. Extract the kernels and use immediately or freeze for future use.