Caramel Apple Ice Cream
This Caramel Apple Ice Cream is the ice cream version of everyone’s favorite childhood Fall treat…but all done up and made using a sweet homemade salted caramel. The base is made with very simple ingredients; heavy cream, whole milk, egg yolks, sugar, and a homemade apple paste to give this ice cream the most amazing apple flavor! From there, you make a delicious salted caramel that’s only 4 ingredients! Oh, yes. It’s really that simple. This creamy caramel apple ice cream is every bit as delicious as you remember those caramel apples from growing up. You just can’t beat this ice cream, especially during the Fall season! It’s truly the perfect dessert to keep stocked in the freezer.
→ This post is also available as a Web Story: Caramel Apple Ice Cream
About The Recipe
We’re back with another ice cream recipe! This time, it’s truly something special.
Fall isn’t Fall without caramel apples, you know? Well, with it still being 90 degrees here in Texas, we need a way to enjoy the sweet treat without being too hot…which is why we turned it into a super delicious, easy to make ice cream!
While a custard base ice cream may sound intimidating, I promise it’s really not as hard as it may seem! We have a foolproof way to guarantee no cooked egg chunks in your ice cream…and, if you live in a warmer climate like we do, it really helps with making things feel a little more like Fall!
Every bite is so creamy, silky, apple-y, caramel-y, and just SO. GOOD.
Equipment Needed
- Blender
- Small Pot
- Mixing Bowls
- Sieve
- Ice Cream Machine
Thermometer
Ingredients
For The Apples:
- Honeycrisp Apples
- Water
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla Extract
- Salted Butter
For The Caramel:
- Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Salted Butter
- Heavy Cream
For The Ice Cream:
- Apple Puree
- Heavy Cream
- Whole Milk
- Sugar
- Egg Yolks
Instructions
Combine the apples, water, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and butter in a small pot. Cook over medium-low heat until apples just begin to soften. About 8-10 minutes.
Once the apples have cooled, put them in a blender and puree them until smooth. Set aside.
To make the caramel, heat cream and keep it warm.
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and syrup is turning gold.
Remove from heat and whisk butter in one slice at a time.
Whisk in heavy cream. Set aside.
To make the ice cream base, beat egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl until light yellow, about 4-5 minutes.
Heat the whole milk and heavy cream over medium low heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges.
While whisking constantly, pour the milk mixture into the egg mixture.
Return to saucepan and cook over medium low heat to 180 degrees.
Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in apple puree. Let cool completely. Pour custard into a blender and puree until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
Pour into ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
In ice cream container, layer ice cream with caramel, alternating layers. Freeze overnight.
Substitutions
- You can use a store-bought caramel sauce.
- If you can’t find Honeycrisps, Pink Lady apples are a great substitute!
What To Serve with Caramel Apple Ice Cream
- Homemade Apple Pie
- Spiced Apple Butter Linzer Cookies
- Brown Butter Cinnamon Apple Dutch Baby
- Spiced Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Drizzle
Expert Tips
- 2 cups of chopped apple is about 1 large apple.
- This recipe is gluten-free!
- Do not boil the milk when you’re cooking it. Just bring it to a light simmer.
- When making the custard, the temperature needs to be 180 degrees. That should very lightly coat your spoon.
- When you’re melting the sugar, make sure you keep stirring! It burns very quickly.
- The caramel will bubble intensely after each addition – butter and cream. Be careful!
- The hardest thing about candy is burner temperatures! We cook on a natural gas range so, our low could be your medium. Keep an eye on the sugar and adjust as necessary!
When you make this Caramel Apple Ice Cream, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Caramel Apple Ice Cream
Ingredients
Apples
- 2 cups chopped apple
- 1½ Tablespoons water
- 1½ Tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ Tablespoons salted butter
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup salted butter, sliced
Ice Cream
- 1⅓ cups whole milk
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
Instructions
Apples
- Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until apples have softened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Set aside to cool.
- Purée when cool.
Caramel Sauce
- Heat cream and keep it warm.
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has melted and syrup is turning gold.
- Remove from heat.
- Whisk in butter, one slice at a time.
- Whisk in cream.
Ice Cream
- Beat egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl until light yellow, about 4-5 minutes.
- Heat milk and cream over medium low heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges.
- Whisking constantly, pour milk mixture over egg mixture.
- Return to saucepan and cook over medium low heat to 180 degrees.
- Remove from heat.
- Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into a clean bowl.
- Stir in apple puree.
- Put in freezer or over ice bath to cool.
- Pour custard into a blender and puree until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
- Pour into ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
- In ice cream container, layer ice cream with caramel, alternating layers.
- Place in freezer overnight to harden.
Notes + Tips!
- 2 cups of chopped apple is about 1 large apple.
- This recipe is gluten-free!
- Do not boil the milk when you’re cooking it. Just bring it to a light simmer.
- When making the custard, the temperature needs to be 180 degrees. That should very lightly coat your spoon.
- When you’re melting the sugar, make sure you keep stirring! It burns very quickly.
- The caramel will bubble intensely after each addition – butter and cream. Be careful!
- The hardest thing about candy is burner temperatures! We cook on a natural gas range so, our low could be your medium. Keep an eye on the sugar and adjust as necessary!
Tools You May Need (affiliate links)
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
