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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream

Brown sugar cinnamon ice cream with a caramel-deep custard base—steamed, custard-cooked to 175F, then churned for a dense, scoopable freeze. Warm spice flavor like snickerdoodle ice cream, with cinnamon and nutmeg folded in after straining.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cinnamon custard 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
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Cook the custard base
  1. Heat heavy cream, whole milk, and brown sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture steams.
  2. Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, then return everything to the saucepan.
  3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175F and coats the back of a spoon.
Flavor, cool, and chill
  1. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, then stir in cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt.
  2. Cool the custard completely over an ice bath until no longer warm, then refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Churn and freeze
  1. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until thickened and the texture holds soft peaks.
  2. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Notes

Pro tip: keep stirring while the custard cooks and stop the moment it hits 175F for a smooth, custard-thick texture. Refrigerate the churned ice cream up to 3 days for best scoopability; freezing is best and works well for up to 2 months. For a dairy-light option, use lactose-free milk and lactose-free heavy cream for the same steps (texture may be slightly softer).