Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream
This homemade, no-churn cinnamon roll ice cream is hands down one of the best ice creams I’ve made. There’s a cream cheese vanilla base that gets swirled with the filling from a cinnamon roll, aka butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Optional: sandwich it in a brioche donut (same dough as cinnamon rolls) to really give it that cinnamon roll feel.
If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know my husband is not a “sweet person, especially not ice cream…he left that all for me. BUT he’s a die hard fan of this ice cream. I’m just gonna leave it at that…
I also want to mention that this ice cream is absolutely PERFECT on my apple blueberry crumble (or any crumble). It’s also a lovely pairing with my strawberry blueberry pie and my peach mango pie and basically any other pie recipe you want to put ice cream on.
What makes this recipe so good
- This no churn ice cream base is SO QUICK & EASY to make!
- extra creamy and it doesn’t freeze as solid as some other ice cream recipes.
- It also only uses 4 ingredients for the base.
Instead of a cinnamon ice cream base, this cinnamon roll ice cream uses a cream cheese base to mimic the flavors of the frosting that traditionally goes on top cinnamon rolls. I love using cream cheese in the base because it makes the ice cream extra creamy and cuts the sweetness a little.
I also used cream cheese in my caramel cheesecake ice cream and that is another one of my husband’s favorites (he must have a thing for cream cheese lol).
Then the cinnamon flavor comes through a gorgeous buttery, brown sugar, cinnamon swirl. The swirl gets a little crispy when it’s frozen, providing the ultimate creamy and crisp texture.
Ingredients
- Heavy Whipping Cream: this gets whipped into fresh whipped cream and makes the ice cream super light and fluffy.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: this is what sweetens the ice cream and makes it super creamy.
- Cream Cheese: this really helps make the ice cream extra creamy and mimics the Cinnabon frosting.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: the ice cream flavor is vanilla and the salt helps balance the sweetness.
- Cinnamon Roll Filling: melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon spice get mixed together and then swirled into the ice cream.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the filling by combining melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. You can refrigerate this for just a few minutes if you want chunkier pieces in your ice cream.
Step 2: Beat the sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese with an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, until they’re smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Add the heavy cream and vanilla and beat until soft peaks form and the mixture is super light and fluffy.
(I used to beat the heavy whipping cream separately until stiff peaks form and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture but this way works just as great and dirties one less bowl 🙂 ).
Step 4: Spread 1/3 of the ice cream into a deep pan. Spoon 1/3 of the filling onto the ice cream and use a knife to go back and forth, creating a cinnamon swirl. Repeat with the next two layers.
Step 5: Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on top of the ice cream and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Serve alone, sandwiched between brioche donuts (same dough as cinnamon rolls) or in an ice cream cone.
How to sandwich cinnamon roll ice between brioche donuts
If you’re really feeling adventurous, you can take this ice cream to the next level by sandwiching it with my brioche donuts. The traditional way to make ice cream sandwiches is by cutting out rounds and sandwiching it like I did in my butter pecan ice cream sandwiches.
You certainly cut them the ice cream out with cookie rounds if you freeze them in a larger, shallow pan. I prefer to just let the ice cream soften a little bit, slice the donuts in half and scoop a generous amount onto one side, then sandwich them together and serve immediately.
I recommend eating them fresh and not freezing the donuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I churn this ice cream?
You can, but you really don’t have to because the sweetened condensed milk prevents it from freezing solid.
Can I use something other than sweetened condensed milk?
Unfortunately not. I’ve tried some alternatives to sweetened condensed milk and unless you’re going to be churning the ice cream, using other substitutes makes it freeze solid.
You can use another vanilla ice cream recipe that you love and still swirl in the cinnamon roll filling after churning and before freezing.
Can I add actual cinnamon roll dough to the ice cream?
I highly don’t recommend it. I personally find frozen bread to be an awful texture in ice cream lol. But if you use something with higher fat in the dough, it doesn’t freeze quite as solid and defrosts a lot quicker. I would recommend adding some cookie dough bits without the chocolate chips if you’re looking for additional texture.
How to store cinnamon roll ice cream
Make sure the ice cream is fully covered with plastic wrap or an airtight container with a lid and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight. Keep it completely covered to prevent freezer burn. Ice cream is good for 3-6 months.
Thanks so much for reading today’s post, if you have any questions just comment down below. Make sure to leave it in the comment section because I can’t answer in the rating section :).
If you make this cinnamon roll ice cream I would love to see it so make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram!
As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
Yield: 2 pints
Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Recipe
This homemade, no-churn cinnamon roll ice cream is hands down one of the best ice creams I’ve made. There’s a cream cheese vanilla base that gets swirled with the filling from a cinnamon roll, aka butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Optional: sandwich it in a brioche donut (same dough as cinnamon rolls) to really give it that cinnamon roll feel.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Additional Time
8 hours
Total Time
8 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 1/4 cup (56g) salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100g) light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Ice Cream
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (1 package)
- 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups (18oz) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt (half if using table salt)
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon sugar for topping
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Mix them together until they're well combined and set aside.
- Place the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer, at full speed, to beat the two together until they're smooth and creamy.
- Add in the heavy whipping cream, the vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) and salt and beat until soft peaks form and the mixture is super light and fluffy.
- Spread 1/3 of the ice cream into a deep pan. Spoon 1/3 of the filling onto the ice cream and use a knife to go back and forth, creating a cinnamon swirl. Repeat with the next two layers.
- Cover with a lid or tightly with foil or plastic and freeze for at least 8 hours.
- If you're making the donut sandwiches, make my brioche donuts while the ice cream is freezing.
- Once the donuts have cooled a bit, toss them in cinnamon sugar, slice them in half, place a large scoop on one half and sandwich together. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 331Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information may not be fully accurate.