Cinnamon Streusel Ice Cream
Submitted by maxo
Homemade vanilla custard ice cream marbled with crunchy cinnamon streusel chunks. A French-style frozen dessert with the warming spice of coffee cake in every spoonful.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
4 hrsCOOK
5 minREADY
4This ice cream marries two classics. A silky vanilla custard base built on tempered egg yolks meets a buttery cinnamon streusel folded in just before freezing. The streusel chunks stay crisp through the freeze, contrasting against the cold creamy ice cream in a way that’s pure coffee cake magic in dessert form.
The French custard technique is the foundation. Whisking hot cream-milk mixture into the egg yolks slowly (called tempering) prevents the yolks from scrambling, then the whole mixture cooks until it coats the back of a spoon. Straining through a fine sieve removes any cooked egg bits and leaves a glassy-smooth base.
The streusel gets toasted briefly at 300°F (150°C) before folding in. This brief bake activates the butter and cinnamon, deepens the brown sugar flavor, and ensures the streusel pieces won’t soften in the freezer. Stir gently into the just-churned ice cream so they marble through rather than blend smooth. Serve with hot apple pie, warm bread pudding, or just a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Pro Tips
- Make the custard base a day ahead and chill overnight. Cold custard churns into smoother, denser ice cream.
- Watch the custard carefully when cooking. It thickens fast and overcooked custard separates into scrambled eggs.
- Toast the streusel only 5 minutes and stir frequently. Long bake times burn the cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Ripen the churned ice cream in the freezer 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving for proper scoop texture.
Variations
- Add 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom or chai spice blend to the streusel for an aromatic twist.
- Fold in chopped toasted pecans or walnuts with the streusel for extra crunch.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce or maple syrup when scooping for a coffee cake-style sundae.
Ingredients
Directions
FOR THE ICE CREAM: 1.
In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks until slightly thickened. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, and sugar. Bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Whisk about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, then whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the pan.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Pour through a fine sieve into a large bowl.
Stir in vanilla. Cool slightly. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
- Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s Transfer ice cream to a freezer container and gently stir in cinnamon streusel just until marbleized. Cover lightly and freeze ½ to 2 hours before serving. Note: To add extra smoothness and volume to homemade ice cream, make the mixture a day ahead and refrigerate. After churning, ripen the ice cream in an airtight container in the freezer from ½ to 2 hours. FOR THE STREUSEL:
- Preheat oven to 300℉ (150℃)
- In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar with the flour and cinnamon. Using knives or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
- Spread evenly on a baking sheet, and bake 5 minutes. Stir several times while baking, watching to be sure the topping does not burn. Cool, then break up any large clumps that may have formed.
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