Homemade Cinnamon Caramel Ice Cream

I have had this little gem of a homemade ice cream recipe stashed in my Draft posts for a couple of months now.  I knew I had to bring it out for you all when Lisa from Cooking With Curls told me that she would be sharing an apple crisp recipe with my readers for her guest post this week.   This Cinnamon Caramel Ice Cream goes perfectly served with a warm apple crisp or apple pie served a la mode. :)

Usually I keep my homemade ice cream recipes pretty simple (and at just 4 ingredients, it still is pretty simple) and far from labor intensive.  This particular recipe requires a little more time (maybe not effort, but definitely time) to caramelize the sweetened condensed milk, but the end result is well worth the wait.  Trust me. ;)

What you will need:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups of milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Be sure to go ahead and freeze your ice cream maker's container before you get started caramelizing the sweetened condensed milk.

In a double boiler (or if you don't have one of those fancy pots, just use a pot of water with a small metal mixing bowl set inside of it- just make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water), heat the sweetened condensed milk for about 1 1/2 hours or until caramel in color.  Stir it often and check the water level in the pot!  The water will boil and evaporate away and you will probably have to add more more water to the pot a half hour or so in.  

*I have read about actually caramelizing sweetened condensed milk in the can.  I was considering attempting this, but then read a few horror stories about the cans possibly exploding?  I opted to not go that route.  If you have done this before and are comfortable with that method, then by all means you can do that here instead of using the double boiler.

Once the condensed milk is nice and golden brown, pour it into a medium saucepan and then pour  in the 2 cups of milk.  You can use your milk of preference here.  I used 2%.  You could even use 2 cups of cream and make this ice cream really decadent.

Whisk the milk mixture and heat over medium heat until well incorporated.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and cinnamon.  

Pour the mixture into a plastic mixing bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Once the mixture is chilled, pour it into your chilled container and process it in your ice maker according to your model's specifications.  I churned my ice cream for about 25-30 minutes.

Scoop your Cinnamon Caramel Ice Cream into a freezer safe container and then freeze it for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Take your ice cream out of the freezer at least 10-15 minutes before you plan on serving it to allow it to defrost slightly.  Homemade ice cream tends to freeze much harder than the store bought varieties.  

What will you use your Cinnamon Caramel Ice Cream to top? :)

(Psssstttt... I strongly suggest making Lisa's classic Apple Crisp & serving it warm with a scoop of this ice cream.  Also check out her guest recipe to get entered to win an Emile Henry baking dish!)

Homemade Cinnamon Caramel Ice Cream

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes + overnight

Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

6045504

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Be sure to go ahead and freeze your ice cream maker's container before you get started caramelizing the sweetened condensed milk.

In a double boiler (or if you don't have one of those fancy pots, just use a pot of water with a small metal mixing bowl set inside of it- just make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water), heat the sweetened condensed milk for about 1 1/2 hours or until caramel in color. Stir it often and check the water level in the pot! The water will boil and evaporate away and you probably have to add more more water to the pot a half hour or so in.

Once the condensed milk is nice and golden brown, pour it into a medium saucepan and then pour in the 2 cups of milk. You can use your milk of preference here. I used 2%. You could even use 2 cups of cream and make this ice cream really decadent.

Whisk the milk mixture and heat over medium heat until well incorporated.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and cinnamon.

Pour the mixture into a plastic mixing bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Once the mixture is chilled, pour it into your chilled container and process it in your ice maker according to your model's specifications. I churned my ice cream for about 25-30 minutes.

Scoop your Cinnamon Caramel Ice Cream into a freezer safe container and then freeze it for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Powered by Recipage

If you love making homemade ice cream, be sure to also check out my recipes for...

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Happy Birthday Cake Batter Ice Cream

Cranberry Cheesecake Ice Cream {The Get Your Chef On Challenge}

I am excited to be participating in my second ever Get Your Chef On Challenge from Julie at White Lights on Wednesdays and Jen at Four Marrs and One Venus.  This Get Your Chef On Challenge is...

