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Salted Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream (Easy Homemade Recipe)

Homemade salted caramel apple pie ice cream with a creamy cinnamon custard, buttery Honeycrisp apples, graham crunch, and caramel swirl. All the fall cozy!
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 10 hours
Total Time: 11 hours
Servings: 8 servings

Video

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Custard Base:

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup heavy cream

For the Apple Pie Filling:

  • 2 Honeycrisp apples peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Graham Cracker Crunch:

  • ½ cup crushed graham crackers
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

For Swirling:

  • About 1/4 cup salted caramel homemade or store bought

Instructions

  • Grab a saucepan and set it over low to medium heat. Whisk together your egg yolks and brown sugar until the mixture turns thick, pale, and fluffy. This is where all that gorgeous custard richness begins, so give it a good whisk until the sugar has melted right in!
  • In a separate pot, gently warm your whole milk until it is just warm to the touch, not boiling. Turn off the heat under your yolks, then slowly whisk the warm milk into the yolk mixture, going nice and slow so everything stays silky and smooth.
  • Bring your custard up to 165 degrees F, whisking the whole time. Once it hits temperature, remove it from the heat and whisk in your vanilla and ground cinnamon. That cinnamon is going to smell like heaven!
  • Let your custard cool down slightly then pop it in the fridge to chill fully. I always let mine chill overnight for the creamiest, dreamiest results. Remember, the longer that base sits, the thicker and creamier your ice cream gets!
  • While that chills (or the next day), make your apple pie filling. Peel and dice your Honeycrisp apples nice and small. In a skillet, melt your butter with the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until the butter is fully melted and everything is combined. Add your diced apples and sauté for about 10 to 15 minutes, until they are tender and smell just like apple pie. Set aside to cool.
  • Now make your graham cracker crunch. Mix together your crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, and melted butter until everything is coated. Spread it out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes, until golden. Let it cool completely so it stays nice and crisp.
  • Once your custard is completely chilled, combine the custard base and heavy cream in your ice cream maker and let it churn for about 20 minutes. In the last 2 minutes of churning, add in your cooled apple pie filling and graham cracker crunch so they swirl right in.
  • Now for the fun part! Spoon one third of the ice cream into your two pint containers, drizzle with a spoonful of salted caramel, and repeat that layering three times until everything is used up. Those caramel ribbons are EVERYTHING.
  • Cover and let the ice cream freeze for at least an hour, or longer if you like a firmer scoop. I love mine a little softer, so about an hour is perfect for me. Then grab a spoon and enjoy every cozy, creamy, caramel-swirled bite!