This rich, fruity cinnamon apple crisp ice cream recipe is a perfect fall dessert! Packed full of warm spices, crunchy, crisp granola in every bite and finished off with a swirl of apple butter. It’s all your favorite fall flavors packed into one delicious treat. Break out your ice cream maker, because you’re going to want to churn up a quart of this fall ice cream!

Fall Ice Cream Recipe

I’m a bit of an ice cream-aholic.

But not in the way you imagine.

I love creating new ice cream flavors. Why? You tell me. I suppose everyone has a hobby they enjoy. For some it might be sewing or crafting. While others prefer collecting cards or woodworking. I fancy making ice cream.

Odd, maybe.

But I’ve never had friends, family or neighbors complain when I bring over a dish of homemade ice cream for them to try.

Last autumn, I came up with a pumpkin pie ice cream recipe. It was the perfect fall ice cream flavor combining real cream, pumpkin puree and plenty of warm spices like cinnamon and ginger. Searching for just the right fall flavored dessert this year, I decided to interview my usual candidates to see what they’d prefer. There are a wealth of seasonal favorites, like maple pecan, toasted marshmallow, cinnamon, gingerbread and caramel but my Mom’s suggestion was the inspiration behind this cinnamon apple crisp ice cream. 

When she was a child, one of her favorite ice cream flavors was apple pie ice cream from Baskin Robbins. The recipe included chunks of real apple pie inside every bite. It was quite memorable, she said. Since then she has yet to come across any other ice cream shop that has quite the same scrumptious ice cream flavor.

Inspired by her story, I set out to create something similar, a cinnamon apple crisp ice cream with chunks of real homemade crisp and apple in it. But I wasn’t going to cut any corners. No apple flavoring here. Just pure cream, oats, spices and apple butter swirled into every spoonful.

This homemade apple ice cream does take a little bit more effort than your standard vanilla ice cream recipe. But I guarantee you it worth every ounce of energy you put into making it. To save time, I usually make up the crisp, apple swirl filling and ice cream one day. Then churn it in my ice cream maker the next morning. Come supper time, my husband is pleased to hear we have a tub of homemade ice cream awaiting him in the freezer.

I hope you enjoy this autumn ice cream flavor as much as we have! 

Homemade Apple Ice Cream

Ice cream isn’t just a summer time favorite! Enjoy a dish of cinnamon apple crisp ice cream this fall. Packed full of crispy granola, warm spices, rich cream and a swirl of apple butter. There is nothing quite like it!

Makes: 1 1/2 quarts

Ice Cream Ingredients

For Crisp

4 Tbs sucanat (can replace sucanat with brown sugar)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour flour
4 Tbs butter, melted
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt

For Cinnamon Apple Swirl

2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup apple butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make Apple Ice Cream

To make the crisp, start by preheating the oven to 350° F. Add the sucanat (or brown sugar), flour, butter, rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and vanilla to a food processor. Pulse several times until the oats are finely chopped and the mixture beings to form small clumps. Spread into an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15-18 minutes, flipping once to bake the crisp evenly. Cool completely. Crisp can be made and stored up to 5 days before adding into the apple crisp ice cream.

For the ice the cream, in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add 1 cup of heaving whipping cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Warm until the sugar has dissolved. 

During the meantime, pour the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream into a large bowl. Set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly, pour half of the warm milk mixture from the saucepan into the eggs yolks, whisking constantly until combined. (You are tempering the eggs so that they do not turn into scrambled eggs when combined with the warmed milk.) Return the tempered eggs to the saucepan. Over medium low heat stir the mixture constantly with a whisk until the custard has thickened. The consistency should be able to coat the back of a spoon.

Once the custard has thickened to the appropriate consistency, remove from heat and pour through the strainer you set up earlier. Whisk the custard into the cream. Place the mixture into the fridge to chill thoroughly. Approximately 4-6 hours.

To make the cinnamon apple swirl, add the butter, apple butter and cinnamon to a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.  Stir in vanilla, then refrigerate until it’s nice and cold.

Transfer the ice cream into your ice cream maker and freeze for about 20-25 minutes, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Fold crisp into ice cream. Add half of the ice cream into a 2 quart container. Using a butter knife, swirl in half of the cinnamon apple filling. Repeat layers. Freeze ice cream until firm. Scoop into bowls or cones and enjoy!

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