Cinnamon Ice Cream (No Churn)
Learn how to make creamy no churn cinnamon ice cream at home – the perfect fall dessert! Just a few ingredients for this easy homemade treat. No machine needed!
Autumn Desserts’ BFF!
Have you ever craved cinnamon ice cream only to find your local grocery store’s freezer section woefully lacking? Story of my life! But here’s the sweet surprise: making homemade cinnamon ice cream is not only possible, it’s incredibly easy – no fancy ice cream maker required. After a summer enjoying my no churn cherry vanilla chocolate chunk ice cream, I knew I had to share another no-fuss frozen treat that’s perfect for fall.
This no churn cinnamon ice cream recipe is about to become your new autumn obsession. Just a few simple ingredients can transform into the most luxuriously creamy, warmly spiced dessert. It’s the perfect partner for all those cozy fall desserts – imagine a scoop melting slowly over warm apple-cranberry pie, or my personal weakness: sandwiched between two chocolate chip molasses oatmeal cookies. Honestly, I’ve caught myself sneaking spoonfuls straight from the container at midnight, and I regret nothing!
Gather Your Ingredients
- Whole vanilla bean – The flavor imparted by pure, unadulterated vanilla is incomparable, so it’s my go-to for simple recipes like this. However, it comes with a price. No worries! You can absolutely use vanilla extract…or, vanilla bean paste, for those fun little flecks.
- Sweetened condensed milk – This brings the sweet! Its high sugar, low water content helps create that creamy texture.
- Ground cinnamon – Use more or less depending on the type and strength of your cinnamon. (See more on that in Common Questions below).
- Kosher salt – Just a little to enhance the sugar and spice.
- Heavy cream – Whipped to stiff peaks, it gives our ice cream a light, airy texture.
Let’s Get Cooking
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you on your way.
- Mix the flavors – Split the vanilla bean lengthwise using a sharp knife, and scrape out the seeds. Stir the seeds, ground cinnamon, and a generous pinch of kosher salt with the sweetened condensed milk.
- Whip the heavy cream – Beat the heavy cream using an electric mixer, or stand mixer, until stiff peaks form.
- Fold everything together – Gently fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk until fully combined, being careful not to deflate the cream.
- Freeze – Pour the mixture into a loaf pan or other freezer safe container. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Freeze for at least 6 hours, or until firm.
Common Questions
I use organic ground “cinnamon” purchased at my local grocery store. It is likely one of the cassia varieties which includes Saigon/Vietnamese cinnamon (which you may find on the label). Ceylon cinnamon is more mild, but not as easy to find. You can use any cinnamon variety and adjust the amount based on its intensity. (King Arthur has a great guide on cinnamon if you want to know more!)
I recommend 2 tablespoons, but if you’re concerned about your ice cream tasting like a red hot candy, start by adding only 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to the condensed milk mixture and give it a little taste; add a teaspoon more at a time until you’re happy with the spice level. Remember that the fat in the whipped cream will temper the cinnamon flavor, so you don’t want to go too light. You can add more cinnamon after folding the whipped cream and condensed milk together, but just be careful not to stir all the air out of the mixture.
Absolutely! You can fold-in, swirl or layer-in additional ingredients like candied nuts, salted caramel, cookie chunks (like gingersnaps, snickerdoodles, biscoff), chocolate chips, cinnamon chips or toffee chips…to name a few! Make sure your mix-ins aren’t too big (raisin-size is great) and aim for about 1 cup of chunky things per recipe batch.
Store homemade ice cream in an airtight container in your freezer and enjoy it within one month.
Add a Scoop To…
- Apple Cider Donut Bread Pudding
- Honey + Wine Poached Pear Pie
- Cranberry Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Caramel Apple Compote
- Caramel Apple Pecan Coffee Cake
Cinnamon Ice Cream (No Churn)
Equipment
- handheld electric mixer, or stand mixer, for whipping cream
- 9×5-inch loaf pan, or 8-cup freezer safe container
Ingredients
- 1 whole vanilla bean, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, use more or less, to taste, depending on the type/strength (see notes)
- kosher salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- If using a whole vanilla bean, split the vanilla bean lengthwise using a sharp knife, and scrape out the seeds. Stir the seeds, ground cinnamon, and a generous pinch of kosher salt with the sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl.
- In another large bowl, beat the heavy cream using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. (Or, use a stand mixer with whisk attachment.)
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk until fully combined, being careful not to deflate the cream.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×5 inch loaf pan or another 8-cup volume container. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Freeze for at least 6 hours, or until firm.
Notes
- Type of cinnamon – Jars of cinnamon in the grocery store spice aisle are likely one of the cassia varieties which includes Saigon/Vietnamese cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is more mild, but not as easy to find. You can use any cinnamon variety and adjust the amount based on its intensity.
- How much cinnamon – You may start by adding 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to the sweetened condensed milk, and add a teaspoon more at a time until you’re happy with the spice level. The fat in the whipped cream will temper the cinnamon flavor, so you don’t want to go too light. You can add more cinnamon after folding the whipped cream and condensed milk together, but just be careful not to stir all the air out of the mixture.