Cinnamon Ice Cream Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Cinnamon Ice Cream is a rich and creamy dessert combining the warm, fragrant flavor of cinnamon, crumbled graham crackers, and a sweet custard base. Your whole family will love this simple fall recipe and will be coming back for more!

Course Dessert, Ice Cream

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon ice cream, homemade ice cream

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Chill Time 6

Total Time 7

Servings servings

Calories 413kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar - divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups heavy cream
1-2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
6 whole graham crackers - crumbled
pinch of salt

Instructions

** The key to great ice cream is to properly prepare before churning. Make sure your ice cream attachment (if using the KitchenAid bowl or another) is frozen and the liquid mixture is properly chilled. See blog post for more details!
Temper the eggs. Combine the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the whole milk to a saucepan and heat over medium heat to a temperature of 165 degrees. (Do not boil.)
When the milk is hot, pour 1/2 cup at a time into the eggs/sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Then pour the egg mixture back into the pan, add ground cinnamon (stirring well to absorb), and heat to 165 degrees. The mixture should be thick and easily coat the back of a spoon.
NOTE: If needed, pass the tempered egg mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into another bowl to remove any potential lumps or bits, resulting in a smoother ice cream base. This step helps achieve a silky texture and eliminates any undesirable elements from the tempered eggs before incorporating them into the ice cream recipe.
Combine ice cream base. In a large bowl of 8-cup measuring cup, combine the tempered egg mixture, heavy cream, vanilla extract, the remaining sugar, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
Chill liquid ingredients. Place the liquid in the refrigerator and chill until VERY COLD, approximately four hours. You can chill it overnight as well.
Churn ice cream. Start your 2-quart ice cream churner (I use a KitchenAid Attachment with a stand mixer – linked below.) and pour the chilled (and whisked!) ice cream mixture into the bowl (the attachment) while it’s running. You’ll know it’s done when the mixer starts slowing down and it rises to the top of the bowl (or over it slightly), approximately 25-30 minutes.
Transfer ice cream to an airtight container. After the ice cream is churned, use a rubber spatula to transfer the ice cream to an airtight container (I occasionally use a a loaf pan temporarily for photography and transfer it later). Smooth it evenly to all sides of the container.
Add graham cracker bits. Use your hands to break up the graham crackers into small pieces. Then add the crushed graham crackers on top of the ice cream. Gently stir the toppings into the ice cream base.
Freeze. Immediately place the ice cream in the freezer for several hours to firm up. It will be soft right after churning and needs to be frozen for awhile for best results.
Serve. Serve cinnamon ice cream in bowls or cones with some extra crushed graham crackers on top!

Notes

- Freeze the KitchenAid attachment at least 15 hours before using.
- Chill the liquid ice cream mixture until VERY COLD, around 3-4 hours or overnight.
- Don't overfill the bowl so that the ice cream has room to expand as it is freezing.
- Start the mixer (with attachments) on low before adding the liquid ice cream mixture.
- Let the mixture churn until it thickens and starts to rise to the top of the bowl.
- Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container to freeze for a couple of hours before serving.

Nutrition