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Caramel Apple Ice Cream

This apple pie inspired ice cream is filled with the flavors of chai spices, granny smith apples, and a rich caramel sauce. The apples are cooked and blended up in the vanilla custard base ice cream.

Here's what you'll need...

You'll Need:

For the Caramel: – 1 cup granulated sugar – ½ cup heavy cream – 8 tablespoons unsalted butter – ½ teaspoon vanilla extract – ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt

You'll Need:

For the Apples: – 1 tablespoon unsalted butter – 2 medium Granny Smith applesmly packed light brown sugar – 1 tablespoon lemon juice

You'll Need:

For the Ice Cream Base: – 2 ½ cups heavy cream – 1 ½ cups whole milk – 1 tablespoon vanilla extract – ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon – ½ teaspoon ground ginger

You'll Need:

For the Ice Cream Base: – ¼ teaspoon ground allspice – ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom – ¼ teaspoon ground cloves – ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg – 6 large egg yolks – 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

Make the Caramel:

Caramel is made from cooking sugar. Then, you add butter & cream to make a caramel sauce. In only 10 minutes, you'll have homemade caramel.

Cook the Apples:

Cooking the apples helps to soften them. We'll cook the apples with some brown sugar (for sweetness) and lemon juice (for some tartness).

Make the Ice Cream Base:

Start by setting up an ice bath. This will be used to cool the ice cream base after it's done cooking.

Make the Ice Cream Base:

Heat the heavy cream, milk, vanilla, and spices until it's steaming (about 5 -7 minutes).

Make the Ice Cream Base:

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl. Once the cream/milk mixture is steaming, ladle a spoon of the hot mixture over the eggs.

Make the Ice Cream Base:

This helps temper the eggs so we can combine them into the cream/milk mixture without making scrambled eggs.

Make the Ice Cream Base:

Return the egg mixture to the large pot. Cook until the ice cream base reaches 180°F on an instant read thermometer. 

Make the Ice Cream Base:

Place a fine mesh strainer over an empty bowl on top of the ice bath. Stain ice cream base. Chill ice cream base until it has stopped steaming. 

Make the Ice Cream Base:

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours until the temperature reaches 40 - 42°F, or up to overnight.

Make the Ice Cream Base:

Once the ice cream base is chilled, place the base along with cooked apples into a food processor. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth.

Churn the Ice Cream Base:

Pour the ice cream base into an ice cream maker and process for about 20 - 25 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's directions.

Finish the Ice Cream:

Place the ice cream in a storage container. Swirl in the caramel. Place the ice cream in the freezer to "cure" or harden.

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