Cinnamon Ice Cream Recipe
This recipe for homemade cinnamon ice cream is a delicious blend of sweet and spicy. It’s perfect for all seasons, eaten on its own or served with your favourite pie.
What you’ll need
- Egg yolks: they add stability to the ice cream.
- Sugar: use caster or regular white sugar.
- Milk: full cream milk is your best option
- Cream: choose thickened cream that’s used for whipping.
- Cinnamon: powder is quicker and easier to use.
- Vanilla extract: use vanilla essence if you don’t have extract.
How to make cinnamon ice cream
- Combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until pale in colour. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk and cream on a medium-high heat until simmering, then remove from heat.
- Pour one cup of the heated dairy into the yolks while whisking until combined. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla.
- Whisk the yolks back into the saucepan of milk and resume cooking on a medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow it to boil.
- Give the custard base time to cool a little, then pour it into a container. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until completely cooled.
- Scoop the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least three hours or until hard.
What else can I mix into cinnamon ice cream?
While cinnamon ice cream is delicious on its own, try adding one of the following as an add-in when you churn the ice cream. Here are some suggestions:
- Roasted pear
- Chocolate chips
- Chocolate stracciatella
- Caramel sauce
- Candied orange
- Honey
What cinnamon is best?
When choosing cinnamon, opt for lighter-coloured varieties for higher quality.
Ground cinnamon loses flavour faster than other spices, so buy smaller amounts more frequently for maximum freshness.
Consider the cinnamon’s source and processing method for the best flavour. Try testing cinnamon varieties like Ceylon or Cassia to find out which you prefer in frozen desserts.
Can I use cinnamon sticks?
I used ground cinnamon but if you want a more intense flavour, use whole cinnamon quills instead. For this ice cream, use about 10″ of sticks. Toss them in at the end of cooking the custard and infuse overnight before churning.
How to make cinnamon ice cream without a machine
Follow the recipe until the last step. Instead of churning in an ice cream maker, pour into a container and freeze.
Remove the ice cream every half hour and beat it until smooth, then continue freezing. Repeat the process up to three times until the consistency is too thick to mix.
Each time you remove the ice cream to beat, try to work as quickly as possible so that the ice cream doesn’t have time to melt. The quicker you work, the smoother the texture will be when it comes time to serve.
Cinnamon Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 cups full cream milk
- 1 1/4 cups thickened cream
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until pale in colour. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk and cream on a medium-high heat until simmering, then remove from heat.
- Pour one cup of the heated dairy into the yolks while whisking until combined. Stir in the cinnamon and vanilla.
- Whisk the yolks back into the saucepan of milk and resume cooking on a medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow it to boil.
- Give the custard base time to cool a little, then pour it into a container. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until completely cooled.
- Scoop the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn, following the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least three hours or until hard.
