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Cinnamon Cream Cheese Ice Cream in three small clear glasses.
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Cinnamon Cream Cheese Ice Cream

A recipe for Cinnamon Cream Cheese Ice Cream! This rich and decadent cream cheese ice cream is swirled with a sweet brown sugar cinnamon sauce.
Course Dessert
Cuisine N/A
Keyword cinnamon, cream cheese, dessert, frozen, ice cream
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting Time: 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 35 minutes
Servings 4 Cups

Ingredients

Ice Cream:

  • 2 cups (470 milliliters) whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) heavy cream
  • 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese softened at room temperature and diced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Swirl:

  • 1 cup (200 grams) packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup (158 milliliters) water
  • 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

To make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Ice Cream:

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and sugar over medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.
  • In a small bowl, beat the eggs.
  • Once the milk mixture is steaming, but not yet at a boil, slowly pour about 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) into the eggs while constantly whisking.
  • Once incorporated, slowly stream in and whisk another 1/2 cup (125 milliliters). Slowly pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium-low heat while whisking. Cook while continuing to stir until just thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 170-180˚F (77˚C-82˚C). Be careful not to overcook or it will curdle.
  • Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Whisk in the diced cream cheese until melted and smooth, then stir in the cinnamon and vanilla.
  • Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours to overnight.

To make the Cinnamon Swirl:

  • In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, butter, and cinnamon over medium heat. Cook, constantly stirring, until the butter has melted and the sugar has completely dissolved.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Pour into the simmering cinnamon sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Refrigerate the cinnamon mixture in an airtight container until well chilled, about 2-4 hours.

To assemble the ice cream:

  • Transfer the chilled cinnamon cream cheese mixture to an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's instructions until thickened and creamy.
  • In a large, freezer safe container, coat the bottom with a small layer of the chilled cinnamon swirl. Add a layer of churned ice cream, more cinnamon sauce, and continue layering as desired, ending with a top layer of ice cream and a drizzle of the sauce. Do not stir or mix. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
  • If any of the cinnamon sauce is leftover, refrigerate and save to use as a topping.