Apple Cider Caramel Donut Ice Cream
Spiced vanilla custard ice cream swirled with homemade apple cider caramel and studded with real apple cider donut chunks. The caramel is cooked low and slow for a soft, scoopable swirl that never freezes hard, and the donut pieces stay distinct instead of going soggy.
Servings: 12 servings (3 pints)
Calories: 349kcal
Equipment
- 2-Quart Saucepan
- Whisk
- Fine-Mesh Sieve
- Instant-Read Thermometer
- Compressor-Style Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
Apple Cider Caramel Sauce
- 454 g apple cider 16 oz
- 242 g heavy cream
- 150 g cane sugar
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg optional
- ⅛ tsp cloves optional
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 g vanilla extract
Cider Donut Ice Cream
- 2-3 apple cider donuts depending on size
- 150 g cane sugar
- 0.3 g guar gum
- 60 g skim milk powder
- 400 g whole milk
- 400 g heavy cream
- 42 g egg yolks from 3 eggs
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 g vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Apple Cider Caramel
- Place 454 g apple cider in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until it reaches ¼ cup in volume, lowering the temperature as needed to prevent burning. This should take about 30-45 minutes.
- While the cider is reducing, heat 242 g heavy cream to just boiling, then remove from the heat and cover until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, place 150 g cane sugar in a medium saucepan with just enough water to wet it and ½ tsp lemon juice.
- Heat the sugar over medium, and let simmer until it reaches your desired caramel color. I like to aim for 245-250°F (firm-ball stage) to keep the caramel from turning out too hard.
- Stir in the hot cream, and whisk over low heat until it forms a creamy caramel.
- Stir in the cider reduction, 4 g vanilla extract, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp cloves, and ½ tsp kosher salt.
- Pour into a heatproof container and let chill for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
The lemon juice prevents crystallization (caramel's worst enemy!). You can stir or leave it alone without worries.
Cook the Cider Donut Ice Cream
- Cut 2-3 apple cider donuts into bite-sized chunks and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet overnight.
- Whisk together 150 g cane sugar, 0.3 g guar gum, and 60 g skim milk powder in a 2-quart saucepan.
- Stir in 400 g whole milk until the solids dissolve, then stir in the 400 g heavy cream.
- Heat the mixture over medium-low, stirring constantly, until it reaches 110°F.
- Scoop a ladleful of the warm cream over 42 g egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then, whisk the yolks back into the pot.
- Heat the mixture to 165°F, stirring constantly over medium-low heat.
- Remove from the heat, then stir in 3 g ground cinnamon and ½ tsp ground nutmeg.
- Strain over an ice bath, and let cool to 75°F.
- Stir in the 4 g vanilla extract, then let the mixture chill for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Churn the Ice Cream
- Pour the chilled custard base into the bowl of your ice cream maker, and churn according to the instructions in the manual.
- Scoop a portion of the freshly churned ice cream into your storage container, then stir in a few frozen donut pieces and a large scoop of the apple cider caramel.
- Gently swirl everything together, then continue layering until your container is full.
- Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper firmly pressed onto the surface of the ice cream, followed by the lid of the container. Let cure for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
I churned this for about 30 minutes in my Lello 4080, but exact timing will vary based on your churning method.
Video
Notes
- The cider caramel can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated. Rewarm it slightly before layering so it swirls instead of clumping.
- Fresh cake-style apple cider donuts from an orchard or farmers market hold up better than glazed yeast donuts, which turn gummy when frozen.
