The Best Apple Pie Ice Cream Recipe

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The best apple pie ice cream is for the people who love a little bit of pie with their ice cream on Thanksgiving. This recipe combines creamy homemade vanilla ice cream with the warm flavors of a classic apple pie. Sweet apples and cinnamon come together with a rich, creamy base for a dessert that tastes like a slice of apple pie in every scoop. It’s an easy recipe that feels a little extra special without feeling complicated.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Perfect transition into fall – This is the perfect way to enjoy cozy fall flavors while beating the heat of those late summer days with creamy, cold ice cream.

Cozy apple flavors – Apple pie is one of the classic desserts we all think of during the fall season. The best things about the traditional apple pie we all love are in this recipe just in ice cream form.

Apple Pie Ice Cream Tips

• Make the apple pie filling first and allow it to chill while making your ice cream. Adding warm apple pie filling to your cold ice cream might cause your ice cream to curdle or not freeze well.
• Brown the butter when you’re making the apple pie filling. The flavors become so much deeper, and the nutty flavor of the brown butter adds to the coziness of this dessert.
• If you like a little bit of crunch to your apples in the apple pie filling, you can bake it for 5 – 7 minutes instead of the recommended timeframe.

Tools You’ll Need

Stand Mixer with the Ice cream bowl and attachment

Sauce pan

Whisk – for browning the butter

Silicone spatula

High speed blender

Ice cream storage cups – or airtight containers

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Ingredients

Here is everything you’ll need to make the best apple pie ice cream recipe.

Apple Pie Filling

Apples (2 cups, 300g) – chopped and peeled. I used honey crisp apples, but feel free to use any apples you prefer.

Salted butter (2 tbsp, 28g)

Brown sugar (1/4 cup, 60g)

Lemon juice (2 tsp, 10g)

Cinnamon and Nutmeg (1 tsp each)

Vanilla extract (1 tsp)

Salt (1/4 tsp)

Water (2 tbsp, 30g)

Cornstarch (1 tbsp, 8g)

Ice Cream Ingredients

Heavy cream (1 2/3 cups, 400g)

Whole milk (1 1/4 cups, 300g)

Granulated sugar (1/2 cup, 100g)

Nonfat milk powder (1/3 cup, 40g)

Egg yolks (4, 70-75g)

Salt (1/4 tsp)

How to Make The Best Apple Pie Ice Cream Recipe

1. Chop Apples & Brown the Butter

Chop and peel your apples. Then coat the apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.

In a sauce pan, start melting the butter (2 tbsp, 28g) over medium heat. Once the milk solids start to bubble to the surface, whisk the butter so they don’t burn. Once the butter is brown take it off the heat.

Tip: Keep and eye on the butter and continuously whisk. Once the butter is melted it’s very easy to burn.

2. Make the Apple Pie Filling

Once the browned butter is off the heat, add the coated apples to the sauce pan.

Tip: Whisk continuously to keep the apples from burning. Since the pan is already hot from browning the butter, the apples will start to cook very quickly.

Once the sizzling stops, put the sauce pan on low heat and whisk in the lemon juice (2 tsp, 10g) and vanilla extract (1 tsp).

Next, take your water (2 tbsp, 30g) and your cornstarch (1 tbsp, 8g) and whisk them together. This will thicken the apple pie filling. Gradually whisk the cornstarch slurry into the apple mixture.

Cook the apple pie filling on low-medium heat for 10 – 13 minutes or until the apples are soft.

After the apple pie filling is done cooking, transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the fridge too cool.

3. Make the Ice Cream

In a blender add the heavy cream (1 2/3 cups, 400g), whole milk (1 1/4 cup, 300g), granulated sugar (1/2 cup, 100g), milk powder (1/3 cup, 40g), 4 egg yolks, vanilla extract (1 tbsp), and salt (1/4 tsp) and blend until everything is smooth.

Next, attach your ice cream bowl and ice cream hook attachment to your stand mixer.

Once the ice cream bowl is in place, pour all of the ice cream mixture into the bowl. Use the silicone spatula to get the edges of the blender.

Mix on the “stir” or the slowest setting for 15 – 20 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken and look like soft serve ice cream.

After 15 – 20 minutes, transfer the ice cream to an air tight container or ice cream cups and freeze overnight.

4. Mix & Enjoy (The Next Day)

Now that the apple pie filling is completely chilled and the ice cream has frozen overnight, layer the apple pie filling in between layers of the vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Topping ideas – Salted caramel drizzled on top would be the perfect salty sweet touch. You could also bake a pie crust in the oven and crush the pie crust on top for a crunchy topping.

Storage

Here’s how to store the apple pie ice cream so you can enjoy it for as long as possible!

Apple pie filling – The apple pie filling can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week and in the freezer for about one month. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.

Ice cream – The ice cream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you try out this Apple Pie Ice Cream Recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below. This helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to make. Also, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @goldenhourgrains so I can see what you’re making!

More Fall Recipes To Try:

Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Sourdough Stuffing for the Holidays

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