Cranberries!!
I love cranberries.  Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without the cranberry sauce, right? ;)  Last holidays, I made a cranberry upside down cake for family and it was a huge hit.  Cranberries can be tart.  With some sugar and a little heat, they can become syrupy sweet.  They are a great addition to savory meals.  They are perfect in desserts.  And dried they are a fabulous snack.  
Since receiving my very first ice cream maker as a birthday gift a few months ago, I have been obsessed with creating new and delicious homemade ice cream flavors.  I thought why not a festive cranberry cheesecake ice cream?  ;)  I have discovered that using sweetened condensed milk in my ice cream base has allowed me to eliminate three things typically found in homemade ice cream- sugar,eggs, and heavy cream.  The canned milk gives my homemade ice cream all the sweetness and creaminess that it needs.
What you will need: 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries 1/2 cup sugar 2-3 dashes of cloves (optional) 14oz can sweetened condensed milk 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup half and half 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional- you could also used toasted almonds or walnuts in this)
Rock salt and ice for ice cream maker
Be sure to chill the ice cream  maker container in the freezer while you prep the cranberries and the ice cream base.

In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries and sugar.  Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar is melted.  Add in a few dashes of cloves (I like the addition of the cloves because it is a flavor that just tastes like the holidays to me).  Continue heating until bubbly (like the photo above) and then remove from the heat.  Pour the cranberry mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour.

When the cranberry sauce is almost cool, start the cheesecake base for your ice cream.  In a large bowl, beat together the sweetened condensed milk, the cream cheese, vanilla, half and half, and sour cream.  Beat until smooth and then pour into your chilled ice cream container.

Churn according to your ice cream maker's specifications.  I churned my ice cream for about 30 minutes. 

Once it is done churning, scrape all of the cheesecake ice cream into a freezer safe container.  It will be somewhat runny.  Don't worry- it will thicken up in the freezer.  Carefully mix in your cranberry sauce and your white chocolate chips (or toasted nuts or both).  Do not over mix.  Just mix enough to get a few thick swirls of cranberry throughout your ice cream. 

Cover tightly and freeze overnight.

You will need to let the ice cream sit out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before trying to scoop it out the next day.  Homemade ice cream tends to freeze harder than the store bought varieties. 

This Cranberry Cheesecake Ice Cream is creamy and sweet with a slight pop of tartness from the cranberry swirl. If you are looking for an unique dessert for your next holiday gathering, I think you have found it. ;) 

Want to check out the rest of my competition in the Get Your Chef On Cranberries Challenge?  Click below to check out some other cranberry inspired deliciousness!

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Without the Cream

In continuation of my reluctance to completely give up summer this week, I present to you all my very first homemade ice cream recipe... ;)

As most of you who have been following along with me know, I was over the moon when my parents gave me an ice cream maker for my birthday.  This handy appliance has been on my kitchen gadget wish list for quite a while now.  I couldn't wait to give it a try for the first time. ;)  

I bought these ^^^ beauties at the local farmers market, and I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with them... 

I looked up a number of strawberry ice cream recipes, most calling for at least 2 cups of heavy cream.  Have you checked out the price of a large carton of heavy cream lately?  It is pushing $5 presently.  I really couldn't justify paying that when I knew I could go pick up a half gallon of Edy's for less!

So, I improvised.  I had a can of sweetened condensed milk in the cabinet, and thought to myself- why not?  If it works, awesome.  If it doesn't, then well... I was going to chalk it up to a newbie blunder. ;)  But we all know I wouldn't be posting this recipe if it hadn't worked, right?

What you will need:

14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

2 cups of milk (I used organic 2%, but use whatever you have on hand.)

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh strawberries

Lots of ice & rock salt for your ice cream maker

Whisk together the condensed milk and regular milk in a medium bowl.  Now whisk in the vanilla.  Take about half of the strawberries and give them a quick puree in your blender.  

Whisk in the strawberry puree and the remaining strawberry chunks.  Pour the mixture into your chilled ice cream maker canister.

Every ice cream maker model is different, so make sure to follow the directions that came with yours.  I let my ice cream churn for approximately 25 minutes, adding a little more ice and salt after 10-15 minutes.

Once it is finished churning, your ice cream should look a little like the photo above.  You can eat all this deliciousness immediately, or store it in a freezer safe container to allow it to harden a little more.

This strawberry ice cream turned out perfect!  I couldn't be more thrilled with my first homemade ice cream making venture.  It is simple, delicious, and creamy.