Delicious Homemade Cinnamon Ice Cream: The Perfect Fall & Holiday Dessert

As the air turns crisp and vibrant autumn colors paint the landscape, our thoughts naturally drift to comforting flavors and seasonal delights. Among these cherished traditions, a warm, spiced dessert holds a special place, often crowned with a scoop of something equally comforting. This year, let’s elevate that experience with an utterly delightful homemade cinnamon ice cream. It’s a sweet and spicy frozen treat that harmonizes beautifully with classic fall desserts, transforming a simple meal into an unforgettable culinary moment.

Imagine the rich, aromatic essence of cinnamon permeating every creamy spoonful, creating a warmth that perfectly complements the tartness of a baked apple or the sweetness of a pastry. This particular cinnamon ice cream is not just an accompaniment; it’s a star in its own right, designed to meld exquisitely with dishes like a rustic apple pie or, as I particularly enjoy, a traditional Milopita, a fragrant Greek Apple Pastry. The subtle spice and luxurious texture provide a stunning contrast that tantalizes the taste buds, making it an indispensable addition to your seasonal recipe repertoire.

Inspired by a Master: The Perfect Scoop

The genius behind this cinnamon-infused masterpiece is none other than David Lebovitz, a true artisan of frozen desserts. His expertise and passion for ice cream making are meticulously detailed in his indispensable book, “The Perfect Scoop.” Lebovitz’s recipes are celebrated for their precision, depth of flavor, and ability to turn home cooks into confident ice cream makers. Finding this recipe in his collection was like striking gold; it delivers just the right amount of autumnal spice, creating an ice cream that is both sophisticated and incredibly comforting.

His approach to flavor extraction is what truly sets this recipe apart, ensuring a cinnamon profile that is far from generic. It’s a testament to how simple ingredients, treated with care and attention, can yield extraordinary results. By following his method, you’re not just making ice cream; you’re crafting a gourmet experience that showcases the true potential of this beloved spice. Whether you’re an experienced ice cream maker or a curious beginner, Lebovitz’s guidance, brought to life through this recipe, promises a successful and utterly delicious outcome.

The Secret to Unforgettable Cinnamon Flavor

What gives this cinnamon ice cream its truly remarkable and intense flavor? The secret isn’t in a pinch of ground cinnamon, but in a generous infusion of whole cinnamon sticks. Specifically, this recipe calls for ten 3-inch cinnamon sticks, which are gently warmed in a rich base of whole milk and cream. This mixture is then left to steep, undisturbed, for a full hour. This seemingly simple step is the cornerstone of its profound flavor.

During the steeping process, the whole cinnamon sticks slowly release their complex, aromatic oils into the dairy. Unlike powdered cinnamon, which can sometimes result in a dusty texture or a sharp, singular flavor, using whole sticks allows for a gradual and more nuanced extraction. This infusion method captures the full spectrum of cinnamon’s warmth, its subtle sweetness, and its woody undertones, creating a depth of flavor that is smooth, rounded, and incredibly fragrant. The result is an ice cream base that is deeply aromatic, free from any bitterness, and perfectly balanced, promising a truly authentic and satisfying cinnamon experience. This patient approach ensures that every scoop delivers a pure, vibrant essence of autumn.

A Versatile Treat for Any Occasion

While this cinnamon ice cream is an absolute dream paired with apple pie or Milopita, its versatility extends far beyond. Its warm, inviting flavor makes it a perfect companion for a wide array of desserts. Imagine a scoop melting over a slice of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, enhancing the spice notes of gingerbread cookies during Christmas, or simply enjoyed as a standalone treat for a cozy evening. It adds a touch of sophistication and comfort to any dessert spread, making it ideal for holiday gatherings and special occasions.

This ice cream isn’t just for autumn and winter; its comforting notes can be enjoyed year-round. Consider serving it with a warm brownie for a delightful contrast, or even alongside a simple fruit compote. Its distinctive taste elevates everything it touches, ensuring that your guests will be talking about this fabulous treat long after the holidays are over. I plan on making this regularly throughout the holiday season, as it’s a surefire way to bring smiles and warmth to family and friends.

The Joy of Homemade Ice Cream

For many, the idea of making ice cream at home might seem like a daunting task, reserved only for expert chefs. However, the truth is that with a good recipe and an ice cream maker, creating your own frozen desserts is not only achievable but also incredibly rewarding. The benefits of homemade ice cream are numerous: you have complete control over the ingredients, ensuring freshness and quality, and avoiding artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives often found in store-bought varieties.

Beyond the ingredient control, there’s an unparalleled depth of flavor and creaminess that comes from freshly churned ice cream. The texture is often smoother, and the flavors more vibrant and authentic than anything you can buy from the freezer aisle. There’s also immense satisfaction in serving a dessert that you’ve crafted from scratch, knowing exactly what went into it. For this cinnamon ice cream, in particular, making it at home allows you to truly appreciate the nuanced spice of the steeped cinnamon sticks, a flavor profile that is difficult to replicate commercially. It’s an experience that truly elevates your dessert game and adds a personal touch to your culinary creations.

Crafting Your Creamy Cinnamon Delight: An Overview

The journey to this delightful cinnamon ice cream involves a few key steps, each contributing to its ultimate richness and flavor. It begins by infusing the dairy base with the star ingredient – whole cinnamon sticks – through a gentle warming and steeping process. This step is crucial for extracting the maximum flavor. Following this, you’ll create a classic custard, a technique that involves tempering egg yolks with the warm, cinnamon-infused milk mixture. Tempering ensures a smooth custard without scrambling the eggs, creating a luxurious base for the ice cream.

Once the custard has thickened, it’s strained to ensure a silky-smooth texture and then cooled rapidly over an ice bath. This quick cooling helps to stop the cooking process and maintain the custard’s integrity. Finally, after a thorough chilling period in the refrigerator – a critical step for achieving the perfect consistency – the mixture is churned in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Each stage is straightforward, but attention to detail ensures a truly sensational homemade cinnamon ice cream that will be the highlight of any dessert table.

The Recipe: Creamy Cinnamon Ice Cream

Cinnamon Ice Cream

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Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ ¾ cup sugar
• ▢ pinch of salt
• ▢ Ten 3? cinnamon sticks broken up
• ▢ 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 5 large egg yolks

Instructions

1. Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and 1 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan. Once warm, cover and remove from heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Rewarm the cinnamon-infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard them. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. This process is called tempering and prevents the eggs from scrambling.
4. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. This typically happens around 170-175°F (77-79°C). Pour the custard through the strainer into the reserved cream to ensure a perfectly smooth texture. Stir until cool over an ice bath to rapidly chill the mixture.
5. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours, or preferably overnight, until it is very cold. Then, freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for several hours more to firm up.

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The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.