Cinnamon ice cream is the perfect ice cream for the fall (or summer)—especially if you add it to warm apple or pumpkin pie. And let’s be honest we all need a break from pumpkin.
My favorite part is just how easy homemade ice cream is to make. No expensive equipment, no cooking eggs, no frills.
Cinnamon gelato rocked my world on a single day in Cinque Terre, Italy. Last fall we went on an all-day excursion through the 5 tiny villages of Cinque Terre.
The 4th stop was in Vernazza, home to the best gelato I have ever had in my life, in a tiny shop called Gelateria Il Porticciolo. They’re famous for their cinnamon gelato. It’s life changing and I didn’t taste anything like it during our entire trip.
I’ve found that gelateria shops with lots of neon lights and 50 different flavors? Yes, that gelato is most likely going to suck. I found the mass produced gelato to be gritty and icy rather than dense and creamy. Stick with the small hole-in-the-wall shops with 10 or 12 flavors for the best Italian gelato.
So obviously, this cinnamon ice cream is not technically gelato, but I tried to replicate my experience as best I could without over complicating the process, ingredients and without an ice cream machine.
How to Make No-Churn Ice Cream
No-churn ice cream is the process of making homemade ice cream without an ice cream machine. An ice cream machine allows you to quickly freeze and aerate heavy cream by churning it in a frozen metal container. It also allows you to swirl in toppings without them sinking to the bottom.
It’s ideal, but you can get around it by simply whipping the cream in a standard mixer until stiff peaks just form, adding condensed milk, and folding in your toppings. From here you can freeze for about 4-5 hours. The ice cream will take on a lighter, more airy texture similar to frozen whipped cream.
How to Make Cinnamon Ice Cream?
I follow the process above and add spoonfuls of ground cinnamon folded into a simple, ice cream recipe with a touch of vanilla extract.
Most cinnamon ice cream recipes I’ve found use only 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon, but I double it with a 1/4 cup. It’s the perfect amount of cinnamon in my opinion. You don’t want it to be subtle!
No-churn ice cream is very dense and creamy, so it’s extra smooth and light—one bite and you’re hooked.
Prep Time:
Yield:
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PinIngredients
- 3-4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt. Set aside.
- Whip the cream with a mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
- Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture using a rubber spatula until combined.
- Fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream until fully combined. Stir in the cinnamon until fully mixed throughout using a spoon or rubber spatula.
- Pour mixture into a chilled 9×5 inch metal loaf pan, cover, and freeze for 4-5 hours.
Notes
You can add more or less cinnamon to taste depending on how much cinnamon flavor you want. I recommend starting with about a 1/4 cup.
