Apple Pie Ice Cream (with cinnamon apples)

When two favorite desserts combine forces. This apple pie ice cream is a rich vanilla bean custard base swirled with soft, buttery cinnamon apples. It’s all the cozy flavors of apple pie à la mode!

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Here’s the thing about apple pie: it’s a project. First you have to make the pie dough, then peel and slice the apples. Assemble, bake, and then wait another hour for it cool enough to cut cleanly. By the time it’s ready to eat, it’s gone too fast!

So, let’s extend the flavors of apple pie in ice cream form! Same warm cinnamon-apple filling in a cold, scoop-able form that ready’s whenever the cravings hit! It’s perfect for SoCal weather when it’s still blazing hot from September through December.

Recipe Highlights

• A real custard base. This isn’t a shortcut no-churn recipe. It’s a proper egg custard (crème anglaise) which gives the ice cream its dense, scoopable, almost-frozen-custard texture.
• Cinnamon apples cooked separately, then folded in. Cooking the apple filling on its own concentrates the flavor and keeps the pieces tender-firm instead of icy, so every bite has actual apple texture, not mush.
• Steeped cinnamon stick. Letting a whole cinnamon stick steep in the base overnight adds warmth without the slightly gritty texture ground cinnamon can leave behind in ice cream.
• No pie crust, no problem. Serve it in a waffle bowl or cone and you get that buttery, crisp contrast anyway. Or, skip it entirely.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Apples: Granny Smith apples hold their shape best here since they’re firm and tart, which balances the sweetness of the custard. Honeycrisp or Braeburn work too if that’s what you have ( just watch the cook time, since they soften faster).
• Egg yolks: Seven yolks sounds like a lot, but that ratio is what gives this ice cream its rich, smooth body instead of an icy one. Save the whites for a batch of meringue, Swiss buttercream, or white cake.
• Vanilla: Vanilla bean paste gives you visible flecks and a slightly rounder flavor than extract, but quality pure vanilla extract works just as well.
• Dairy: Don’t swap the heavy cream for half-and-half or milk. The fat content is important in creating the texture.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container with a piece of parchment or plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface to prevent ice crystals. It keeps well for up to 2 weeks, though texture is best in the first 5 days. The custard base itself can also be made up to 3 days ahead and left to chill until you’re ready to churn.

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Apple Pie Ice Cream

By Maryanne Cabrera

A rich vanilla bean custard swirled with tender cinnamon-spiced apples — this churned ice cream captures every flavor of apple pie in a scoop

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Chill Time: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 4 hours hrs

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups heavy cream
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ 7 large egg yolks
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla paste (or pure vanilla extract)
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ apple filling (recipe follows)

Apple Filling:

• ▢ 2 Granny Smith apples, (about 3 cups) , peeled, cored, and chopped
• ▢ ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, or kosher salt

Instructions 

• In a medium pot, bring cream, milk, and 1 Tbsp sugar to a boil.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together egg yolks and remaining sugar. Once milk begins to boil, lower heat.
• Temper hot milk into sugar-yolk mixture. Slowly add hot milk into yolks about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking to distribute heat. Once all the milk has been added, transfer everything back to the pot.
  
• Stir over medium-low heat until mixture reaches nappe consistency, or 180 degrees F on a kitchen thermometer. Let it sit at 180-185 degrees F for 3 minutes to pasteurize mixture. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and brown sugar. Stir until dissolved.
  
• Transfer to an airtight container. Add cinnamon stick. Let mixture mature in fridge overnight, or for at least 3 hours.
  
• Meanwhile, prepare cinnamon apples. In a medium sauce pot, combine chopped apples, brown sugar, butter and ground cinnamon. Set over medium heat. Let simmer until sugar has dissolved and apples are soft and tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt and stir. Transfer to an airtight container and let chill in the fridge until ready to use.
  
•  Freeze mixture in ice cream maker according to your unit’s instructions. Once the volume has increased by half and has reached a soft serve consistency, add prepared cinnamon apple mixture. Continue to churn until apples have been distributed. Transfer ice cream to a freezer safe container. Freeze for at least 30 minutes before serving
  

Notes

Yield: about 1 quart

• Store ice cream in the freezer in airtight container for up to two weeks. Best if enjoyed within the 5 days for optimal texture and flavor.
• Don’t swap heavy cream for half-and-half or milk. Fat content is needed to produce smooth, rich texture. 

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 239mg, Sodium: 111mg, Potassium: 185mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 1252IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 115mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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• Apple Cinnamon Rolls
• Apple Coffee Cake
• German Apple Cake
• Apple Pie Mochi Cake