Cinnamon Ice Cream

If a smell can bring back memories, prepare to release a wave of holiday season nostalgia with this sumptuous cinnamon ice cream recipe. The warm, creamy texture and winter spice aromas will take you to a happy place that time has forgotten. Surprisingly, you can whip up this homemade ice cream recipe in just a few hours.

For a more indulgent twist, if that were possible, add toasted cereal flakes to make a Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream that delivers a fun texture to match the flavor. Be warned: It’s formidably rich, but what a way to cleanse the palate after a heavy holiday feast!

Cinnamon Ice Cream Ingredients

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• Milk: Use whole milk to give the ice cream the body and fat content it needs for a deliciously creamy texture. Skim or 2% milk doesn’t absorb the cinnamon powder as well.
• Sugar: Choose brown sugar, which forms a natural pairing with cinnamon and lends to its rich, creamy taste and depth.
• Eggs: The fats in egg yolks give ice cream a velvety texture and help emulsify the other ingredients. You can use the yolks alone, but if you like a slightly lighter, more crystalline texture, use whole eggs instead.
• Cream: Heavy whipping cream is almost 40% fat, and that’s the kind of consistency you need for an authentic ice cream, especially one containing a spice that doesn’t dissolve, such as cinnamon.
• Cinnamon: You could heat cinnamon sticks in milk, but the hit-or-miss quality of sticks today means you risk ending up with disappointingly flavorless ice cream. Choose the best quality cinnamon powder you can find instead so that you can taste and adjust as you go.
• Vanilla extract: A hint of vanilla will lift the cinnamon flavors and round out the winter aromas. Add towards the end of the heating step to keep as much of the flavor in.

Directions

Step 1: Start the custard base

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

In a large heavy saucepan, gently heat the milk and sugar until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Transfer a small amount to the beaten eggs or egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Stir over low heat until the custard reaches at least 160°F and coats the back of a spoon.

Step 2: Build the flavors

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Remove the custard base from the heat, transfer it to a bowl and place it in ice water for two minutes, stirring to dissipate the heat evenly. Stir in the cream, cinnamon powder and vanilla extract. Place waxed paper onto the surface of the custard to prevent it from forming a skin and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Step 3: Make the ice cream

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Fill the cylinder of an ice cream maker 2/3 full with the cold custard mix and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. You can return any remaining mixture to the refrigerator until you’re ready to freeze. Once the ice cream has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to freezer containers and leave room for expansion. Freeze for another two to four hours until it’s fully firm.

Editor’s Tip: Add a pinch of salt to the ice cream mix. Don’t worry—it won’t give you a salty dessert. It will subtly offset the sweetness, like in salted caramel.

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Cinnamon Ice Cream Variations

• Add cereal pieces: Toss Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in brown sugar and melted butter then caramelize it for up to 10 minutes, either on a baking tray in the oven or in a heavy skillet on the stovetop. Crush the pieces and fold them into the ice cream mix before freezing, saving some to sprinkle on top. You’ll have an even sweeter Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream with a pleasantly chewy, crunchy texture.
• Stir in cookies: Instead of cereal, fold chunks of snickerdoodles or Biscoff cookies into the ice cream mix before you freeze it.
• Top with nuts: Chopped toasted nuts or pecan pralines would be incredible if sprinkled over this ice cream.

How to Store Cinnamon Ice Cream

Store homemade ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a week. Any longer and the flavor may fade and the consistency will become more icy, especially if you’re allowing the contents to thaw partly in between servings.

Can you make cinnamon ice cream ahead of time?

You have to make the custard ahead of time (i.e. before freezing day) for the flavors to infuse, but you can also make the caramelized Cinnamon Toast Crunch a day ahead if you’re making that variation. Just store the crunch in an airtight container in the refrigerator once cooled.

Cinnamon Ice Cream Tips

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What can you serve with cinnamon ice cream?

Think of any warm, comforting dessert, and there’s a strong chance that a scoop or two of cinnamon ice cream on top will be right at home. The cinnamon harmonizes beautifully with hot apple pie, pumpkin pie or peach cobbler, but it’s a curiously good match for fresh, tangy fall fruits and berries, too.

Why are there ice crystals in my ice cream?

Too much water in the mix can lead to ice crystals forming, as can overmixing the custard or not chilling it enough before transferring it to the ice cream maker. Commercial ice creams use a variety of gums and emulsifiers so they don’t form crystals as easily. When making homemade ice cream, try adding an extra egg yolk since fat keeps the mixture smooth.

What can I use instead of eggs?

It is possible to make perfectly good ice cream without eggs! It will be more watery and less velvety, however. Thickening the custard with cornstarch can bind the ingredients. But use it sparingly as even a little will be palpable.