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What is Cinnamon Crunch Dulce de Leche Ice Cream?

Picture it: little cinnamon sugar crunchies interspersed in luxuriously creamy cinnamon-infused ice cream and layered with ribbons of rich dulce de leche. Do I have your attention yet? This quickly became one of my favorite homemade ice creams that I've ever made and I know it'll be one of yours, too!

Ok, So What is Dulce de Leche?

Dulce de Leche is a Latin American caramel made from sweetened milk - often condensed milk - as opposed to traditional caramel which is made by cooking granulated sugar (though milk or cream is often added to caramel sauces). Literally translated to "milk candy" or "candy of milk", dulce de leche is often thicker than caramel, though the two can mostly be used interchangeably.

What Type Of Ice Cream Maker Should I Use?

I use a basic Cuisinart ice cream machine that I've had for years and it's never let me down. It's so simple to use my cat could operate it. It has one button that toggles "on" and "off". That's it! It also comes in lots of pretty colors! Just make sure to plan ahead and freeze the ice cream bowl part of the machine at least a day in advance of making your ice cream.

Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker (Amazon)

Can I Substitute The Cinnamon Crunchies?

I think the little sweet crunchies in this ice cream make it extra special, but I understand not wanting to take the extra steps to make them from scratch. You can use crunchy cinnamon ice cream toppings (though I don't see it around much anymore) or even crumble up Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, though it may not stay crisp and crunchy when mixed into the ice cream.

You can also just leave it out entirely, it'll still be a delicious batch of ice cream.

Eat it in a bowl or scooped into a waffle cone, I promise this recipe won't disappoint. Enjoy!

Recipe for Cinnamon Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Cinnamon Crunch Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Author: Erin Browne

Print Recipe

Description

Cinnamon crunchies and ribbons of silky dulce de leche in a creamy cinnamon-infused homemade ice cream

Ingredients

Scale

Cinnamon Crunchies
1 TBS butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 long cinnamon sticks or 4 short (3-4 inch) cinnamon sticks
5 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ - ½ cup canned or bottled Dulce de Leche

Instructions

Start by putting the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker into the freezer 12-24 hours in advance.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper or parchment. Mix together the melted butter, sugar, and ground cinnamon. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and use the back of the spoon to press it out very thin. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until it gets very fragrant and starts to look a little dry (don't let it get too dark). Remove from oven, let it cool, and then place into the freezer.
Add the whole milk, heavy cream, and cinnamon sticks to a saucepan. Heat on medium-low until the milk begins to steam and forms a bit of a skin, but does not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 45 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Remove cinnamon sticks from the steeped cream and place back on medium heat. Attach a cookie thermometer to the side of the pan and bring the cream back to steaming.
Temper the egg mixture by drizzling about a half of cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks and sugar while whisking constantly. Then add the mixture back to the pan.
Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and is about 165-170F.
Remove the custard from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl to remove any lumps. Allow to cool until it's just warm, and then place plastic wrap over the top, allowing the wrap to make contact with the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove cinnamon crunchies from freezer and break into small pieces. When the custard has chilled, fit your ice cream maker with the freezer bowl. Churn custard according to the instructions for your ice cream maker. When the ice cream is starting to look thick, start dropping in the cinnamon crunchies a little at a time.
When the ice cream is finished churning (it should look like soft serve) add about ⅓ of it to a freezer-proof container. Top with half of the dulce de leche. Repeat with more ice cream, the rest of the dulce de leche, and top with the rest of the ice cream. Freeze until hard.

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