Caramel Gingersnap Ice Cream

A spiced vanilla ice cream base swirled with creamy caramel and spiced gingersnaps. The perfect ice cream for fall and winter.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

cooling12

Total Time12 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern

Keyword: caramel gingersnap ice cream, Christmas, Fall, Ice Cream

Servings: servings

Calories: 389kcal

Author: Katie

Equipment

Medium saucepan
Mixing Bowls
Whisk
Hand mixer
Fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth
Plastic Wrap
ice cream maker

Ingredients

1 ½ cups whole milk
1½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
pinch salt
½ cup jarred caramel sauce
20 crumbled gingersnaps

Instructions

Prepare the milk and cream mixture. Combine the milk, cream, ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Then, heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is steaming (approximately 170°F). If using vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the mixture and add the pod. Remove from heat.
Beat the egg yolks. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ¼ cup sugar until the mixture is pale and thick. You can use a hand mixer on low speed for efficiency. The color should visibly lighten.
Temper the egg yolks. Gradually add ½ cup of the warm milk to the egg yolks, whisking continuously to prevent curdling. Repeat this process until you’ve incorporated about half the milk mixture. Then, slowly pour the tempered egg yolks back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.
Cook the custard. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the custard thickens and reaches 185°F. You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon, and you can draw a clear line with your finger that stays intact. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract (if using).
Strain and chill the custard. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl to remove any solids. Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours until thoroughly cold.
Churn the ice cream. Once chilled, pour the custard into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The mixture should reach a soft-serve consistency after churning.
Mix in the gingersnaps. Gently fold the crumbled gingersnaps into the churned ice cream by hand to make sure even distribution.
Swirl in the caramel. Transfer the ice cream to a loaf pan or storage container. Then, drizzle the caramel sauce over the top and use a butter knife to create swirls in a figure-eight motion. Be careful not to overmix; the goal is to create distinct ribbons of caramel.
Freeze until firm. Cover the container with plastic wrap or a lid and freeze for at least 4 hours or until the ice cream is firm.

Notes

The taste of this ice cream depends a lot on the caramel and cookies you choose. Try to use a caramel sauce that you enjoy, and go for gingersnaps that are crunchy and full of flavor—not stale or too soft.

When you mix the caramel into the ice cream, be gentle. Just a few figure-eight motions with a knife will do. If you mix too much, the caramel will blend in, and you won’t get those lovely swirls.

The caramel should be warm enough to pour quickly but not hot enough to melt the ice cream. It might clump if it’s too cold instead of creating lovely swirls.

Instead of pouring all the caramel in one area, drizzle it over the ice cream in layers as you put it in the container. This helps spread it out better and gives you those beautiful swirls.

While gingersnaps are a classic choice, feel free to try other options. Crushed biscoff cookies or candied pecans can also taste great if you want to twist the recipe.

If your caramel sauce is really sweet, think about cutting back on the sugar in the custard base a bit. This helps keep the flavors balanced and prevents them from being too sweet.

Cinnamon can lose its flavor over time, so make sure yours is fresh and smells good. Using quality spices will enhance the taste of your ice cream and make it memorable.

Nutrition