Go Back

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream

Brown sugar cinnamon ice cream with a thick cinnamon custard base—steamed with packed brown sugar, cooked to 175F, then chilled and churned until dense and scoopable. This warm-spice frozen dessert captures snickerdoodle-style flavor with cinnamon dusting and caramel-deep notes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Brown sugar cinnamon ice cream base
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 fine mesh sieve

Method
 

Make the cinnamon custard
  1. Heat heavy cream, whole milk, and packed brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture steams and the sugar dissolves completely, about 5–7 minutes, watching for steam to rise from the surface.
  2. Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, then pour everything back into the saucepan, keeping the texture smooth as it thickens slightly from residual heat.
  3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175F, about 8–10 minutes, and look for a coating consistency on a spoon.
  4. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl, then stir in cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined and the spices are evenly suspended.
Chill, churn, and freeze
  1. Cool the custard completely over an ice bath, about 10–15 minutes, until it is no longer hot to the touch.
  2. Refrigerate the custard at least 4 hours, covered, until thoroughly chilled and ready to churn.
  3. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until thickened, about 20–25 minutes, and look for a soft-serve texture.
  4. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, about 2–4 hours, until you can scoop cleanly with minimal melting.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the custard at a steady medium-low simmer and stir constantly—once it hits 175F it thickens quickly, so pull it promptly for a smooth, dense texture. Refrigerate any leftover ice cream in a sealed container up to 2 weeks; freeze is yes for up to 2 months. Dietary swap: for a dairy-light version, use lactose-free dairy and lactose-free milk/cream (flavor and texture will be slightly softer but still works well).