Homemade Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream
A creamy cinnamon-infused ice cream swirled with ribbons of buttery cinnamon sugar and studded with cinnamon roll dough chunks—comforting, indulgent, and unforgettable in every scoop.
Equipment
- 1 Ice Cream Maker
- 1 Medium saucepan
- 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- 1 Fine-mesh strainer
- 3 Mixing bowls
- 1 Airtight Container
Ingredients
Ice Cream Base
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cinnamon roll dough prepared, broken into pieces
- Cinnamon swirl see below
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour heat-treated
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon milk
Cinnamon Swirl
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Infuse the Milk Base: In a medium saucepan, gently warm the whole milk, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon over medium heat, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Heat just until the mixture begins to steam and tiny bubbles appear around the edges (do not let it boil). Once fragrant and well combined, remove the pan from heat and set aside briefly.
- Temper the Egg Yolks: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Slowly pour about half of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly—this “tempers” them so they don’t scramble. Gradually return this tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking as you pour to create a silky custard base.
- Cook the Custard: Place the saucepan back on low heat and cook the custard, stirring gently with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Continue until the liquid thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon—this ensures your ice cream will have a rich, creamy body. Remove from heat immediately to avoid curdling.
- Combine with Cream and Chill: Set a large clean bowl with the heavy cream inside. Carefully strain the hot custard through a fine mesh strainer into the cream, discarding any solids. Stir in vanilla extract until evenly incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it lightly against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until completely chilled.
- Prepare Cinnamon Roll Dough: While the custard chills, make the cinnamon roll dough by creaming butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mixing in vanilla and salt. Beat in the flour and cinnamon until crumbly, then add milk to form a soft, edible dough. Refrigerate this dough for at least 1 hour so it firms up and becomes easy to cut into bite-sized pieces for mixing into the ice cream later.
- Create the Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until smooth and syrupy. Allow it to cool until thickened but still pourable—if it hardens, simply microwave for a few seconds to loosen before using. This will create flavorful ribbons inside the churned ice cream.
- Churn and Assemble the Ice Cream: Once the custard is fully chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until thick and creamy. During the final minutes of churning, fold in the chilled cinnamon roll dough pieces and drizzle in the cinnamon swirl mixture, letting the machine gently distribute them. Transfer the finished ice cream into an airtight container, cover tightly, and freeze for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) to set before scooping and serving.
Notes
- Always temper egg yolks carefully to prevent scrambling—slowly whisk hot liquid into yolks before combining.
- Heat-treat flour for the cinnamon roll dough by baking it at 350°F for 5 minutes to make it safe to eat raw.
- Chill the custard completely before churning; cold base = creamier ice cream.
- If the cinnamon swirl hardens, microwave it for 10 seconds until pourable again.
- For best texture, let the ice cream rest in the freezer overnight before serving.